Title | CHATBOOKS |
Brand | SINGAPORE BOOK COUNCIL |
Product / Service | #BUYSINGLIT 2018 (BUY SINGAPORE LITERATURE MOVEMENT) |
Category | B03. Social for Mobile |
Entrant | DDB SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
Idea Creation | DDB SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
Media Placement | DDB SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
Production | DDB SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Chris Chiu | DDB Group Singapore | Group Chief Creative Officer |
Melvin Kuek | DDB Group Singapore | Deputy CEO, DDB Group Asia |
Dunstan Lee | DDB Singapore | Creative Group Head |
Karine Tan | DDB Singapore | Senior Art Director |
Chong Jenn Perng | DDB Singapore | Art Director |
Tay Aik Tiao | DDB Singapore | Copywriter |
Drishti Khemani | DDB Singapore | Art Director |
Alvan Poa | DDB Singapore | Senior Account Executive |
Amanda Tan | DDB Singapore | Producer |
Claire Ang | Freelance | Video Editor |
Ng Mei Kit | DDB Singapore | Project Director |
Neo Chun Guan | DDB Singapore | Digital Catalyst/Exp Planner |
We decided to leverage the power of social media and technology to put the spotlight back on local literature. Combining a chatbot and local literature, we created "Chatbooks" – a chatbot that immerses users right into the heart of our stories. We turned book synopses into bite-sized dialogues, and then built these into our chatbot, creating a first-of-its-kind book preview experience. "Chatbooks" made readers feel like the authors were "chatting" with them, making it an intimate interaction that left an impression.
We first invited selected local authors to turn their book synopses into bite-sized dialogues, complete with audio and visual elements to enhance the experience. This took close to 2 months. These dialogues were then built into a chatbot – which was rigorously tested and refined within a month. The authors themselves were heavily involved in the trial stage, to ensure that the pace and delivery of the chat dialogues evoked the emotions they wanted. Before the launch of "Chatbooks", we invited the media to try out the experience, so that they could help spread the word. This publicity was then enhanced with Facebook ad buys precisely targeting people who were searching for new reads and with an interest in reading.
"Chatbooks" got people talking even before it was launched. It was featured on First Look Asia, a talkshow on Channel NewsAsia that reaches over 58 million households across over 28 territories in Asia. "Chatbooks" was also specially mentioned in two main national broadsheets, The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, and also several other lifestyle publications. As a result of "Chatbooks", local authors and literature got the spotlight they deserved. The campaign also changed their perception that local books were boring, irrelevant and incomparable to international books.
Our strategy was to compete with the Goliaths through innovation. We re-thought the way book synopses were presented and put a twist on it. And also got users right into the heart of each featured story once they launched the experience. As for our media strategy, we wanted to reach our target audience – busy working professionals – through a media space that's right by their side almost 24/7. Our idea was eventually easily accessible through the mobile phones of millions of people.