Listening to Twitterverse during this pandemic —contributed photo
With quarantine restrictions to quell the spread of COVID-19 keeping most Filipinos at home for the most part of the past 21 months, it is no wonder that their hours spent on social media surged.
And where Filipino consumers went to cope with the protracted pandemic, brands seeking to still connect with their market naturally followed with their campaigns to gain awareness, traction and marketing success.
These brands as well as Twitter itself also saw that because of COVID-19, the kind of products and brands that Filipinos wanted to talk about on the popular microblogging site markedly changed from the prepandemic era.
According to Tina Pang, Twitter’s head of client solutions for Southeast Asia, there was “a shift on the products and brands that got people talking on Twitter.” “Food and beverages are staples and will always be few of the biggest categories, but throughout the period of being at home, we have seen those products on home care, for cleaning, and even brands on e-commerce have been the meat of conversations among people on Twitter.”
Twitter data showed that from January 2021 to the end of May 2021, Filipinos liked most to talk about food, beverages, personal care as well as home care on the microblog site, deemed a direct result of being stuck at home and coping with the protracted pandemic.
Filipinos were eager to talk about their exploits in the kitchen, from cooking to baking, and they also wanted to talk about the different ways they enjoyed or made their coffee.
Twitter data likewise showed a 15-percent increase in the volume of tweets centering on hair care in the first quarter of this year from the fourth quarter of 2020. Also, there were more conversations around self-care, with Filipinos posting about their skin care routine as well as thoughts on unrealistic beauty standards.
And lastly, Filipinos were found to have become more fond of tweeting about being at home, making them more attentive to their own space.
As the pandemic wore on, people became more interested in home improvement to keep their homes safe and clean from the virus.
Most tweeted brands
Filipinos can be seen sharing their aesthetic home buys, mainly from Lazada Philippines, which emerged as the most mentioned retailer of home care products during the period.
And as Filipinos shared their thoughts on these trends over the 1.5-year period, specific brands were top of mind.
In beverages, for example, the top brand was Pepsi, followed by Coca-Cola, then Gatorade, and Nescafe, with Mountain Dew rounding up the top five list.
As for beverage retailers, top of mind was Robinsons Supermarket, followed by foodpanda PH, Grab Philippines, Puregold and then Family Mart, showcasing the Filipinos’ preference for convenience stores they can readily access given the mobility restrictions.
Pang says brand popularity on Twitter as measured by the number of conversations or positive posts on a certain brand is another way to check if an ad or campaign has been effective.
“More than what the numbers say in your ads, the number of people who are talking about your brand, people who initiated the conversation on your behalf, the level of engagement and the quality of conversations should also be considered,” says Pang.
“It’s also a good sign when you are able to create an active community on Twitter who would amplify your conversations,” she adds.
To become top of mind, Pang says it is important for the brands to stay connected with their audience by being creative in their messaging and their approach.
“What compels people on Twitter to interact or tweet about the brand is on the context or message. Consumers contribute to the conversation not just to react or reply to the brand, but they themselves can take charge of the conversation by sharing their firsthand experience or initiate on topics related to the brand,” Pang says.
To target the Gen Z cohort, for example, Pang says brands could leverage on their desire to participate in conversations and campaigns.
Specifically on Pepsi, Pang says the brand “hit the right spots in creating and nurturing the conversation as well as staying culturally relevant through themes or ideas that matter to their audience.”
Overall, she suggests that brands wanting to stand out on Twitter should strive to create a personalized journey and look for ways to elevate brand experience with culture and technology.
Twitter’s insights seem to tie in well with how Pepsico crafts its messages. Gutzee Segura, carbonated soft drink marketing lead of PepsiCo PH, says: “Pepsi has always been a fun, approachable and passionate brand, enabling Gen Z’s to let go of their self-doubt and go all in for the things they love. We consistently communicate in this manner regardless of the platform and storyline. Pepsi’s campaigns and messages are dynamic and as real as it can get. With the help of our brand endorsers, our authentic stories become even more magnified and meaningful.”
She adds that in creating every campaign, they start with the intent to deliver an integrated consumer experience that leaves the consumer smiling. “With a consumer-first approach, a profound understanding of their realities and needs, and having lens on the best means of communication, Pepsi is able to produce compelling stories that are relevant and shareable,” she says.