As YouTube Thailand celebrates first year, content creators share tips

It has been 10 years since YouTube was founded and it is undeniable that it has unleashed a new generation of content creation. And by every measure it is still growing, in viewer numbers, watching time, and video uploads, worldwide and in Thailand.

YouTube Thailand marked its first anniversary last Tuesday by organising “YouTube Pulse” to celebrate its success and share some tips from top content creators and brand builders.

“Hormones”, a drama of daily life at a Bangkok high school that has become the most talked-about programme on Thai television, was raised as a YouTube case study.

The series is produced by GTH and directed by Songyos Sugmakanan, who credited YouTube with making the first season of his show hugely successful.

Despite the fact that it is not being shown on free TV, viewers can watch it on GMM One TV channel via satellite or for free on the GMM YouTube channel.

“Viewers can watch it anywhere and any time, live or rerun. Teenagers [who are the big fans of the series] can chat while watching it with friends at schools,” said Songyos, who joined the event as a content creator.

Moreover, Songyos revealed some tips on why his show became popular through YouTube. He said he saw the benefit of feedback or comments under the video on YouTube and used them to create the next episodes.

“Because the comments were not just criticism but true feelings from viewers,” he said.

Boonsueb Chanchamsri, senior marketing manager at Thai Samsung Electronics, said his products benefited from YouTube when compared with television commercials.

“Our products are about technology and are complicated, so we can make a demonstration on YouTube as long as we want to show consumers how to use the products,” he said.

Like Songyos, Boonsueb said he paid attention to the comments under the video but not the number of viewers.

Phawit Chitrakorn, managing director of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Thailand, said a key to making an advertisement a hit on YouTube was that agencies need to be aware that they are competing for consumers’ interest and not just creating online ads.

He suggested that advertising agencies had no need to hide from consumers that they want to sell goods or products.

“The fact is we are bringing brand content to interrupt consumers, so we don’t need to hide [our motive to sell the products]. The keys [to succeed] are how to create ads to make them realise we are interrupting them while they are still eager to engage, have conversations, and share,” Phawit said. 

Gautam Anand, director of YouTube content and operations for Google Asia-Pacific, said that over the past 10 years, YouTube had become a portrait of global culture, seen through the lenses and perspectives of people around the world.

Anand said that last year, the show-business trade publication Variety conducted a survey of American teenagers, asking them who they thought were the most popular stars today. Surprisingly, the survey found that every one of the top five stars was not a Hollywood superstar but a YouTuber – Smosh, the Fine Brothers, PewDiePie, Ryan Higa and KSI.

Ariya Banomyong, country head of Google Thailand, said YouTube could help connect all brands with targeted consumers and finally make brands content creators.

 

Ads Leaderboard

At the “YouTube Pulse” event, YouTube released its “Ads Leaderboard” of the 10 most watched and shared adverts on the channel in Thailand for first quarter of 2015.

Thai Life continued its success into 2015, topping the list with “The Reason” by Ogilvy & Mather Thailand. The advert was a thought-provoking four-minute-plus mini-movie that explored the Royal Anthem by asking Thais to think about why they stand, sing, and revere the King.

The other nine are “Aya … I Love You” from King Power by Y&R; “Withee Klai Ron1: Sabad Phom Hai Sexy” from Clear by Hub Ho Hin; “Mai Cheu Ba Ba Ba” from Nestle Ice Cream by JWT with VRZO; “The Everlasting Teacher” from 7-Eleven Thailand by MAM Heart; “Khun Cheu Pa Wa Khon Rao Ja Chob Kun Dai Doey Tee Mai Keuy Jeu Na” (Part 1) from Samsung by GTH; “Check In Krean Krean” (Part 2) from Thai AirAsia by Dove To Rabbit; “Jinny Ja” from Lazada by VRZO; “Discover Thainess” (two-minute version) from Tourism Authority of Thailand by Leo Burnett; and “Ja Pen Yang Rai Tha Khong Len Tee Dek Dek Yak Dai Tee Sud Keu …” from Unicef by Mediavest.

Thais chose to watch and share all of the adverts on this leaderboard. The reason is simple: great storytelling. Many of them feel more like short films than ads, but even more than high production values it is the emotions that the ads stir up that make them powerful. For example, in the United Nations Children’s Fund video ad, we witness a very touching moment between children and their fathers.