DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION
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21/04/2026 - 26/06/2026
Week 01 - Week 14
Adrianna Sofea Mohd Fauzi (0350661)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Digital and Social Media Communication
JUMPLINKS:
1. Assignment 1: Group - Social Media Analytics2. Assignment 2: Group - Empathy Mapping & Persona
3. Assignment 3: Final Project
This week is about learning that great branding is more than just a pretty picture, it’s about using research and data to sell effectively.
We were asked to work in teams of four, we must take a randomly assigned brand through a full strategy process, analyzing its strengths, mapping out exactly who the audience is, and building a real 6 week content plan. To get a top grade, we need to look past the visuals and prove our ideas with facts, staying consistent with the brand’s style while keeping your content trendy and well-timed.
It’s a way to practice the real-world skills needed for a career in digital marketing or social media planning.
This week's lecture focuses on the idea that every great brand strategy starts with deep research rather than design. We need to collect hard numbers like follower counts and likes, as well as soft details like the brand’s tone and style across at least two different social platforms.
By looking at five key areas, the brand itself, the platforms, the content, the audience, and the competition, we have to find the gaps and opportunities where the brand can improve.
Everything in our presentation, from the SWOT analysis to the audience response, must be proven with data, specifically by using the engagement rate formula to show exactly how well the brand is performing.
Brand Analysis
The first week of the module served as a comprehensive introduction to our semester-long project. We were briefed that this module revolves around a continuous assignment structured through group collaboration. My group, consisting of Lou YuHan (0375593), Shi Manlin (0375858), Gu Meng (0369343), and myself, Adrianna Sofea (0350661), has officially selected Julie’s Biscuits as our focal brand.
The primary objective for this initial phase is to conduct an extensive Social Media Analytics Study. This research is critical as it establishes the analytical foundation required to understand the brand’s current digital standing before we transition into content strategy and audience development.
To ensure a good evaluation, our group has identified 15 key research that will guide our data collection and analysis:
Brand Introduction
Brand Story and Background
Products / Services
Vision, Mission, and Values
Target Market
Digital and Social Media Channels
Social Media Data Collection
Content Type Analysis
Engagement Analysis
Visual and Tone Analysis
Audience Response Analysis
Competitor Comparison
SWOT Analysis
Key Insights
Early Campaign Opportunities
We aim to transform raw data into insights. This week focuses heavily on the Brand Introduction and Social Media Data Collection stages, ensuring our eventual content strategy is rooted in evidence rather than just assumptions.
Timeline
Delegations
I first analysed Julie's social media performance on Instagram and TikTok to identify which types of content received the highest engagement. Posts such as the SEVENTEEN giveaway and the Raya telemovie performed well because they encouraged participation and created an emotional connection with audiences. In comparison, promotional posts featuring vouchers or product information received less interaction as they were more informative than engaging.
This shows that Julie's audiences respond better to content that connects with culture, storytelling and shared interests rather than direct product promotions.
The comments also show that audiences enjoy simple snack ideas, recipes and festive content. Rather than only promoting products, Julie's can create content that highlights everyday moments and occasions where the products can be enjoyed.
Compared to its competitors, Julie's stands out in emotional storytelling, while Munchy's performs well with interactive and trend-based content, and Jacob's builds trust through health and family-focused messaging. This highlights an opportunity for Julie's to combine emotional stories with more engaging and community-driven content. Julie's has built a strong visual identity and emotional brand image, but there is still room to improve audience engagement. By creating more interactive, story-driven content while maintaining its consistent branding, Julie's can build stronger connections with both younger and family-oriented audiences.
Empathy Map Report
For Task 2, we first developed user personas to understand who Julie's audience is before creating any campaign ideas. Instead of focusing on only one age group, we explored three different generations, Gen X, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha, to see how each group interacts with the brand differently. Each persona has different lifestyles, buying behaviours and social media habits, allowing us to understand Julie's broad target audience before deciding who to focus on.
Group Discussion for User Persona
I was responsible for developing the khaleeda user persona, representing a young working adult with a busy, design-oriented lifestyle. I researched her demographics, lifestyle, motivations, pain points, buying behaviour, and social media habits to understand how she interacts with Julie's. Based on these insights, I also proposed suitable content directions, communication tone, and platform recommendations, focusing on Instagram and TikTok to better connect with younger audiences. After comparing the three personas, we selected Wong Shu Mei as our main persona because she best represents Julie's core audience. As a busy working mother, she values trust, affordability and convenience when purchasing snacks for her family. Her behaviour also aligns closely with Julie's long-standing family-oriented brand positioning.
User Persona Report
Using Shu Mei as our main persona, we created an empathy map to better understand how she thinks, feels, sees, hears, says and does throughout her purchasing journey. This allowed us to look beyond demographics and understand her motivations, frustrations and everyday decision-making process.
Key Insights: From the empathy map, we identified the key insights that influence her purchasing decisions. We found that family trust, affordability, convenience and familiar brands are the main reasons she chooses a product. These insights helped us understand what type of communication would connect with her the most.
Campaign Direction: We translated these findings into a clearer campaign direction. Based on Shu Mei's behaviour and needs, we recommended content that focuses on everyday family moments, practical snack solutions and trustworthy communication across platforms that she uses most, such as Facebook and WhatsApp. This gives us a stronger foundation for developing our digital campaign in the next task.
Presentation Slide Form
During our group meeting, we discussed campaign direction by discussing the campaign objective, end goal, and the awareness we wanted to create. We planned the 8 social media posts for the month of August, deciding the content type, and choosing Facebook and Instagram as the main platform based on our selected persona. I reviewed Julie's current Facebook engagement patterns and Instagram to discuss how each post could better attract our target audience through relatable content. Lastly, we shared visual references and mood boards to establish a consistent design direction, including the colour palette, layout, and template system.
During the planning stage, our group agreed on the initial content pillars, but they were not finalised immediately as we wanted to better understand Julie's audience and how they interacted with the brand. Through further research and discussions, we refined the pillars based on audience behaviour and content preferences instead of relying on assumptions. We also decided to focus solely on Facebook because our primary audience, Millennials and Generation X, are more active on the platform.
Design Idea 1 Idea – Key Visual: Mum's Little Win
For my first design, I wanted to introduce our campaign concept, "Mum's Little Win." Instead of showing a perfect family moment, I wanted to celebrate the small everyday moments that mothers often overlook. The visual shows a warm kitchen or dining space where a mother and her child are sharing Julie's biscuits during a quiet break. Around them, small doodles highlight relatable "little wins" such as "On-time lunch," "No tears today," and "5 minutes of peace." These details make the visual feel more personal and relatable to our chosen persona, Shu Mei.
Rather than following Gen Z trends or internet slang, I wanted to use a sense of nostalgia that resonates with mothers in their 40s. The warm colour grading and homely environment create a comforting feeling while still looking modern. Julie's product is naturally placed within the scene instead of feeling like a direct advertisement, allowing the focus to remain on the emotional moment before the product itself.
Design Thinking Process
After analysing Julie's social media performance, I noticed that the brand's audience was very broad, making it difficult for the content to consistently generate engagement. While Julie's appeals to many age groups, not every audience responds to the same type of content. Instead of creating generic family content, I wanted to narrow down who we were designing for and build a campaign around their interests and daily lifestyle.
Based on our chosen persona, I focused on Generation X and Millennials, particularly mothers who are responsible for grocery shopping and taking care of their family's everyday needs. Rather than only portraying them as caregivers, I also wanted to acknowledge that they deserve moments for themselves. This became the foundation of my campaign direction.
Why National Wellness Month?
August was the perfect opportunity because it is National Wellness Month. Instead of interpreting wellness as fitness or dieting, I wanted to approach it from an emotional perspective.
To me, wellness can simply mean taking a short break during a busy day, enjoying a cup of tea, watching a favourite drama, or having a quiet snack after looking after everyone else. These are small moments that many mothers experience but rarely celebrate.
This inspired the campaign idea "Mum's Little Win," where Julie's becomes part of those everyday moments of comfort.
Campaign Direction: Although the campaign is designed around mothers, I didn't want the communication to constantly say "for mums." Instead, I wanted the audience to naturally recognise themselves through relatable situations.
The campaign focuses on small everyday wins:
Finally sitting down after a busy day.
Having five minutes of quiet time.
Finding a snack that everyone in the family enjoys.
Enjoying a favourite TV drama without interruption.
These situations make Julie's feel less like a product and more like part of everyday life.
After further discussions with our lecturer, we realised that although Julie's has always positioned itself as a family-oriented brand, the idea of "family" had become too broad. When content tries to speak to everyone at once, it often ends up not connecting deeply with anyone, which may also explain why some of Julie's social media posts receive lower engagement.
This led us to rethink how we approached the campaign. Instead of creating content that only talks about the family as a whole, we wanted to look at the people who make up a family. Every household consists of different generations, whether it's Generation X, Millennials, Gen Z or even older family members. Each generation has different interests, routines, media habits and ways of spending their leisure time. Rather than creating one generic message, we saw an opportunity to design content that speaks directly to each individual while still staying true to Julie's family values.
Content Strategy: For my two assigned posts, I wanted each one to achieve a different objective.
Post 1 — Campaign Introduction
The first carousel introduces the campaign during National Wellness Month. Instead of directly promoting biscuits, it introduces the idea of slowing down and appreciating small moments throughout the month. This creates awareness while setting the emotional tone for the campaign.
For the second post, I wanted to connect with something that many Malaysian mothers already enjoy. Many mothers today spend their leisure time watching C-dramas, so I thought it would be interesting to join that trend rather than creating another typical product advertisement. The video begins like a romantic C-drama before revealing a mother binge-watching while enjoying Julie's biscuits. This unexpected twist makes the content entertaining while naturally integrating the product into her relaxation routine.
From my observations, Facebook is where many Millennials and Gen X users spend time reading stories, looking for recommendations, following current trends, and engaging in community discussions. Facebook allows longer captions, storytelling, conversations, and shareable content, making it a better fit for this campaign. Instagram, is more visually driven and entertainment which suits the content we are intentionally pushing for.
The idea was that every post would focus on a different generation by using references, trends and everyday situations that feel familiar to them. For example, younger audiences might respond to social media trends, while Millennials and Generation X may relate more to C-dramas,or simple moments of relaxation after a long day. By understanding what each generation enjoys, the content becomes more personal and relatable instead of feeling like another product advertisement.
Although every post targets a different audience, they are all connected by one common theme, everyone deserves a small moment for themselves. Whether it's a mother finally sitting down with a cup of tea, a father watching his favourite show after work, or a younger audience enjoying content that reflects their interests, Julie's becomes part of those everyday moments of comfort. This also ties naturally into National Wellness Month, where wellness doesn't have to mean exercise or self-improvement. Sometimes, wellness is simply taking a short break and enjoying something familiar.
I also liked that this direction allows the campaign to come full circle. While each post celebrates an individual's personal escape or leisure time, the campaign can end by bringing everyone back together as a family. It reminds the audience that although every family member has different interests and routines, Julie's is the small connection they all share. Instead of starting with "family," we start by understanding each individual, and in the end, those individual moments come together to tell one family story.
The visual style is designed to stay true to Julie's existing brand aesthetic and overall mood while still feeling distinct enough to represent this campaign. I didn't want it to look like another regular social media post, but rather something that audiences could immediately recognise as part of a dedicated campaign. The references above served as visual inspiration, guiding the overall composition, colour grading, product placement, and focal point. I was particularly liked to how the product is integrated subtly into the scene instead of becoming the main subject, allowing the story and emotions to take the lead while Julie's naturally becomes part of the moment. This approach helps maintain the brand's warm and familiar identity while giving the campaign its own visual personality.
Product Shoot & Production Behind-The-Scene
Rental Camera
I rented a camera and carried out the photoshoot in my own house, where I had full control over the environment. I carefully selected every prop that appeared in the scene, including the vase, coffee table, blanket, books, and even the clothing colours. Each element was chosen intentionally to create a warm, atmosphere that reflects the campaign's message of comfort and relaxation.
One of the biggest challenges was balancing the product placement. I wanted Julie's biscuits to be noticeable without making the visual feel overly promotional. Throughout the shoot, I experimented with different compositions, product placements, and poses to find the right balance where the story remained the main focus while the product naturally became part of the moment. This process helped me achieve a visual that felt authentic and aligned with the campaign's intention.
After researching various C-drama clips and short-form dramas, I shifted the idea to a modern-day setting. I noticed that short dramas usually reveal only a small part of the story to create curiosity, encouraging viewers to continue watching the next episode. I wanted to recreate that same viewing experience by opening with a romantic scene that feels like a genuine drama before unexpectedly revealing that it is actually a mother enjoying the show while snacking on Julie's biscuits.
To bring the reel to life, I hired my high school friends to act in the production. Since the dialogue was in Mandarin, I also asked a friend who is fluent in the language to help review my script and guide the actors on their pronunciation and delivery. This was important because I wanted the dialogue to sound natural and believable, especially since the opening scene needed to convince viewers that they were watching an actual C-drama.
I also prepared visual references for the actors wardrobe before the shoot. The heroine's outfit was crucial because the storyline revolves around the male lead gifting her a skirt, making it a key element of the narrative. We shortlisted several skirt options beforehand to ensure the final choice complemented the overall mood and colour palette of the scene. Paying attention to these small production details helped create a more authentic and visually cohesive result while supporting the emotional direction of the story.
Mom's POV of C-Drama Series
Carousel Slide 1
Carousel Slide 2
During the consultation, my lecturer pointed out that the first key visual felt too unrealistic. The lighting appeared inconsistent, the edits looked overly bright, and some of the visual effects gave the composition fake feel. He also suggested simplifying the second slide of the carousel by removing unnecessary props, such as the book, as they distracted from the main message instead of supporting it. This reminded me that every object within the composition should have a purpose, and if it does not contribute to the story, it should be removed.
For the second post, the feedback was that the design felt too raw and lacked Julie's visual identity. While the concept was clear, the overall colour palette and graphic elements did not strongly reflect the brand, making it difficult to immediately recognise it as a Julie's campaign. Based on this feedback, I refined the design by creating a more consistent colour treatment, strengthening the brand presence through subtle visual elements, and ensuring both posts shared a cohesive campaign identity while maintaining the warm, comforting mood I wanted to achieve. Font used: Julie's Bhaino Font
Draft Design 2
Carousel Slide 1
Carousel Slide 2
During the second consultation, my lecturer commented that the first key visual looked more like a spa advertisement than a Julie's campaign, as the warm tones and styling created a relaxing atmosphere but did not communicate Julie's brand identity. This made me revisit the design and rethink how I could better balance the campaign concept with the brand's existing visual language. For the second design, he liked the overall concept and direction, but pointed out that the overlapping text reduced readability and the new font choice no longer resonated with Julie's identity, making it feel like a completely different brand. Based on this feedback, I refined the typography, simplified the layout, and adjusted the visual elements to better align the campaign with Julie's branding while maintaining the warm and comforting mood I intended.
Carousel Slide 1
Carousel Slide 2For the third amendment, I refined the design based on the feedback received during the previous consultation. I changed the typography to better align with Julie's brand identity, revised the copy so it communicated the campaign message more clearly, and colour graded the visuals once again to ensure every element felt balanced and cohesive. I also incorporated Julie's logo more naturally into the composition and refined the copywriting to strengthen the connection with our campaign title and overall strategy. These final adjustments helped create a design that not only reflected the warm, comforting mood of the campaign but also made it immediately recognisable as part of Julie's brand. Font used: Gotham Font
I attached a mini microphone to the actors during filming so the dialogue would sound clear and natural. During post-production, I reviewed over 36 audio recordings to find the best takes and synchronised them with the video, especially for the opening C-drama scene where believable dialogue was essential to create the illusion of a real short drama. This process was time-consuming, but it helped make the first half of the reel feel more immersive and convincing. I also carefully incorporated sound effects into the second half of the video to strengthen the storytelling and guide the audience's attention. The mother's giggle helps communicate that she is genuinely enjoying the drama, while the crunching sound highlights Julie's biscuits without making it feel overly promotional. Lastly, I added a typing sound effect when she comments "Next Episode" to reinforce the call-to-action and show her immediate interaction with the content. Although these audios are subtle, they communicate the intended message quickly and make the reel feel more engaging, helping viewers naturally understand both the story and the intentional direction.
Feedback from Panellist:
After presenting our campaign to the panel, we received several constructive comments that highlighted both the strengths and areas for improvement. The panel appreciated the consistent brand identity throughout the presentation slides and found the reel concept engaging, commenting that it was a creative approach that effectively captured the intended audience's attention.
However, they also pointed out that the visual system across the campaign deliverables lacked consistency. While each design was created with a different concept in mind, some posts used different typography, and the colour grading, particularly for A08, looked too dark and slightly depressing, making it feel disconnected from Julie's warm and cheerful brand identity. Another important feedback was regarding our user personas. The panel mentioned that the campaign should communicate with all of our selected target audiences rather than focusing primarily on Shu Mei. Instead of treating the remaining personas as secondary, they should be positioned as supporting personas that collectively strengthen the campaign strategy and demonstrate how the content caters to different generations within a family.
Reflection
This project allowed me to experience the entire creative process, from research and campaign planning to production and post-production. I was involved in developing the campaign concept, designing the key visual, directing a photoshoot, producing a reel, and refining the final deliverables through multiple rounds of feedback. It gave me the opportunity to think beyond aesthetics and understand how design, strategy, and storytelling work together to create meaningful content.
Throughout the process, I noticed effective social media design is not only about creating attractive visuals but also about understanding the audience's behaviour and interests. Every decision, from selecting the target audience and platform to choosing colours, typography, props, lighting, and even sound effects, influenced how the campaign would be perceived. I also realised that constructive feedback played an important role in improving the work, as every revision strengthened both the design and the overall communication.
From this project, I found that successful campaign design requires balancing creativity with strategy. A strong visual alone is not enough if it does not resonate with the intended audience or reflect the brand identity. I also discovered that I enjoy conceptualising ideas, directing creative productions, and solving design problems through experimentation and refinement. Most importantly, I learnt that thoughtful storytelling and attention to small details can create a stronger emotional connection between a brand and its audience.
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