Singapore Comedy: The SGAG Experience

I believe none of us are unfamiliar with SGAG, the uniquely Singaporean social media platform inspired by the reputed 9GAG.

Having been cast into the limelight in recent years, gaining popularity and traction amongst Singaporeans, SGAG has managed to extend their reach to Malaysia as well as the Philippines, aiming to spread the joy of positivity to a larger crowd by engaging with local issues close to their hearts.

As a young organisation, it is more than impressive to watch them grow and flourish in their industry in such a short span of time making us all wonder, what is the driving force behind this organisation?

All in! Writer’s Festival has given us an opportunity to get a tiny glimpse into the brilliant minds of the people behind the brand, allowing us to answer the question a little better.

Established in 2012, SGAG started at the back of a university lecture hall -- amidst the flurry and worries of grades and deadlines -- acting as an antidote to dispel the general dreariness that lingers in the minds of all students. What was a simple idea then grew into a full fledged company we see today, dedicated to making all Singaporeans’ day a little better.

The road to reaching this seemingly impossible and lofty ideal has not been an easy one. From the keynote address given by two members of the SGAG team, Yu Xuan and Annette Lee, it can be seen that behind the light-hearted and comical on screen appearances of members are passionate and dedicated people who are serious about furthering the cause that SGAG embodies.

They went on to reveal the various ways they have managed to hone their craft over the years, hoping it will be able to provide aspiring youths the skills and takeaways needed to be a successful trailblazer. As they’ve shared, it is all about focus, being able to trace the root cause of their ambitions before refining their aim and consequently, identifying a niche to work on. For SGAG, they have naturally evolved to tap onto comedy and heartwarming stories as part of their content.

Following that comes the focus on execution, exploring different ways that will best achieve the intended purpose. For SGAG, their form of execution all comes down to what best suits their target audience. Focussing more on empowering the youths of today, SGAG uses a two-pronged approach to ensure that their content reaches the widest audience possible. While spending attention and time experimenting with different kinds of social media platforms and reviewing the responses they get from the public, they also constantly update themselves on the different avenues available which can best package their content.

By focussing on these two aspects, they have managed to increase their viewership extensively over the years. This has strongly encouraged them and further strengthened their passion in SGAG and its potential. To be able to amplify the hidden good and most importantly, for us to be the hidden good.