Influencer marketing is reshaping how brands connect with audiences—driving real engagement and standout results. Meet Bobby Saputra (Ben Sumadiwiria), a viral social media influencer in Singapore who’s cracked the code on creating content that captivates and collaborations that convert. In this article, we’ll dive into his top strategies for going viral and building lasting brand partnerships, unlocking the secrets to thriving in today’s fast-moving digital world.
The Power of Persona and Storytelling: A Marketer’s Advantage
Bobby Saputra’s “billionaire son” persona is a powerful vehicle for engagement and conversion. This character directly led to significant sales for a yacht company: seven buyers from a single video, resulting in multi-million-dollar purchases. For marketers, this highlights that a compelling, strategically deployed persona can transcend entertainment and become a potent sales tool, weaving products into captivating narratives.
His success stems from creating a satirical yet authentic character that resonates. The “billionaire son” persona playfully mocks the ultra-rich, attracting high-value consumers. Marketers should note that authenticity, even within a constructed persona, is paramount. Developing well-defined, relatable, and engaging characters helps brands forge stronger connections and drive substantial results. Personality and storytelling are now as powerful as traditional advertising.
The Art of Viral Content Creation: Strategies for Marketers
Viral content isn’t accidental; Bobby Saputra reveals it’s the result of relentless practice, meticulous optimisation, and deep audience understanding. His insights present virality as a finely tuned art form.
Consistency is central: “I post every single day.” This daily discipline is a continuous learning laboratory, providing invaluable data on audience retention. This consistent output allows for rapid iteration and refinement, turning every post into a lesson in what resonates.
He emphasises “retention time optimisation,” a painstaking editing process to “shave off seven seconds and make the hook a little bit faster.” This isn’t arbitrary; it’s about eliminating irrelevant seconds to prevent disengagement. The remarkable result: “90% of all of yours finished the video,” an unbelievably rare feat. Marketers must understand that optimising for audience attention spans is crucial for viral potential.
“Increasing the stakes” in storytelling is another cornerstone. By constantly raising emotional or narrative stakes, Bobby Saputra ensures his content remains compelling and unpredictable, transforming simple videos into captivating stories. Marketers can apply this by creating intrigue and urgency in their content.
Ultimately, his viral success stems from an “obsession over your consumers” and a keen focus on “how they are being hooked and how their attention [is] being retained.” This audience-centric approach means constantly analysing viewer behaviour and adapting content. Viral content is a deliberate outcome of disciplined practice, precise optimisation, and unwavering dedication to captivating the audience.
Brands and Influencers: A Smarter Approach to Collaboration for Marketers
Bobby Saputra offers a critical perspective on the evolving brand-influencer relationship, asserting that the consumer market is increasingly “LED by influencers.” However, he notes a significant flaw: “brands are not smart about the influencers they choose.” This highlights a crucial area for improvement in KOL marketing.
He advocates for a more discerning approach. Marketers must move beyond superficial metrics and seek influencers whose “story is coherent with their brand identity.” This means delving into the influencer’s narrative, values, and authentic connection. A mismatch leads to inauthentic messaging and diluted impact. The ideal collaboration involves an influencer whose personal brand naturally aligns with the product, making endorsements organic and trustworthy.
Perhaps his most insightful advice concerns creative autonomy. Brands should resist imposing strict guidelines on what influencers say. The creative direction “should be in the hands of the scriptwriter,” the influencer themselves, because they “know what his audience wants to hear.” Forcing a pre-scripted message alienates audiences and undermines credibility. The example of a brand dictating, “now you say you bite into my burger and you say it’s amazing,” versus an influencer organically stating, “I happen to try this burger,” perfectly illustrates this. The latter feels genuine and resonates more.
This philosophy aligns with the marketing principle that “the best form of marketing is not what you say about yourself but what others say about you.” Influencers provide crucial third-party validation. Their audience trusts their opinions, making endorsements more impactful than traditional advertising. By empowering influencers to tell their story in their own voice, brands leverage inherent trust and authenticity. Bobby Saputra’s success shows that when brands relinquish some control and trust creative instincts, content becomes more engaging and effective.
Conclusion: The Future of Marketing is Authentic and Influencer-Led
The insights from Bobby Saputra (Ben Sumadiwiria) clearly define the future of marketing: authentic, audience-centric, and influencer-led. His journey from chef to viral sensation offers invaluable lessons for aspiring influencers and brands navigating the digital age. We’ve seen how a compelling persona, even satirical, can captivate audiences and drive business results. His meticulous approach—daily consistency, ruthless retention optimisation, and increasing narrative stakes—demonstrates that viral success is deliberate, not chance.
His perspective on brand-influencer collaborations emphasises smarter, more respectful partnerships. Marketers must move beyond transactional relationships, seeking authentic alignment with influencers whose stories resonate. Empowering creators with creative autonomy, rather than rigid guidelines, unlocks genuine engagement and leverages powerful third-party validation.
For marketers, the message is clear: embrace influencer-led marketing by prioritising authenticity, deeply understanding your target audience, and fostering true collaborations. For content creators, Bobby Saputra’s journey is a testament to consistency, strategic storytelling, and unwavering audience focus. Applying these principles enables brands and individuals to unlock new levels of engagement, build lasting connections, and achieve unparalleled success in digital marketing.
