When was the last time a TikTok or Instagram post left a lasting impression on you? The truth is, the overwhelming number of brands using social media to build awareness makes it harder and harder to stand out. So, how can brands rise above the noise and maintain visibility?
In a digital world of curated perfection, authentic and relatable content that resonates with consumers is a powerful brand strategy. Social media marketing has shifted away from conventional methods towards vlog-style storytelling, where personality-driven content on TikTok and Instagram Reels takes centre stage.
These five Malaysian brands have cracked the code, building loyal followings and thriving businesses by embracing their true brand identities and showing up authentically online.
Why Does Realness Work on Social Media?
Many brands focus heavily on constructing a strong identity, yet often overlook the importance of giving their brand marketing a relatable personality—someone consumers can genuinely connect with. Humanising a brand fosters personal connection, builds trust, strengthens loyalty, and ultimately drives engagement.
Research has shown that consumers’ purchase intentions are strongly impacted by an influencer’s persuasiveness, relatability, and authenticity. These are key factors for successful campaigns and stronger customer relationships.
Today’s audiences crave content that feels like a friend’s vlog rather than a polished brand ad. Real faces, candid moments, and unscripted storytelling resonate more deeply with audiences, making them a core element of effective brand strategy.
Top Malaysian Brands That Nailed Authentic Brand Marketing
1. Hygr
Hygr has successfully carved out a strong presence on social media by intertwining personality with authenticity and humour. Active on both TikTok and Instagram, they often feature founder-fronted content with co-founder Ivor Lim, a well-known influencer with over 115K followers.
From behind-the-scenes glimpses into product launches to user reviews, Hygr taps into the power of influencer marketing while keeping it transparent and relatable. Their content even highlights the challenges of running a business, often showcasing their operational mistakes. This honest approach resonates with beauty lovers, building loyalty and positioning Hygr as a brand their audience grows with.
Our Take:
@tclmalaysia Money come, money go. At least partner’s happy kan! Link in bio 👀 TCL TCLMalaysia InspireGreatness
Like Hygr, we believe trust is built through real people and unscripted storytelling. With TCL Malaysia, we moved away from polished corporate messaging and focused on authentic, relatable scenarios. By putting people and genuine opinions at the forefront, the brand came across as approachable and trustworthy, resulting in a 3.22% engagement rate, boosted visibility, and higher conversions.
2. Cult Creative
Cult Creative is an all-in-one platform connecting brands with over 13,000 creators and creative professionals. With over 20,000 Instagram followers, they’ve built a loyal community by highlighting relatable career struggles, sharing creative tips, and spotlighting uplifting stories. By featuring their own team alongside individual creators, their content feels like it’s coming from a ‘creative bestie,’ not a faceless platform.
Our Take:
@hnyf.4 Do you guys know that IELTS can change your study life into better one ?? if you dont then you need to watch this video until the end !! #studylife #IELTS #Britishcouncil
Just as Cult Creative empowers creators by making content personal and relatable, we applied the same approach for the British Council IELTS campaign. By sharing real test-taker stories, we humanised the brand and built stronger emotional connections. The results spoke for themselves with engagement rates rising from 2.19% to 16.74%, while total engagements grew 25.9 times.
3. Dododots
Dododots’ TikTok embraces the bold aesthetics and filter-free reviews, perfectly capturing the Gen Z spirit. Their content avoids conventional brand pitches, positioning Dododots instead as the skincare-savvy friend excited to share a new find. Their videos often feature employees and founders, putting real people in the spotlight and allowing products to shine naturally, without aggressive sales tactics.
Our Take:
Credit: @themaggywang
Like Dododots, we believe authenticity and entertainment drive engagement. We applied a similar strategy for Disney+ Hotstar’s launch in Malaysia, working with both micro and macro influencers to generate awareness, excitement, and interest. This approach delivered an impressive reach of 795,751 with a cost per view (CPV) of just US$0.04, proving the power of authentic influencer-led storytelling to capture attention at scale.
4. Zus Coffee
Zus Coffee wins heart by emphasising the authentic identity of its brand. On TikTok, they leverage staff-centred skits, relatable Malaysian humour, day-in-the-life snippets, and secret menus. This mix of culture-driven content and product promotion positions Zus Coffee as more than just a coffee brand but a relatable presence in everyday life.
Our Take:
Credit: aimalaysiasummit
Zus Coffee has grown into a cultural icon by using personality-driven content to foster community and local pride. We applied a similar strategy for the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit, humanising a technical event through unscripted attendee voices and authentic behind-the-scenes moments. This approach made a complex subject more relatable and delivered remarkable results with 8.7M+ impressions, 1.09M engagements, and 6.4K new followers.
5. Niko Neko Matcha
Co-founded by Syun Hattori and Izzat Iskandar, Niko Neko Matcha a trailblazing local brand pairs sleek, minimalist visuals with transparent storytelling. From behind-the-scenes videos to honest sourcing practices and values, their content exemplifies integrity and realness. They’ve also created engaging content series, including the quirky Niko the Odd character, and collaborated with brands like Dunia Motif and Tango Tanimura, expanding their audience well beyond matcha lovers.
Our Take:
Just like Niko Neko Matcha proves how authenticity and collaboration can elevate a product into a lifestyle brand, we applied the same philosophy for the Italian Trade Agency in Malaysia. For the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World, we created a content-led campaign that highlighted Italy’s culinary excellence through short-form videos, daily social content, and strategic PR. We achieved 1.08M+ impressions and 15K+ engagements, showing how real storytelling and meaningful partnerships can transform awareness into lasting cultural connection.
Realness is the Key to Audience Resonance
In a world full of filters, the brands that keep it real are the ones people remember and trust. At Content Nation, we believe that authenticity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a business strategy. Our comprehensive branding and positioning services are designed to help your brand stand out, connect with your audience, and reach new heights, backed by proven results from our case studies.
We treat every client like a genuine partner. Reach out to us to learn how we can help your brand shine REAL.
