University Malaya Just Broke The Internet: Is College Suddenly Cool Again?

Move over Mydin’s Twitter admin (now X), there is a new meme lord in Malaysia, and it came from the most unlikely places. In the age of Artificial Intelligence, the battle for attention gets tight. The Iron Throne only can fit one King, and only those who know how to go viral can stand tall.

All Hail The New Memelord

Being one of the oldest institutions in Malaysia, one might say University Malaya is a school that is filled with tradition. Being the face of education, we would assume that they are not innovative and can't appeal to Gen Z's. Boy, we are wrong. We neglect the fact that of course, the best institution in Malaysia would at least have the best, if not, a bright group of marketers. Maybe it's an intern from one of their faculty, or maybe it's a new hire, that is younger, creative, and bold. That is a lot of "Maybe", but one fact remains. The engagement is to the roof. No other uni could even dream of having such a result, and those who even dare to have the imagination must be from a private institution with a large amount of budget.

Some love it, some hate it, but take a step back and think...when was the last time we ever cared about University Malaya, let alone about their new intake? With more than 7000 shares and 3500 comments, we promise you someone will surely ask about your opinion on this matter tomorrow.

AI is for the mass (Old People), Youths (Gen-z) Don't Need Content, They Need Vibe~

Generally speaking, if you do what other people are doing, you are not unique. Let's dissect why the University of Malaya is doing what they are doing. Firstly, we are all aware, that the interest in tertiary education is decreasing. Those who want to join would opt for private institutions due to the environment and quality of education (based on their marketing). It's a fact that the University of Malaya has the best environment and quality of education based on the graduates that they produce. Of course, in terms of facilities, a government-funded institution can never beat a privately funded institution. But when it comes to the quality of graduates, they are the undisputed champion. So, how can a uni with little to no marketing budget, shout out to Gen Z that they are the best without telling them that they are the best?

Step 1: Speak Their Language.

Fun fact, this year (2024), University Malaya got the highest number of new students in the entire history of the school, approximately 5210 students. Most of them are between the age of 18-23 years old (Gen Z's). How do we get these people to acknowledge that their university is cool? Firstly, let us understand that they are the Discord generation. They eat memes for breakfast. What's the best way to make a meme? You take a figure that is filled with authority and make them do fun things. Think Tony Fernandes from AirAsia. Or Ameer Ali from Mydin. Meme makes your brand more human.

Step 2: Show don't Tell.

Every time Tony posted a dance video on AirAsia's Tiktok, it would always be for something. Graduation of a new batch of cabin crew or new discounts on selected routes. The same goes for when Ameer Ali tells people the kind of products that people could get at Mydin by showcasing deals available. For all of them, usually, it will be at some bizarre offer. Like 99-cent flight tickets, or RM1/Kg vegetable. They are all stories that could be memorable with a virality factor but still retain some form of value to be promoted for those who follow. It's like normal AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) in marketing, but turning the "Viral" knob to the max when it comes to attention and giving out-of-this-world value to gain action. In the case of University Malaya, an announcement of the registration of a 12-year-old genius, was made just two hours after the initial post viral post.

This is to show everyone that they are now on par with the likes of the Ivy League; accepting exceptional talent regardless of background and age, which is rare for a Malaysian institution, let alone a public-funded one.

Now, Does Your Brand Vibe With Gen Z? If You Solely Use AI content, the answer is a definite no.

In this age filled with noise, the younger generation, the internet native, would surely want you (the marketer) to be more human. Take a look at an app famous amongst youths and students in the US, a social finance app. They take a serious (personal finance) and boring (financial education) subject matter and make it friendly for Gen-Z.

Of course, you could ask ChatGPT to help you "create a copywriting that appeals to Gen Z's" but as a wise marketer once told me, "If the answer is too easy, it might be the wrong answer".