Dayana Rizal: /* Content overview */

2020-10-07T09:14:12Z

Content overview

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:14, 7 October 2020
Line 19:		Line 19:

	==Content overview==		==Content overview==
	In an interview with ''Coconuts Singapore'' that was published in 2018, the founders of Memedef shared more about the type of content that they create:<blockquote>"Quite frequently, we have to look at submissions by NSFs who really want to say something, but we also know that there are some lines that cannot be crossed — if it threatens operational security, that’s definitely a no-no... We strike a balance between making fun of NS and being too offensive like other meme pages can be."<ref name=":4">Sholihyn, Ilyas. “[https://coconuts.co/singapore/features/masters-of-dank-a-round-table-session-with-the-people-behind-singapores-top-meme-pages/ Masters of Dank: A Roundtable Session With The People Behind Singapore's Top Meme Pages]”. ''Coconuts Singapore.'' August 30, 2018. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref></blockquote>According to co-founder Jonathan Lee’s LinkedIn profile, Memedef and Diaozui Hotline have a weekly cumulative reach of over 600,000 people on both Instagram and Facebook.<ref name=":2" /> On average, Memedef receives approximately 5,000 likes for each post ~~that they upload to~~ Instagram.		In an interview with ''Coconuts Singapore'' that was published in 2018, the founders of Memedef shared more about the type of content that they create:<blockquote>"Quite frequently, we have to look at submissions by NSFs who really want to say something, but we also know that there are some lines that cannot be crossed — if it threatens operational security, that’s definitely a no-no... We strike a balance between making fun of NS and being too offensive like other meme pages can be."<ref name=":4">Sholihyn, Ilyas. “[https://coconuts.co/singapore/features/masters-of-dank-a-round-table-session-with-the-people-behind-singapores-top-meme-pages/ Masters of Dank: A Roundtable Session With The People Behind Singapore's Top Meme Pages]”. ''Coconuts Singapore.'' August 30, 2018. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref></blockquote>According to co-founder Jonathan Lee’s LinkedIn profile, Memedef and Diaozui Hotline have a weekly cumulative reach of over 600,000 people on both Instagram and Facebook.<ref name=":2" /> On average, Memedef receives approximately 5,000 likes for each post on Instagram.

	===Timely memes===		===Timely memes===

Dayana Rizal: /* Content overview */

2020-10-07T09:13:09Z

Content overview

Show changes

Dayana Rizal: Created page with "''The Memedef typeface logo.'' Memedef is a Singaporean social media page specialising in satirical content, mostly related to Nationa..."

2020-10-07T08:43:27Z

Created page with "thumb|''The Memedef typeface logo.'' Memedef is a Singaporean social media page specialising in satirical content, mostly related to Nationa..."

New page

[[File:Memedef typeface logo.png|thumb|''The Memedef typeface logo.'']]
Memedef is a Singaporean social media page specialising in satirical content, mostly related to National Service (NS) in the form of memes (videos or images typically humorous in nature).<ref>Memedef. ''LinkedIn.'' n.d. Accessed on 1 October 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/company/memedef/ </ref><ref>memedefsg. ''Instagram.'' n.d. Accessed on 1 October 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/memedefsg/</ref> Its name is a play on MINDEF, the abbreviation for Singapore's Ministry of Defence.<ref name=":0">Ho, Jovi. “[https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/singaporean-millennials-memes-national-service-chicken-rice-11374084 NS, 'uncles' and chicken rice: A peek into Singapore millennial meme humour]”. ''CNA Lifestyle.'' March 24, 2019. Accessed on 1 October 2020.</ref> Memedef also operates the meme page, Diaozui Hotline and BuyLocal.SG, an e-commerce website.<ref>Raphael Yee. ''LinkedIn.'' n.d. Accessed on 1 October 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelyee/</ref><ref>Ng, Lucia. “[https://mustsharenews.com/memedef-buylocalsg/ New Online Marketplace Shows Prices Across Shopee, Qoo10 & Carousell For Easier Thrift Shopping]”. ''Mustshare News.'' May 14, 2020. Accessed on 1 October 2020.</ref> As of October 2020, Memedef has over 68,000 followers on its [https://www.instagram.com/memedefsg/ Instagram] account and over 39,000 likes on [https://www.facebook.com/MemedefSG/ Facebook].

== Background ==
[[File:Memedef whereby meme 2019.jpg|thumb|''One of Memedef's relatable army memes. Photo credit to Memedef.'']]
Through its use of relatable and humourous memes, Memedef has established a following of over 1,500 members on their [https://t.me/memedefdaily Telegram community chat] as of October 2020. Speaking about the impact that Memedef has had on others, co-founder Raphael Yee was quoted to have said:<blockquote>“We struggled through NS ourselves and we know how it feels to have to drag ourselves to camp. We received a lot of messages from NSFs and even regulars (full-time servicemen) about how we get them through their day.”<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

=== Origins of Memedef ===
Memedef was conceptualised in February 2018 when co-founder Raphael Yee started creating Telegram stickers about his National Service (NS) company mates while undergoing Basic Military Training (BMT).<ref name=":0" /> Together with his platoon mate, Jonathan Lee, they then set up ‘MDES Scheme For PES F Green Boi Memes’, a social media meme page focusing primarily on non-combat personnel (PES C or E) in the army.<ref name=":0" /><ref>memedefsg. "[https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17860855894591140/ How did you guys start?]". ''Instagram.'' 2019. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref> This page was eventually renamed 'Memedef'. At the start, Jonathan and Raphael created up to ten memes a day and gained up to 2,000 followers per week on Memedef’s social media platforms.<ref name=":1">Abdullah, Zhaki. “[https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/whats-in-a-meme Striking a chord through humour: What's in a meme?]”. ''The Straits Times.'' April 20, 2019. Accessed on 1 October 2020.</ref>

== Founders ==
[[File:Memedef founders.png|thumb|''Jonathan and Raphael, the founders of Memedef. Photo from [https://www.instagram.com/tv/B8OUdsGnYGm/ Instagram].'']]

=== Jonathan Lee ===
While serving his mandatory National Service, co-founder Jonathan Lee was an Administrative Support Assistant (ASA) at Nee Soon Medical Center. From May 2019 to August 2019, he was also a social media consultant for the Ministry of Defence’s Communications Organisation.<ref name=":2">Jonathan Lee. ''LinkedIn''. n.d. Accessed on 1 October 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-lee-575400183/</ref> Jonathan is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).<ref>Jonathan Lee. "[https://www.facebook.com/JONATHANzxc/about_work_and_education Work and Education]". ''Facebook.'' Accessed on 7 October 2020. </ref> As of January 2020, he is also a full-time content strategist with SGAG and a content lead for SGEEK, where he ideates organic content for the company and its clients.<ref name=":2" />

=== Raphael Yee ===
During his National Service, co-founder Raphael Yee was a finance clerk at Sungei Gedong camp.<ref name=":3">Tze, Chun Choi. “[https://mustsharenews.com/memedef-founder/ Memedef Co-Founder Is A SAF Clerk; Shows Going To Command School Isn’t Everything]”. ''Mustshare News.'' July 2, 2019. Accessed on 1 October 2020.</ref> Whilst serving in the army, he developed the Hand Over Take Over (HOTO) digital application for the Armour and logistics formation. Speaking more about his contributions, he said:<blockquote>"When I was approached to help code the app, I wanted to make sure that the app I've helped to create is useful right down to the last man on the ground. Therefore, I talked to many operators and got feedback from them for the design of the app interface."<ref>LCP Gordon Goh. "[https://www.mindef.gov.sg/web/portal/army/our-stories-and-publications/our-stories/story-detail/2019/july/two_years_of_our_lives_memories_for_a_lifetime Two Years of Our Lives, Memories for a Lifetime]". ''Ministry of Defence''. July 16, 2019. Accessed on 7 October 2020.</ref></blockquote>For his work, Raphael was awarded a Letter of Appreciation from then-Chief of Supply, Colonel Chang Pin Chuan.<ref>"[https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelyee/detail/treasury/position:1433264687/ Chief Supply Officer - Letter of Appreciation]". August 14, 2019. Accessed on 7 October 2020. Retrieved from LinkedIn.</ref> With his expertise in software engineering, Raphael oversees the monetisation and growth of the social media pages that he and Jonathan operate. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). As of January 2020, Raphael is also a part-time research assistant with the Ministry of Education (MOE), where he advises on backend infrastructural design and frontend/backend software development.<ref>Raphael Yee. ''LinkedIn.'' n.d. Accessed on 1 October 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelyee/</ref>

== Content overview ==
According to co-founder Jonathan Lee’s LinkedIn profile, Memedef and Diaozui Hotline have a weekly cumulative reach of over 600,000 people on both Instagram and Facebook.<ref name=":2" /> On average, Memedef receives approximately 5,000 likes for each post that they upload to Instagram. In an interview with ''Coconuts Singapore'' that was published in 2018, the founders of Memedef shared more about the type of content that they create:<blockquote>"Quite frequently, we have to look at submissions by NSFs who really want to say something, but we also know that there are some lines that cannot be crossed — if it threatens operational security, that’s definitely a no-no... We strike a balance between making fun of NS and being too offensive like other meme pages can be."<ref name=":4">Sholihyn, Ilyas. “[https://coconuts.co/singapore/features/masters-of-dank-a-round-table-session-with-the-people-behind-singapores-top-meme-pages/ Masters of Dank: A Roundtable Session With The People Behind Singapore's Top Meme Pages]”. ''Coconuts Singapore.'' August 30, 2018. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref></blockquote>

=== Timely memes ===
[[File:Memedef BMT Meme.jpg|thumb|''Memedef's timely meme during the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore. Photo credit to [https://www.facebook.com/MemedefSG/photos/a.1562335857137170/2897070840330325/ Memedef].'']]
Memedef stays updated with the latest news and media trends, creating original memes in response to newsworthy events in Singapore. In April 2020, the Ministry of Defence announced that the Basic Military Training (BMT) for new enlistees would be suspended from April 7 to May 4.<ref>Cheng, Kenneth. “[https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/covid-19-saf-suspends-basic-military-training-recruits-stay-home Covid-19: SAF suspends Basic Military Training, recruits to stay home]”. ''TODAYonline.'' April 6, 2020. Accessed on 1 October 2020.</ref> In response to the news, Memedef created a meme which has garnered over 3,800 likes on Instagram<ref>memedefsg. ''Instagram.'' April 28, 2020. Accessed on 1 October 2020. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/B_hS4ceHCdI/ </ref> and close to 400 shares on Facebook<ref>memedefsg. ''Facebook''. April 28, 2020. Accessed on 7 October 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/MemedefSG/photos/a.1562335857137170/2897070840330325/</ref> to date (October 2020).

== Other endeavours ==

=== Diaozui Hotline (August 2019 to present) ===
[[File:Diaozui logo.jpg|thumb|''Diaozui Hotline is Memedef's affiliate meme page.'']]
Since August 2019, Raphael and Jonathan have been managing Diaozui Hotline, a meme page targeting the general "Generation Z" demographic.<ref name=":2" /> As of October 2020, it has over 30,000 followers on [https://www.instagram.com/diaozuihotline/ Instagram] and over 15,000 likes on [https://www.facebook.com/diaozuihotline/ Facebook]. Each post on Diaozui Hotline’s Instagram page receives an average of 3,000 likes.

==== Controversial content ====
On 28 September 2020, the meme page posted a photo of four people sitting in the MRT train, insinuating that they were promiscuous couples. However, the subjects of the photo promptly clarified that they were family members.<ref name=":5">Zhang, Jane. “[https://mothership.sg/2020/09/diaozui-memes-mrt-family/ S'pore YP meme page says sorry for trending wholesome family on MRT as promiscuous couples]”. ''Mothership.'' September 28, 2020. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref> The meme page subsequently deleted the post and posted a public apology to the individuals involved.<ref>Yang, George. “[https://goodyfeed.com/family-mrt-diaozui-hotline-memes/ Diaozui Hotline Memes FB Page Apologises After It Made Fun of Family in MRT; Said They Thought It Was 'Harmless]'”. ''Goody Feed.'' 29 September, 2020. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref>

=== [https://buylocal.sg/ BuyLocal.SG] (May 2020 to present) ===
During the circuit breaker period in May 2020, Memedef's co-founders, Jonathan and Raphael initiated BuyLocal.SG as a way to support local businesses.<ref>Sholihyn, Ilyas. “[https://www.asiaone.com/digital/new-site-allows-online-shoppers-buy-exclusively-singaporean-businesses-and-sellers New site allows online shoppers to buy exclusively from Singaporean businesses and sellers]”. ''AsiaOne''. May 14, 2020. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref> They teamed up with the e-commerce website, Ruugi to consolidate local vendors and listings from Qoo10, Shopee and Carousell. On BuyLocal.SG, users can search for their desired item, after which related listings from all three websites will appear on the results page.<ref name=":6">Ng, Lucia. “[https://mustsharenews.com/memedef-buylocalsg/ New Online Marketplace Shows Prices Across Shopee, Qoo10 & Carousell For Easier Thrift Shopping]”. ''Mustshare News.'' May 14, 2020. Accessed on 1 October 2020. </ref> Memedef's co-founder, Raphael and his friend, Josiah Khoo worked on the front and backend software development of the website respectively to ensure that the site runs smoothly.<ref>NUS Office of Student Affairs. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wgsgHesDrk OSA AMA: buylocal.sg]”. ''YouTube.'' May 28, 2020. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref> Memedef also bore the server costs for BuyLocal.SG as it was meant to be a community project.<ref name=":6" />

== Media features ==
The following is a list of media publications that Memedef and its sister pages have been featured on over the years.
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Publication
!Page
!Refs.
|-
| rowspan="3" |2020
|Mothership
|Diaozui Hotline
|<ref name=":5" />
|-
|Mustshare News
| rowspan="2" |BuyLocal.SG
|<ref name=":6" />
|-
|Vulcan Post
|<ref>Chiang, Sheila. “[https://vulcanpost.com/699385/buylocalsg-compare-prices-singapore/ This Site Compares Prices Across Carousell, Shopee, Qoo10 So You Can Easily Find Cheap Goods]”. ''Vulcan Post.'' May 20, 2020. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4" |2019
|The Straits Times
| rowspan="5" |Memedef
|<ref name=":1" /><ref>Abdullah, Zhaki. “[https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/when-you-say-what-you-meme When you say what you meme]”. ''The Straits Times.'' April 21, 2019. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref>
|-
|Great Deals Singapore
|<ref>“[https://coconuts.co/singapore/features/masters-of-dank-a-round-table-session-with-the-people-behind-singapores-top-meme-pages/ S’pore Facebook page turns MINDEF animated series into a Japanese anime by editing it with Naruto’s opening song]”. ''Great Deals Singapore.'' December 14, 2019. Accessed on 2 October 2020.</ref>
|-
|Mustshare News
|<ref name=":3" />
|-
|Channel News Asia
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|2018
|Coconuts Singapore
|<ref name=":4" />
|}

== References/ Citations ==
[[Category:Singapore Brands]]

Memedef - Revision history

Dayana Rizal: /* Content overview */

Dayana Rizal: /* Content overview */

Dayana Rizal: Created page with "''The Memedef typeface logo.'' Memedef is a Singaporean social media page specialising in satirical content, mostly related to Nationa..."