Digital and Social Media Communication
21 / 04 / 2026 — 25 / 07 / 2026 (Week 01 — Week 14)
Wang Jiheng / 0378904
COM63304 / Digital and Social Media Communication / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
TASK 1 / BRAND INFORMATION
TASK 2 / EMPATHY MAPPING & PERSONAS
TASK 3 / CONTENT PLANNING
FEEDBACK
REFLECTION
In the first week, our class was divided into groups for the assignment.
I formed a group with Zhang Tianyao and Aubin Jean Guichard. Since our group members had different backgrounds and different strengths, we spent some time discussing how we wanted to work together and divide responsibilities.
After that, we received our assigned brand, which was Secret Recipe.
At first, our reaction was mixed. Since Secret Recipe is a very common and familiar brand in Malaysia, we initially worried that there might not be enough interesting things to analyse. However, after discussing together, we realised that this actually made the project more meaningful because the brand already has a strong market position and large audience awareness.
We quickly noticed that Secret Recipe has a very clear visual identity and strong brand recognition, especially through its red-and-white colour palette, cake products, and family-friendly image. At the same time, we also realised that the brand’s social media communication felt repetitive and highly promotional.
This immediately gave us a direction for our project.
As the group leader, I tried to organise our ideas early so that everyone understood the overall direction of the assignment. We decided that our project would not only describe the brand, but also analyse what works well, what does not work well, and what improvements could be made in the future.
That discussion during Week 1 became very important because it helped shape the entire structure of our report and presentation later on.
Week 2 — Research & Lecturer Feedback
In Week 2, our group started doing deeper research about Secret Recipe and writing the report. We analysed their Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and website to understand their communication style, audience and content strategy.
At first, most of our work was more descriptive because we were mainly collecting information and screenshots. Later, we started focusing more on analysis instead of only explaining what the brand posts online.
As the group leader, I helped organise the project direction and divided tasks between members. I mainly focused on:
- content analysis
- audience behaviour
- engagement patterns
- visual communication
- SWOT and strategy direction
During the research, we realised that Secret Recipe has very strong brand recognition in Malaysia, especially because of its cakes, red-and-cream branding and family-friendly image.
However, we also noticed that many posts were too promotional and repetitive. Most content focused on discounts, promotions and product advertising. Compared to competitors like ZUS Coffee and Starbucks, Secret Recipe felt less interactive and less TikTok-oriented.
One important moment during this week was receiving lecturer feedback on our draft report.
The lecturer said our direction was already good, but some sections still needed improvement, especially:
- engagement analysis
- audience frustrations
- stronger insights
- future strategy direction
After receiving the feedback, our group improved the report and started thinking more deeply about:
- what content works
- what does not work
- what audiences actually respond to
This feedback helped us a lot before starting the presentation slides.
Week 3 — PPT Design & Slide Improvements
In Week 3, we started designing the presentation slides.
At first, our slides were too crowded and looked more like a report instead of a presentation. There were too many paragraphs and too much information on one page.
Because of this, we spent a lot of time simplifying the slides and improving the visual layout.
I helped redesign several important slides such as:
- SWOT Analysis
- Competitor Analysis
- Tone of Voice
- Key Findings
- Future Direction
We also tried to keep the presentation visually consistent by using Secret Recipe’s red-and-cream colour palette throughout the slides.
One challenge during this stage was balancing simplicity and analysis. Sometimes the slides looked clean but lacked insight, while other times they became too text-heavy again.
After multiple revisions, the presentation became much cleaner and easier to present within the 10-minute time limit.
Week 4 — Final Presentation
In Week 4, our group focused on presentation practice and final revisions.
Since the presentation time was limited, we had to simplify our explanations and focus only on the most important insights.
During the presentation, we explained:
- Secret Recipe’s strengths
- audience engagement patterns
- communication gaps
- competitor differences
- future content opportunities
One main insight we identified was that Secret Recipe has strong brand recognition, but its digital communication still lacks emotional storytelling and stronger Gen Z engagement.
We suggested that the brand should create:
- more TikTok-style videos
- lifestyle storytelling
- behind-the-scenes content
- relatable customer moments
After presenting, the lecturer gave positive feedback about our:
- slide consistency
- visual branding
- clear structure
- overall flow
Personally, I learned a lot from this project, especially about:
- teamwork
- presentation design
- audience analysis
- digital communication strategy
I also realised that good social media communication is not only about selling products, but also about creating emotional connection with audiences.
Week 1
During the first week, our group mainly focused on forming the team and understanding the assignment requirements. At first, we were still unsure about how deep our analysis should be and how we wanted to structure the project.
One thing I learned during this week was that early discussion is very important for group projects. Since every member had different ideas and working styles, communication helped us organise the direction more clearly before starting the research.
I also realised that Secret Recipe was more interesting to analyse than I originally expected because the brand already has strong audience awareness and a clear visual identity.
During Week 2, we received lecturer feedback on our draft report. The lecturer said our overall direction was good, but several sections still needed stronger analysis and clearer insights.
The feedback helped us realise that our project should not only describe what Secret Recipe posts online, but also explain:
- why certain content performs better
- what audiences respond to
- what communication gaps exist
After receiving the feedback, we improved sections related to:
- engagement analysis
- audience frustrations
- future strategy direction
- competitor comparison
This week helped me better understand the difference between description and analysis in branding research.
Week 3
In Week 3, our main focus was presentation design and slide improvements. One challenge was that our slides became too crowded because we included too much information from the report.
After multiple revisions, we simplified the layout and made the presentation more visual and easier to follow.
I also learned that presentation slides are very different from reports. Slides should communicate ideas quickly instead of containing long paragraphs.
As the group leader, I spent extra time organising the slide flow and making sure the overall presentation looked visually consistent.
Week 4
During the final presentation week, our group focused on rehearsal and final improvements.
One important thing I learned was how to simplify complex ideas into short and clear explanations during presentations. Since we only had around 10 minutes, we needed to focus only on the most important insights.
After presenting, the lecturer gave positive feedback about:
- the visual consistency
- the overall structure
- the clear presentation flow
Personally, I think this project improved my:
- teamwork skills
- presentation design ability
- audience analysis thinking
- communication strategy understanding
I also realised that successful social media communication is not only about promoting products, but also about building emotional connection with audiences.
Week 1
During the first week, I mainly learned how important communication and planning are in group projects. Since everyone had different ideas and backgrounds, we needed to discuss carefully before starting the assignment.
At first, I thought Secret Recipe might be too common and simple to analyse, but after researching the brand, I realised there were actually many interesting areas to study, especially their social media communication and audience engagement.
This week helped me understand the overall direction of the project and prepared me for the following research stages.
Week 2
Week 2 was the most research-heavy part of the project. I spent a lot of time analysing Secret Recipe’s social media platforms, audience behaviour and content direction.
One important thing I learned was the difference between “describing” and “analysing.” At first, our report mostly explained what the brand was posting, but after lecturer feedback, we started focusing more on why certain content works and what problems the brand has.
I also learned that audiences today prefer emotional and relatable content more than simple advertisements or promotional posts.
This week improved my research and analytical thinking skills.
Week 3
During Week 3, I learned a lot about presentation design and visual communication.
At first, our slides contained too much text and looked more like a report than a presentation. After several revisions, we simplified the layout and made the slides more visual and easier to understand.
As the group leader, I also needed to organise the slide flow and make sure all sections looked visually connected. Since different members worked on different slides, maintaining consistency became one of the biggest challenges.
This week helped improve my design thinking and teamwork management skills.
Week 4
Week 4 focused mainly on presentation preparation and rehearsal.
One thing I realised during this week was that presenting is very different from writing a report. During presentations, we need to explain ideas clearly, naturally and confidently within a short amount of time.
Although the preparation process was stressful at times, I think our final presentation improved a lot after multiple revisions and feedback.
Overall, this project helped me better understand:
branding
audience engagement
digital communication
teamwork
presentation strategy
I also realised that successful social media communication is not only about promoting products, but also about creating emotional connection and relatable experiences for audiences.
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