We Are Social Singapore unveils revamped innovation and future tech arm, .XYZ

Socially-led creative agency We Are Social has announced the relaunch of its innovation and future tech arm, .XYZ. Taking the stage at Game Changers — Campaign’s one-day event celebrating innovative, tech-enabled marketing — We Are Social Singapore’s head of strategy, James Honda-Pinder, said, “Technological change is like waves of the tide rolling in — hard to swim against, unstoppable, and going to hit all of us standing on the shore one day. The important thing is to understand which of the waves to pay attention to.”

James Honda-Pinder, head of strategy, and Agalia Tan, planner, We Are Social Singapore, during their keynote session at Game Changers.

Tech is developing at a faster rate than ever before. Think about the technological breakthroughs from the last two years alone, from blockchain to NFTs, the metaverse, and generative AI. But those are just a few examples among a sea of new innovations, and rapid advancements in technology are creating a future that feels both exciting and unpredictable — a daunting concept for marketers. During We Are Social’s keynote session, Honda-Pinder emphasised the importance of strategy in distinguishing which emerging technologies have disruptive, paradigm-shifting potential — and which ones won’t outlive the hype cycle. “As marketers and agency folks alike, it can be difficult to understand which baskets you want to put your eggs into and which ones you want to avoid to ensure that you’re not wasting your time, headspace, resources, and energy. One of the things that we want to help you answer is: how can you spot the enduring technologies from the emerging?” he asked. 

.XYZ’s virtual influencer, Cinder, is the perfect encapsulation of the team’s capabilities. Designed entirely in-house and brought to life through the latest innovations in virtual production, Cinder marks a departure from the static, pre-rendered virtual influencers of yesterday. Powered by AI, Cinder can interact with social media users in real-time — having done so at the recently concluded SXSW, where she ran her own ‘Cyber Sip’ food truck — and has already been seen creating content on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch.