Gain City influencer contest winner: I’ve done my late grandma proud
Ng overcame the pain of his grandmother's death to win Gain City contest
It was a "very tough period" for Mr Tyler Ng after his grandmother died last month.
Down but not out, Mr Ng persevered and went on to win Gain City's I Can Be An Influencer 2019 contest.
The 26-year-old, who is known as tylerhikaru on Instagram and has more than 76,000 followers, beat 14 others at the grand finals held at Gain City Megastore @ Sungei Kadut on Sunday after receiving the highest score from a panel of judges and public voting.
He told The New Paper: "I feel I've done my grandma proud by winning this competition."
Mr Ng had been feeling despondent, but the victory has fired him up.
He said: "I am glad to have the validation of the industry and I am ecstatic to have a platform where I can reach out to more people and inspire them."
Describing his 81-year-old grandmother as someone who was always kind, sweet and loving to her family, Mr Ng said he hopes to pass on her legacy by spreading positivity.
His victory on Sunday saw him win a three-year endorsement contract worth $100,000 to be part of Gain City's new social media team and also pocket a cash prize of $8,000.
Tasked with marketing a Mitsubishi air-conditioner during the finals, he developed a girlfriend concept where he turned the air-con into the love of his life.
"Gain City started out by selling and exhibiting air-conditioners, and it managed to turn the business into such a successful venture today, so I wanted to pay homage to the founder with my concept," said Mr Ng, who used visual aids such as posters of him kissing the air-con.
The Singapore Institute of Management final-year student, who is majoring in business management, is working as a part-time Grab driver and also helps out at his family's hawker stall from time to time.
He hopes to become a full-time YouTuber and plans to launch a business venture in the beauty and wellness industry with friends after he graduates.
Mr Ng said: "I don't come from a well-to-do family and I have a limited budget as to how much I can afford to create content, but I think (I Can Be An Influencer 2019) pushed me to maximise my creativity. I have also been constantly pressuring myself to be stronger as a person throughout the entire competition and I am glad that paid off at the end of the day."
He started blogging when he was 14 and, at one time a victim of bullying, he said social media provided him with an avenue to share his emotions.
"I know people nowadays want to be an influencer because of the fame and money," he said.
"But when I started out, it was a form of expression. As I started sharing my life more and more, netizens started interacting with me and shared positive messages to encourage me."
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