Winners in Our Midst: Melissa Laurie – Authenticity to the Fore with Oysterly Media
Welcome to the second instalment of ‘Winners in Our Midst,’ our regular series celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit and success stories within the Australia-Singapore business community. This month, we shine a spotlight on Melissa Laurie, the dynamic founder of Oysterly Media, a company boldly challenging the status quo in the digital content landscape.
In a world increasingly saturated with beauty filters, artificial intelligence and unrealistic social media portrayals, Melissa saw an opportunity to champion authenticity. Emerging from the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, where negativity reigned and genuine connections were elusive, Melissa embarked on a mission to inject some hope and optimism back into online interactions.
The spark to make a change
This desire to drive change and surface some positivity sparked the idea for Oysterly Media. Melissa began by sharing uplifting videos on her personal social media accounts, and the overwhelming engagement she received revealed a clear demand for authentic, short-form video content. Thus, Oysterly Media was born, founded on the belief that "if you know how to take advantage of short videos, then the world can be your oyster!"
Melissa's drive, curiosity, and unwavering passion are the bedrock of Oysterly Media's success. As it heads towards its third birthday, it has built a thriving global network of over 6,000 diverse creators spanning all races, genders, and backgrounds. This commitment to genuine representation allows brands to connect with real people through authentic short videos that now dominate social media consumption. The success and impact of this approach resonated so deeply with the AustCham Singapore Business Awards judging panel in 2024 that Oysterly Media was crowned the community’s Startup of the Year – a truly deserved ‘pinch me’ moment for Melissa and her team.
The ‘aha’ moment
Oysterly Media's unique approach to content creation has attracted a stellar roster of clients, including global giants like Microsoft, Hilton, UPS, and 3M. Nevertheless, Melissa's ‘Aha!’ moment came relatively recently, while speaking at The 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai, where her insights on employee-generated content (EGC) deeply resonated with a global audience. Empowering companies to leverage their own people to bring their businesses and brands to life across social media platforms is now widely recognized as a powerful and cost-effective solution to the ever-present need to ‘feed the social media beast.’
Advice for fellow self-starters
Melissa's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is clear and concise: "Be laser focused on your offering.” Oysterly Media deliberately and consciously specialises in short-form videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn, transforming complex problems and products into fun, engaging and entertaining content. This focus continues to set them apart, setting the business apart and enabling it to truly excel in its niche.
Get in Touch: Are you a brand looking to connect with real people through authentic short videos that cut through the noise? Perhaps you're keen to explore the power of EGC for your business? If so, Melissa would love to hear from you. And, if you run into her at an AustCham Singapore event, please rest assured she will be curious to know what you are working on. She loves connecting with fellow AustCham members and learning about different projects and industries.
Discover how working with Melissa can help you find pearls of wisdom in the digital world by email, phone (+65 9744 2232) or on LinkedIn.
Your Story Next? Has this piece inspired you? Are you an SME with a compelling success story to share? We’d love to feature you in this series. Please register your interest by contacting us at members@austcham.org.sg. We look forward to celebrating your achievements!