Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – Advertising technology company Location Media Xchange(LMX) has announced its partnership with Digichive Philippines Corporation, the advertising concessionaire for Ninoy Aquino International Airport(NAIA) Terminals, Clark Lipad International, Bacolod-Silay Airport and Kalibo International Airport. The partnership will enable the activation of campaigns leaning towards programmatic advertising for the aforementioned airports.

Under the partnership, Digichive and LMX launched the first programmatic guaranteed campaign at NAIA International for a BPO company, marking the Philippine’s first-ever indoor programmatic-enabled screens.

Digichive will also now be able to cater to DSP buyers such as Google’s DV360, Trade Desk TTD and MAX, using LMX’s supply-side platform, giving advertisers the opportunity to deploy programmatic advertising enhancing the airport experience.

Norman Davadilla, CEO of Moving Walls Philippines, said, “The introduction of programmatic advertising at Ninoy Aquino International Airport gives clients greater flexibility in their out-of-home campaigns in terms of audience targeting, measurement, optimization and real-time playout triggered by data. We do not doubt that this new offering will enrich the airport experience and open up NAIA’s airport media space to even more brands and partners.”

Meanwhile, Ann Margaret Ngui, VP sales of Digichive Phils, commented, “This partnership will enable us to leverage LMX’s cutting-edge technology and expertise to enhance our products and services, and to offer our customers more value and convenience. We believe that this collaboration will create new opportunities for growth and innovation for both parties and will strengthen our position in the competitive market. We look forward to working closely with the LMX platform to deliver the best possible outcomes for our stakeholders.”

Manila, Philippines – Holding company Aboitiz Equity Ventures (ABV) and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) have announced that is set to acquire Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines (CCBP) at an estimated enterprise value of US$1.8b. The announcement was made through a recent stock filing at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

According to the filing, AEV has signed a non-binding term sheet and is in advanced discussions with CCEP regarding a potential joint transaction, which may lead to the acquisition of CCBP from The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), based on a 60/40 ownership structure between CCEP and AEV.

If completed, the proposed acquisition would build on AEV’s portfolio diversification strategy to enter the branded consumer goods space and on CCEP’s successful expansion into the Asia-Pacific region via its acquisition of Coca-Cola Amatil in 2021. 

Moreover, AEV would be well positioned to support CCBP’s growth ambition given the synergies that can be generated from AEV’s other businesses.

“AEV’s proposed acquisition of CCBP, with CCEP, offers a great opportunity to co-acquire an established, well-run business with attractive profitability and growth prospects,” the filing stated.

However, the filing did not specify when the acquisition will commence, adding that it will be announced in due course.

It should be recalled that The Coca-Cola Company acquired Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines from San Miguel Corporation back in 2007 for US$590m. Through the acquisition back then, The Coca-Cola Company has acquired San Miguel’s 65% shareholding in Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines.

Manila, Philippines –  Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has partnered up with Philippine Blockchain Week to create limited edition digital collectibles that pay tribute to PAL history while showcasing the airline’s dedication to embracing the future.

These digital collectibles mark the first time for Philippine Airlines to enter the blockchain industry, with these digital collectibles possessing customer benefits as well as access to the Philippine Blockchain Week event.  

Each PAL collectible, which consists of eight distinct images created by artist Trace Orozco and produced on the Ethereum blockchain network, is a well crafted work of art aimed at discerning collectors. Each collectible has artwork in addition to being encoded with $1,500 worth of consumable Mabuhay Miles that can be redeemed at the owner’s discretion.

Upon purchase collectors would also receive a Philippine Blockchain Week VVIP ticket every year for the next three years, granting them premium access to global thought leaders in a currently emerging technological landscape.

In a statement from Philippine Blockchain Week, they said, “As Philippine Airlines continues to soar to greater heights by growing its global network of nonstop flights, so does Philippine Blockchain Week work to elevate Philippine society by motivating Filipinos to embrace the infinite possibilities of Web3 and beyond.”

The importance of DOOH campaigns for fast-food chains cannot be understated, especially in an era where digital media consumption is high. With DOOH, brands can strategically target specific demographics and geographical areas, maximizing the impact of their marketing efforts. 

The ability to leverage location-based data allows fast-food chains to deliver contextually relevant content to consumers, ensuring that their messages resonate with the right audience at the right time. 

Moreover, the integration of DOOH campaigns with mobile and social media platforms enables seamless cross-channel marketing, further enhancing brand visibility and amplifying the reach of their promotional content.

In this latest case study, we take a look at how McDonald’s, one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, utilised DOOH campaigns in partnership with Moving Walls to entice users to their menu, programmed carefully to match the real-time weather conditions in the Philippines.

The Challenge

Popular fast-food chain McDonald’s aimed at launching a new campaign where special “Crave and Claim Deals” would be made available on their mobile app based on real-time weather conditions. This was being done to help their customers keep cool as The Philippines was about to enter hotter days. The brand wanted to communicate these offers through multiple channels but still be able to reveal them only based on changing conditions.

The Objective

The promotion would already be running on the McDonald’s Mobile App tailored to the user’s local weather. The objective of the campaign was to drive users to check for these offers and utilize them.

The Solution

The out-of-home (OOH) media channel was seen as the ideal mass-reach medium to communicate these offers and influence users to check for the offers.  The brand and their agency partnered with us, Moving Walls Philippines, to leverage Programmatic Digital OOH (DOOH) and be able to serve dynamic creatives based on live temperature changes so that consumers could “Beat the Heat”. Programmatic DOOH was also ideal for such a campaign as the deal period was only a few days.

Moreover, the campaign required a few things to align – live local weather, multiple deal creatives, and multiple screens across 7 locations. The campaign was run through Moving Audiences (MAX) platform and we connected to open weather feeds and created custom ad-serving rules.

The Results

The integration of DOOH, the brand app, and digital ads with real-time weather data had a significant impact on McDonald’s “Crave and Claim Deals”. The campaign achieved close to One Million impressions in just 10 days. Due to in-campaign optimization, the campaign also delivered 152% additional measured impressions vs the initial forecast.

In addition, the programmatic DOOH campaign leveraged the powerful capabilities of the MAX platform for precise audience targeting and strategic planning. By utilizing MAX, the campaign successfully reached a predominantly adult audience, with a slight skew toward male viewers. This data-driven approach ensured that the campaign’s content resonated effectively with the desired consumer demographic, maximizing the impact and relevance of the campaign.

Lastly, the campaign demonstrated a 9% lift in the audience exposed to the ad visiting McDonald’s establishments during the campaign. This was measured by observing DOOH-exposed mobile devices that were also seen at McDonald’s establishments.

Manila, Philippines – Dannah Majarocon has been appointed to the position of managing director of JobStreet Philippines, which took effect this July. 

Majarocon’s responsibilities as the managing director of JobStreet Philippines will include carrying out business plans and developing frameworks to support corporate growth. She will also put a high priority on developing good relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, directing engagement and performance, and fostering the workplace culture. 

Majarocon will report to Lewis Ng, chief operating officer of Asia, SEEK.

She has over 11 years of experience in the Philippines’ tech sector. She recently served as managing director and consultant at Lalamove Philippines, a same-day delivery platform in Asia. Prior to that, she managed GCash and Fuse Lending for Mynt as well as at Globe Telecom, a telecommunications company in the Philippines. She has managed the whole P&L, business operations, and strategic planning throughout her career.

Peter Bithos, Chief Executive Officer of Asia, SEEK, expressed, “Dannah joins us at an exciting time at SEEK, as we are embarking on a new phase of growth with the transformation of our JobStreet platform this year, which will start in the Philippines. The new platform will enable us to innovate faster, deliver exceptional value, and better serve our talent and employer community.” 

Commenting on the appointment, Ng said, “We are thrilled to welcome Dannah to our team. With her exceptional track record and capabilities, we are confident that she will successfully guide JobStreet in advancing our commitment to helping talent find meaningful work and supporting employers in finding top talent in the Philippines.”

Meanwhile, Majarocon commented, ”I’m very confident that our team will be able to continue making a difference in the Philippines and take JobStreet to the next level to help more Filipinos find meaningful and fulfilling working lives. I do hope to be able to drive a significant impact on more talent in the market—most importantly, the under supported blue-collar and freelance workers in the country.”

Manila, Philippines – Globe has launched its latest campaign, “Number Mo, Identity Mo,” urging consumers to prioritize SIM registration to safeguard themselves from online dangers.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the significance of SIM registration in protecting one’s digital identity. The initiative adds a creative twist, emphasizing that a SIM is not just a number but an extension of one’s identity. By registering their SIMs, customers take a crucial step in safeguarding their digital identity from potential scams.

Yoly Crisanto, chief sustainability and corporate communications officer of Globe group emphasized the urgency of the issue and urged all Globe customers, including prepaid users, to register their SIMs before the deadline.

“Online safety is a pressing issue in today’s digital age. Through this unique initiative, we hope to drive home the point that our SIMs are a crucial part of our digital identity and must be protected,” said Crisanto.

Moreover, Globe’s SIM registration has been ongoing since December 2022, with various SIM registration drives conducted and will end by July 25. 

Further, the campaign features popular celebrities Kuya Kim Atienza and Kiray Celis, whose online identities were humorously “hacked” by talented stand-up comedians and improv artists impersonating them.

Meanwhile, registration can be conveniently done via the GlobeOne app, Globe’s SIM registration microsite, or the GCash app for fully verified GCash account holders.

In the fight against online scams, Globe stresses that collective efforts are essential, and compliance with SIM registration is a significant step towards ensuring a safer digital environment for all.

Manila, Philippines – Publicis Media Philippines has announced the appointment of Liam Capati as its new chief media officer. In his new role, Capati will focus on accelerating the growth of the media practice and driving consumer engagement for clients of Publicis Groupe.

He recently came out of a four-year stint with technology giant Meta, where he was the head of media for the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Capati comes with extensive industry experience, deep understanding of critical market trends and developments especially on platforms, and expert capabilities to navigate the evolving new world of media spanning data, social, and commerce.

He started his career with Starcom as a student resident and joined full-time after graduation. With his exemplary work ethic and time-tested skills, he grew through the ranks rapidly in his more than 6 years with the agency.

Speaking on his new role, Capati said, “Coming full circle, I am delighted to be back where it all started – I genuinely look forward to helping build the next era of communications and media in the Philippines together with the leadership team at Publicis Groupe Philippines.” 

Meanwhile, Raymond Arrastia, chairman of Publicis Groupe Philippines, commented, “It is great to have Liam back on our team. With his solid background and digital-first experience, we are confident he can effectively harness the power of data and technology in media to deliver the best possible solutions to our clients, brands, and businesses.”

The current agency leads of PGP Media include Miko Manolo, Cat de Leon-Vinuya and Christine Borillo; who will report to Capati and design the future of Publicis Media in the market together. 

Manila, Philippines – Security Bank Corporation, a universal bank in the Philippines, has signed a contract with real-time payment software company ACI Worldwide in order to improve on the bank’s real-time payment hub. 

ACI will be providing their cloud-native ‘Enterprise Payments Platform’ solution for Security Bank to be able to unify its payments platform and facilitate the interactions between payment services and gateways for high and low-value payments such as InstaPay, Philippine Domestic Dollar Transfer Service System or PDDTS, PESONet, Swift, and PhilPaSSplus on ISO2022 standards.

This modernised payment hub allows Security Bank to roll out products and services to customers faster and add new payment types seamlessly and cost-effectively to its core infrastructure.

Leslie Choo, senior vice president and managing director of ACI Worldwide-APAC, says,”Security Bank is at the forefront of driving customer centricity and redefining the digital real-time payments landscape in the country, and ACI is proud to support the Bank with cutting-edge payment hub technologies in leading this transformation.” 

He added, “Our robust solutions go from powering country-wide real-time payment ecosystems to interconnecting cross-border real-time payment networks and enabling the integration of different types of payments, such as the convergence of high-value and low-value payments into a single, unified, intelligent, cloud-native payment hub. “

Meanwhile, Stephen John Bell, senior vice president and channels network group head at Security Bank, said “Digital real-time payments are becoming ubiquitous, with today’s customers looking for a hyper-connected, frictionless customer experience. ACI’s modern, scalable, and cloud-native architecture will power real-time payments to meet the dynamic demands of our customers in the digital era. This initiative and our investment in innovative payment technology are testament to our unwavering commitment to customer-centricity.” 

Lastly, John Cary L. Ong, external vice president and transaction banking, group head at Security Bank, also supports the enhancing transition into real time payment in the Philippines, saying,”A modernised real-time payment solution offers financial resiliency and agility for businesses in the Philippines through enhanced cash flow management and improved business liquidity. For Filipino consumers, they can look forward to a fast and seamless customer experience through secure digital channels. As Security Bank celebrates 72 years of enriching lives and empowering businesses, the partnership with ACI signifies our commitment to deliver a BetterBanking eXperience.”

Manila, Philippines – Local telecommunications company PLDT and banking brand BDO are leading the most valuable brand’s list in the Philippines, according to the latest ranking from brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.

According to the list, PLDT is the most valuable brand in the Philippines in the rankings this year, powered by a 2% increase in brand value to US$2.6b. PLDT’s brand performance contributed to the brand capturing a higher market share of the fiber industry, which led to a 45% improvement in year on-year revenue.

Meanwhile, BDO led the charge as the most valuable banking brand (brand value up 49% to US$2.2b), followed by Bank of the Philippine Islands (brand value up 8% to US$1.3b) and Metrobank (brand value up by 4% to US$1.1b). 

The banking sector also saw five new entrants make our rankings this year – Union Bank of the Philippines (brand value at US$557.28b), Security Bank (brand value at US$331.44m), Chinabank (brand value at US$278.29m), RCBC (brand value at US$246.02m) and Philippine National Bank (brand value at US$234.69m).

Other leading brands include telco Globe (US$2.0b brand value), fast food chain Jollibee (US$1.6b brand value), electric provider Meralco (US$0.9b brand value), gas corporation Petron (US$0.7b brand value), and retail chain Puregold (US$0.6b brand value).

Meanwhile, Jollibee is the fastest-growing brand in the rankings, recording a rise in brand value by 53% to US$1.6 billion. It leaped three positions to 4th place while retaining a corresponding brand strength rating of AA-. Consequently, its financial performance improved, coupled with greater consumer spending after the pandemic.

Alex Haigh, managing director for Asia-Pacific of Brand Finance, said, “This year, we would like to congratulate PLDT, Globe Telecom and Jollibee for topping Brand Finance’s Top 20 Philippines brands rankings as our most valuable, strongest and fastest growing brand respectively. We also see success in the nation’s banking sector, as banking brands’ investments to digitalise and improve customer experience have resulted in brand value growth across all brands in the sector.”

Manila, Philippines – Global behavioural insights company Canvas8 has recently expanded its operations to the Philippines, and has named three key staff hires. Therese Reyes takes over as lead editor for the APAC region, while Dren Pavia joins Canvas8 as junior sub-editor, and Gershom Mabaquiao as junior editor. 

In her new role, Reyes will work with specialists, journalists, and analysts to uncover insightful data and transform it into useful output for clients in a range of industries. She has gained experience reporting on a variety of topics, including current affairs, K-pop, international pop culture, life, and mental health, at VICE Asia before joining Canvas8.

Reyes and Mabaquaio will work together to create content about APAC’s cultural insights. Mabaquiao is a nonfiction author and aspiring folklorist. 

Lastly, Pavia has experience as a creative associate and story writer at Star Cinema, and as a script doctor for WeTV. Before switching to feature writing at Canvas8, Dren worked for Koreaboo, a US-based media outlet where he specialised in reporting K-Pop-related news.

Hannah Langton, regional partnerships director at Canvas8, said, “We are delighted to make these key staff hires in Manila, Philippines. Our three new team members have each proven themselves to be highly accomplished in their fields and will be a real asset to Canvas8 as we continue to expand our services across APAC. I’m glad to welcome them on board.”