The Philippines – At least seven in every 10 employees are exploring job prospects with other companies regardless of how satisfied they are with their current employers, while six out of 10 see themselves working for another employer in the next two years, according to the 2022 Happiness Study commissioned by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As Philippines).

In the study, Gen Z (57%), Xennials (69%), and even Gen X (73%) expressed high levels of satisfaction, while Millennials represented the least satisfied group, with only 41% admitting to experiencing ‘happiness’.

“Arriving at a time when employers are attempting to balance the convenience of working from home with mandatory in-office days, the 2022 Happiness Study was commissioned to gain insights into current advertising employees, 74% of which joined the workforce during the pandemic,” said 4As Chairperson Golda Roldan.

Moreover, at least seven in every 10 employees cited a lack of long-term mentorship or training as their main reason for leaving, with at least seven in every 10 employees seeing their supervisors as friends and allies rather than long-term trainers. Furthermore, only four in 10 reported that they received adequate mentorship after the first year.

The study also unveiled that four out of 10 respondents stated their desire to seek greener pastures in the form of compensation and incentives.

The study also showed a generation gap when it came to the relationship between one’s loyalty to their company and that with one’s peers: While 66% of Gen Z respondents expressed affinity with their peers and only 45% with their companies, respondents in the higher age ranges were more likely to find belongingness with their companies over their peers.

“All told, the study found that, while happiness was irrelevant to whether or not employees stayed, overall satisfaction could be increased,” Roldan added.

She also said that for Gen Zs, being the newest members of the workforce, purpose and meaning were major factors in considering a workplace. As for achieving employee satisfaction, incentives, adequate, ongoing training in an environment where they can grow professionally were key.

The 2022 Happiness Study was commissioned by the 4As to determine the happiness levels and sentiments of talent within the advertising industry. A quantitative online survey was conducted for the study from August 24 to October 24, 2022, which involved 38 advertising agencies.

Manila, Philippines – The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines or known as 4As Philippines has announced the suspension of local creative agency GIGIL’s membership, slated for one year.

This follows after the agency came under fire with the campaign they made for medical-aesthetic clinic Belo Medical Group.

According to 4As Philippines, said ad was found to be in violation of certain terms in their association’s code of ethics.

The ad, titled ‘Pandemic Effect’ features a woman watching a barrage of news while her appearance changes: the skin under her eyes darkens, gets acne, grows facial and body hair, and gains weight. As the ad draws to a conclusion, the woman in focus receives a call from her friend, and catches up with one another.

The ad closes off with the tagline ‘Tough times call for beautiful measures’, alongside a line to encourage customers to book an appointment with Belo Medical Group.

Following the ad release, many netizens have criticized the ad, stating that it was ‘tone deaf’ and body-shamed women in the middle of the pandemic.

Both Belo and GIGIL have taken the ads out of their social media channels by 10 August.

In a statement regarding the 4As Philippines suspension, GIGIL posted on Facebook, “We acknowledge that alongside the unexpected thinking that comes with our work, we must always be mindful of sensitivity and respect.”

They added, “We also assure that this does not in any way hamper our ability to represent and deliver work for clients. Our business continues.”

MARKETECH APAC has reached out to both GIGIL and Belo Medical Group for additional comments.

GIGIL has been known for creating humorous and tongue-in-cheek campaigns for brands such as Julie’s Bakeshop, Unioil, and Allianz. They are also responsible for multiple campaign drives for Netflix Philippines as part of the promotion of the Filipino-based occult series ‘Trese’.