Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – Wellspring, a brand that offers gummy supplements, has recently apologised over its recent ‘Gil Tulog’ outdoor advertising campaign following order from Makati City Mayor Abby Binay to take down the ads–after being called out by the public for the insensitivity of the campaign.

The campaign ‘Gil Tulog’ was aimed at doing a wordplay on the known Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City–named after the late Senator Gil Puyat, who served as a senator from 1951 and took the role of Senate President from 1967 up until 1972 when President Ferdinand Marcos shut Congress down following the implementation of Martial Law.

In the statement, Wellspring said that they made a misstep in their campaign and are ‘sorry’. They have also complied with the city’s orders to take down the ads in the city and promised to practice better sensitivity in their campaigns moving forward. 

“It was never our intention to offend anyone in our marketing execution which used wordplay to draw attention to the importance of sleep and how it contributes to one’s overall health,” the company said.

It has also apologised to the family of the late Senator Gil Puyat for the harm and offense that the campaign has caused them. 

“Rest assured that there was no intent to besmirch and disrespect his legacy,” the company said.

They have also extended their apology to Makati City Mayor Abby Binay and the people of Makati for this campaign’s misstep.

Prior to Wellspring’s apology, Mayor Binay had ordered the take down of the ad signs, saying that she wasn’t aware of how this campaign got approved. She also said that the city officials who had approved the campaign were already reprimanded for this ‘glaring oversight’.

“It is unfortunate that the request for a permit for the so-called advertising campaign to change the street signs of Gil Puyat Avenue did not reach my office. The city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence. They should have been more thorough,” the mayor said.

Earlier this week, netizens took notice of how various signages of Gil Puyat Avenue were changed to ‘Gil Tulog Avenue’, a word play on the Tagalog word ‘puyat’ (wide awake) and ‘tulog’ (sleep). While some netizens rode the quirkiness of the campaign, many were perplexed and also angry over the insensitivity of the campaign, with relatives of the late Senator also expressing their dismay on the campaign execution.

“Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful!” Erika Puyat Lontok, a relative of the late Senator, said on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Victor Puyat–son of the late Senator–has filed a complaint with the Ad Standards Council and asking that the agency who did the campaign–relatively undisclosed as of this writing–be either ‘suspended or banned’. 

He also noted that the campaign violates Section 1 of Article IV of the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics, which states that “advertisements shall not directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural or juridical person, group of persons, or any sector of society based on gender, social, cultural or economic status, religion, ethnicity, physical, intellectual and psychological state or appearance, age, race, or nationality.”

On another note, Sander Puyat Joson, who is the grandson of the late Sen. Gil Puyat, told Rappler that they are ‘overwhelmed and grateful’ for netizens who are calling for respect on the senator’s legacy.

“While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather. We ask that the responsible brand and agency adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council. We hope that the brand and ad agency also take affirmative actions to rectify their error in judgment,” Joson said.

Update (July 29): The Advertising Standards Council (ASC) of the Philippines has released a statement, expressing their support to the public over the recent desecration of the street name “Gil Puyat.”

“This act has undoubtedly harmed the memory of an esteemed Filipino and Senator, and we join in the collective outcry,” the council said.

However, ASC has clarified that the material in question was not cleared with them as a different advertising body oversees these types of advertising, in this case street signs that doesn’t contain the brand’s name. Nonetheless, the company has advised the ad agency, albeit being unnamed, to not use ‘Gil Tulog’ in any of its advertising content. It could be inferred that ASC is referring to another advertising body, the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of the Philippines (OHAAP), whose regulation on outdoor advertising is needed.

“On behalf of our industry, we sincerely apologise to the family of Senator Gil Puyat for any distress this incident may have caused,” the council further added.

ASC concluded their statement by stating that they are in discussions with the relevant organisations to which the ad agency belongs, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Meanwhile, the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies – Philippines (4AS Philippines) has also released a quick statement online regarding the incident, stating that they will be embarking with a thorough investigation of the ad fiasco.

“Rest assured that appropriate measures will be taken to uphold our values and ethical practices and how to avoid similar occurrences in the future,” the association said.

Manila, Philippines – To give Filipinos the spark of rediscovering their love for reading, national educational retail and book store brand National Book Store has launched a new campaign which depicts our inner bookworm–in a very tongue-in-cheek and literal way.

The new film titled ‘Passion’ was conceptualised alongside local independent agency Leron Leron Sinta. It revolves around a seemingly ordinary mother with a secret that is anything but ordinary. 

The film’s main turning point is when the mother, after seeing National Book Store’s diverse selection of reads and bestselling books, is triggered to molt her human guise to reveal her true self: a bookworm. 

For the brand, this film’s unexpected transformation symbolises the constant internal conflict between personal passions and parental duties, resonating deeply with viewers of all ages. 

In an exclusive conversation with MARKETECH APAC, Varge Masanque, creative partner at Leron Leron Sinta stated that they at the agency initially assumed that National Book Store wanted to maintain the same old tone of the brand. Hence during their initial presentation, they shared ideas that unmistakably represented the brand.

“To our surprise, they wanted to try something new and explore a different approach, leading us to a humorous concept. Our lesson learned here is: don’t assume what your clients want. Always give them what you believe they need and what will help them meet their business goals,” Masanque said.

He also added, “National Book Store wants to encourage Filipino Gen Zs to visit its physical stores and rediscover their passion for reading and learning. And what’s the best way to do that than to engage Gen Z through humour to spark conversations and entice them to buy their school supplies at National Book Store.”

Meanwhile, Adrian Ramos, president and CEO of National Book Store told MARKETECH APAC that with the brand always being a pioneer and an innovator in the retail industry, they certainly wanted to explore doing an impactful and unique film like this.

“More than having the right blend of horror and humour, we wanted a film that represents the powerful relationship many Filipino families, barkadas (friend groups), and shoppers share with us: the nostalgia of visiting our stores and discovering many sulit (affordable) reads and finds,” Ramos said.

He added, “We were thrilled to collaborate with a dynamic and passionate agency like Leron Leron Sinta, and work closely with their creative minds to bring this memorable and successful ad to life. We specifically thought of younger Filipinos’ interest for these kinds of ads, and wanted to help them reconnect with National Book Store in a fun yet relatable way.”

This ad follows a slew of National Book Store’s newly launched store tiers this year: the Superbranch and National Everyday. Their new Mall of Asia store is the first Superbranch, offering an all-new and completely transformed shopping experience. It offers more product categories, including K-Pop and travel items that appeal specifically to young adults and students, and will soon have a café for customers to enjoy. Meanwhile, the National Everyday, which currently has 2 stores – SM Hypermarket FTI and Waltermart Bacoor – has a more curated selection of books and items in easily accessible commercial locations.

“From families going together to older students completing their own checklists, Laking National customers can look forward to a more sulit (affordable), more rewarding, and more enjoyable back-to-school shopping experience in our over 240 branches nationwide and online,” Ramos concluded.

Philippines – Globe has joined the ‘Working With Cancer’ initiative, coordinated by multinational advertising and public relations agency Publicis Groupe and aims to eliminate the cancer stigma and provide more assistance to employees afflicted by cancer. 

The initiative urges corporate executives to take the lead in eradicating the stigma and uneasiness that cancer patients experience at work and in fostering a supportive environment for those who most need it. This is in line with Globe’s mission to give its workers all-encompassing support and care so they always feel safe and appreciated. 

Globe has committed to a five-point action plan, which includes understanding and implementing policies and programs to support affected employees, raising employee awareness of the commitment, fostering workplace conversations about the disease, tracking progress, and continuously learning and improving support measures. 

Renato Jiao, Globe’s chief human resource officer, emphasised the company’s emphasis on preventive measures, such as yearly physical exams for early detection and preventive care, in order to preserve the health and wellbeing of its workers. Along with launching health education and awareness initiatives, Globe is always looking for new and creative ways to meet the medical requirements of its employees. 

Nearly half of the estimated 9,000 cancer deaths in the Philippines each year are thought to be premature or avoidable, according to the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies in 2023. Additionally, the nation reports about 25,000 new instances of cancer annually. 

Speaking about the initiative, Ernest Cu, Globe president and CEO, said, “Globe is a highly focused entity when it comes to employee welfare. We hope to set an example for the rest of the community in terms of supporting employees in this situation. My hope is that by bringing this issue to the forefront and to public awareness, we’ll be able to raise funding and draw more attention to it.” 

He added, “Aligned with our commitment to Alagang Globe, we promise to handhold our employees throughout their entire journey with us. Our care is a constant presence, and we continuously prioritise their comprehensive well-being and growth, especially their health.” 

Meanwhile, Paolo Borromeo, AC Health president and CEO, stated, “AC Health is deeply honoured to build on our longstanding partnership with Globe, which reflects our shared commitment to elevating healthcare for their employees. Through programs like Working With Cancer, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive care and support to employees facing cancer, ensuring they receive the best possible treatment and assistance throughout their journey.” 

Lastly, Arthur Sadoun, Publicis Groupe CEO, said, “Today you are joining over 1,700 companies all over the world who are committed to build a more inclusive, more supportive workplace for all of those impacted by cancer and their families. I cannot thank you enough for joining us in this journey. We are so proud to have Globe by our side and signing the pledge is just another example of your exemplary company culture, always investing in your people and their well-being.” 

Manila, Philippines – For those who are motorcycle enthusiasts out there, how do you think a motorcycle brand sells speed-to-speed junkies? This was the unique brief Yamaha Motor Philippines gave Dentsu Creative Philippines to show off some of its quickest models, the Sniper155 and Mio Aerox, online.

To highlight the speeds that the two motorcycles are capable of, the agency worked on a series of commercials that viewers would have trouble keeping up with, staying true to its tagline, ‘Live to be Chased.’

Using timestamps, viewers could jump to specific points in the film and watch the moments that were too fast to catch the first time around. The material embodying speed was designed and shot to be so fast, that viewers could only appreciate the details if they pause or slow down the video playback, which they were encouraged to do with detailed prompts and captions. 

Naturally, viewers wouldn’t be able to catch every detail on the first go. But after every rewatch, they’re rewarded with new adrenaline-filled scenes they missed, making it an experience tailor-made for speed freaks and racing enthusiasts. 

Toni Acuesta, marketing section manager of Yamaha Motors Philippines, said, “This spot’s all about the speed that the Sniper and Mio Aerox offer, the precision handling, and the joy of discovering hidden details. With the timestamps, you’re in full control.”

Manila, Philippines – Around 51% of women-led SMEs and 56% of microbusinesses in the Philippines saw revenue growth after they started accepting digital payments, new data from Visa recently revealed.

Considering that SMEs are important to the economy and that women make up more than half of the population in Asia, utilising women’s economic potential might boost the Asia Pacific region’s GDP by $89 billion a year, including the Philippines. 

According to the study, around 72% of the SMEs in the Philippines surveyed said that running their own business has gotten easier. Digital wallets—GCash in particular—dominate as the primary means of digital payment for SMEs, particularly those led by women (61%) according to a Philippine poll. Millions of unbanked Filipinos now have access to the advantages of having a payment card because of Visa’s partnership with GCash for the launch of the new GCash Card.

Out of all the companies that have begun to take digital payments, those that accept cards have seen the biggest gains in turnover (83%). Instantaneous transfers and cashless transactions are made possible by digital payments, improving the shopping experience. Visa helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the Philippines by providing broad acceptance and strong security against fraud for both customers and merchants. 

The Philippines has over a million micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), making them important for the nation’s economic development. 99.5% of the businesses in the Philippines are MSMEs, according to data from the Department of Commerce and Industry. Almost 50% of these enterprises are involved in wholesale and retail commerce, which accounts for 65% of all jobs in the nation. 

Guaya Melgar, CEO and co-founder of Mochi, said, “My business has grown since I introduced digital payment methods. I appreciate the convenience, speed, and the ability to easily track payment records. It provides my customers with a convenient cashless payment option too. I hope to expand my business beyond the Philippines so enabling cross-border payments will help me grow my customer base.” 

Meanwhile, Jeff Navarro, Visa’s country manager for the Philippines, stated, “Small and medium-sized businesses are the driving force behind the thriving economy in the Philippines. Visa is proud to contribute to their growth by providing secure and convenient digital payment solutions. Visa is committed to continuously supporting the Philippine government’s financial inclusion and digitization goals, including empowering SMEs, the cornerstone of the economy, by introducing innovative financial and payment solutions so they can build on this foundation to grow their business.”

Recently, Visa released an online toolbox for SMEs to help travel-related businesses take full advantage of contactless payments. Visa launched the SME Accelerator Program in the Philippines in 2023 with the goal of assisting partners and SMEs with competitive pricing, expedited onboarding, and comprehensive go-to-market support. The enhanced SME Accelerator programs will also concentrate on a broader range of collaborations with ecosystem players to assist smaller vendors and expedite the implementation of solutions for SMEs.

To help women-owned and underrepresented SMEs in APEC countries like the Philippines gain faster access, the Visa Foundation has committed to donate $100 million over the course of five years. Approximately 29.6 million SMEs are from APEC economies, and 10.9 million of the nearly 67 million SMEs that Visa has addressed globally are led by women. 

Manila, Philippines – Commercial banking company UnionBank has announced the appointment of Ana Aboitiz Delgado as its new president and CEO, effective on January 1, 2025.

Prior to assuming this role, Delgado is widely credited for leading UnionBank’s digital retail banking innovations such as the digital bank branch model and UnionBank Online.

She will be taking on leadership of UnionBank of the Philippines from Edwin Bautista, current president and CEO, whose 27-year career saw UnionBank go from becoming the front running digitised bank in the country to setting it on a path to become a retail bank leader.

Delgado joined UnionBank as a management trainee in November 2003. Over the course of her career, she led the business development of SME Banking and Retail Consumer Finance, which included credit cards and loans.

She was likewise tasked to lead the design of the customer experience across the Bank’s physical and digital touchpoints that will differentiate UnionBank from other traditional banks.

Delgado also expanded her role to head the bank’s Institutional Banking business on top of heading customer experience and digital channels and serving as a director of the UnionBank board and as chairman of the CitySavings Bank board.

Talking about the appointment, Erramon Aboitiz, chairman of the UnionBank Board of Directors, said, “We are looking forward to taking UnionBank to greater heights with Ana at the helm. Her experience and expertise will allow her to lead the Bank’s continued digital transformation which was started by Edwin and has put UnionBank on an accelerated road towards its aspiration to be a great retail bank.”

Philippines – In 2023, real-time payment transactions in the Philippines experienced a 24% year-on-year (YoY) growth, with transaction volumes reaching 777 million, according to a report by ACI Worldwide.

The report also projects that the volume will soar to 1.54 billion by 2028. The real-time payments’ share of all digital payments in the country is projected to grow to 58.7% by 2028, while its transaction value is expected to reach USD 209.6 billion in the same year. 

As of 2023, real-time payments accounted for 47.2% of all Philippine digital payments, with a transaction value of USD 89.5 billion.

The surge in digital payments, including real-time transactions, in the Philippines accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a shift towards a cashless economy. The report highlights that this shift is driven by growing consumer demand for simpler, faster, and more secure transactions, with Filipino consumers citing these as the primary reasons for adopting digital payment tools.

ACI Worldwide’s report also identified a strong correlation between the growth of real-time payments and mobile wallet adoption. The Philippines ranks fifth globally in mobile wallet adoption, with 88% of Filipinos using a mobile wallet in the past year. The report further revealed that QR codes, mobile wallets, and bank accounts are the primary authorization methods used by Filipino consumers to initiate real-time payments.

Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) plans to join the Regional Payment Connectivity initiative, linking ASEAN countries under a single QR code system. This move, aimed at enabling real-time cross-border payments, is part of the central bank’s broader strategy to promote financial inclusivity and digital payments, potentially reducing remittance costs and boosting the economy.

Leslie Choo, senior vice president and managing director for APAC at ACI Worldwide, commented, “Real-time payments hold the potential to facilitate greater economic growth and financial inclusion in the Philippines by eliminating payment friction and injecting greater liquidity in the financial system. As Filipinos continue to embrace digitization, we encourage the local banks and financial institutions to harness technological innovations that will enable them to fully leverage the capabilities of real-time transactions.” 

“Real-time payments are now a real-world reality, and banks have the opportunity to innovate where real-time payments sit in the customer journey and the end-to-end payments landscape to provide a differentiated experience. At ACI Worldwide, we want to collaborate with banks, merchants, and billers in the Philippines and around the world to enable them to tap into emerging use cases of real-time payments through payment modernization and transformation,” Choo added. 

Manila, Philippines – CJ de Silva-Ong, most recently the executive creative director of TBWA\SMP has passed away at the age of 36, as announced by her husband Wincy Ong. In a Facebook post, Wincy stated that CJ had suffered two strokes while in ICU before she passed away.

“She was a passionate executive creative director in the industry she loved so much–advertising. She used her talents in illustration and painting in championing causes close to heart,” Wincy said in his post.

CJ has been with TBWA\SMP for over 16 years where she began as an art director in 2008 before being promoted to creative director roles since 2014. She was named the agency’s executive creative director in July 2022.

In an online statement, TBWA\SMP reflected on her illustrious career on aiding in conceptualising the agency’s various creative works for over a decade as an artist and creative director.

“One could say that Cj de Silva-Ong was one of the most passionate advocates for advertising, an industry and career that she cherished. She was a gifted creative director, illustrator, and podcaster, who helmed iconic ads and award-winning campaigns for TBWA\SMP for 16 years. But she was also a dedicated colleague, a compassionate leader, and a true friend. We are grateful to have had 16 wonderful years with her,” the agency stated.

Outside of the advertising industry, CJ is also a known artist, painter, graphic designer and illustrator and had staged three major solo-artist exhibitions. She was also known as was known as a “Gifted Child” and a “Promil Kid”, being featured in an infant formula ad in 1998.

Her wake will be held from June 20 to June 22 at The Heritage Park in Taguig City, followed by a cremation service on June 23.

With the prevalence of online shopping in the current business landscape, businesses are now starting to catch on by creating an online presence that demands advanced payment solutions and sophisticated e-commerce marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

Keeping these strategies in mind, there is more to e-commerce marketing besides just simply having a digital space to sell products online. Businesses and brands still have to properly interact and cater to the needs of their consumers behind their screens.

As part of our E-Commerce Marketing Series interviews, we spoke with Emmanuel Cruz, e-commerce lead at Mondelēz Philippines, to learn more about his insights on how e-commerce marketing strategies should be based on consumer behaviour, as well as how e-commerce affects businesses and brands, and the trends that dictate what’s next to come for it. 

E-commerce pros and cons within F&B

The e-commerce marketing landscape is significantly dynamic, which is matched by the agility of brands and businesses to become agile to catch on what is currently relevant.

For Cruz, this is a challenge because strategies and plans are constantly pivoting, especially for multinational corporations such as Mondelez, wherein these shifts require a lot of internal alignments and approvals which can take up quite some time.

Additionally, he mentioned that there are also other challenges, such as finding the right mix of assortment to differentiate a brand across different platforms, the rising costs on operations to fulfil orders on new platforms, and the investment on traffic, media and even promos.

These challenges may seem as an obstacle for many, but Cruz says that it can present itself as an opportunity in the online space if brands and businesses act quickly to reap its rewards within a new platform.

“ This can be seen as an opportunity because most brands usually benefit from a first-mover advantage when it comes to new platforms. Less competition means more saliency and even less investments needed,” he said.

Adapting to evolving e-commerce 

As consumer behaviour moves alongside the dynamic landscape of e-commerce marketing, Cruz mentions that e-commerce marketing strategies should always be based on consumer and shopper behaviour.

“From platform availability, assortment, pricing, content and promos, all these should always be based on the consumer,” stated Cruz.

In order to achieve this, Cruz shared that a robust end-to-end omnichannel approach should be present to understand the interplay of offline and online consumer behaviour.

Talking about how this should be applied, Cruz mentioned, “Online and offline strategies should be integrated, never on silo. The occurrence of browsing online and checking out offline (and vice-versa) is more and more apparent post-pandemic.”

This approach leads to an easier understanding of customer behaviour, wants and interests, which means that brands can seamlessly pivot and tailor-fit messaging, communication, promos and recommendations. To enhance this, Cruz said that customer data should be maximised to increase basket size or assortment, improve repeat purchases and overall build loyalty with customers.

“AI makes it even easier for brands to do so, and even if we’re not yet that deep into utilising advanced AI, we still use data to get insights and refine our activities to optimise our investments,” he added. 

The future of e-commerce in F&B

When asked about his insights for the future of e-commerce marketing in the F&B industry, Cruz commented on the prominence of social commerce as one of the biggest trends in F&B at the moment. 

As a rapidly growing branch of e-commerce that uses social networks and digital media to facilitate transactions, social commerce allows for businesses and brands to increase their reach even further, and reach out more to younger or emerging consumers.

“However, as more and more brands get onboarded on this platform, competition will become even tighter, with brands fighting neck and neck on live platforms and on their promos,” he added.

Furthermore, Cruz also mentioned that there will be a more seamless omnichannel approach that brands and businesses need to employ as e-commerce platforms provide not just online sales but influence offline decisions and pre-purchase.

“Brands within the F&B industry need to be in-tune for what’s next to come in terms of e-commerce marketing strategies, as e-commerce platforms are becoming not just a point-of-sale but more so a channel for brand and product discovery that affects purchase decisions offline,” Cruz concluded.

MARKETECH APAC is leading the conversation on the future of e-commerce marketing strategies this 2024 and beyond with the E-Commerce Marketing in Malaysia 2024 conference on July 25, 2024 at Sheraton Petaling Jaya and the E-Commerce Marketing in the Philippines 2024 conference on August 14, 2024 at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. Join us and become an integral part of a dynamic community committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and fostering unparalleled growth in the e-commerce domain.

Manila, Philippines – Global digital payments company Visa has launched its latest resource offerings to assist Filipino merchants, especially small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

Taking full advantage of Visa’s digital payment solutions, this online toolkit aims to optimise the customer shopping experience and increase sales, particularly in the Philippine tourism sector.

This is part of Visa’s commitment to empower Filipino SMEs and boost tourism, a crucial growth sector for the economy, by helping more merchants offer seamless contactless payments.

The SME online toolkit offers merchants detailed, step-by-step instructions in English, including a script for cashiers on how to initiate and complete digital payment transactions.

The toolkit describes how most Visa cards have the contactless feature as identified by the symbol and includes instructions on how customers can tap the terminal with their card themselves to make payments.

Additionally, this toolkit offering from Visa comes alongside its other efforts to promote tourism in the Philippines, with its participation in the Philippine Department of Tourism’s tourism summit as a panel, as well as a partnership with the Pacific Association of Tourism (PATA) wherein Visa led a workshop trained tourism SMEs on financial, risk management, digital skills, and highlighting digital payments preferred by tourists.

Talking about this initiative, Jeff Navarro, country manager for Visa Philippines, said, “Visa is committed to empowering businesses with the latest payment technologies and enabling contactless payments to support the growth of tourism in the Philippines. With Visa’s new SME online toolkit, we hope to facilitate the widespread adoption of digital payments among SMEs, addressing the needs of the travel ecosystem and aligning with the preferences of today’s travellers.”