Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – PLDT and ABS-CBN have jointly announced that it will cancel the proposed acquisition of Sky Cable, a cable television service provider owned by ABS-CBN. The announcement was made via Sky Cable’s official media channels.

Both parties have not mentioned the reason for this cancellation. MARKETECH APAC checked both stock disclosures of PLDT and ABS-CBN for further information, but no other details of the reason for the acquisition cancellation have been disclosed as of this writing.

With this, Sky Cable will continue its broadcasting operations beyond February 26, the supposed final broadcast date for the cable TV service provider. Its broadband operations remain unaffected as well.

“We thank all our SKY subscribers for their continued patronage and support. We remain committed to providing the same level of customer experience and service for both our cable and internet services,” the company said.

It is worth noting that both the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have already approved the acquisition deal earlier this year.

Details about the merger first came into light when ABS-CBN, the parent company of Sky Cable, signed an agreement with PLDT back in March 2023 to sell off fully the business to PLDT. It is also worth noting that Cignal, the media firm under PLDT’s MediaQuest affiliate, had already a 34.99% stake in Sky Cable, which materialised back in 2022.

Manila, Philippines – Digital financial services platform Atome has partnered with Mastercard to allow Atome card holders in the Philippines to convert their rewards points into gaming credits via the Mastercard Gamer Xchange (MGX). 

In this partnership, MGX will facilitate a convenient exchange to help gamers in the Philippines convert their rewards points into gaming credits across nearly 4000 game titles in a spend-and-earn exchange. 

Up until March, gaming enthusiasts using the Atome Card to shop can obtain as much as ₱2,000 worth of gaming credits. 

This partnership offer follows the recent upgrade of the Atome Card, which now allows Filipino consumers to shop and ‘buy now and pay later’ anywhere as long as Mastercard is accepted. 

Magic Tang, head of cards business at Atome, said, “We’ve seen a very strong take-up for the Atome Card, especially among digital-native Gen Z and millennial users in the Philippines, with one of the top use cases for the Atome Card being online purchases. We see a strong synergy in this partnership with Mastercard’s MGX platform as it provides Atome Card holders and gamers access to a wide range of gaming credit options.”

Also speaking on the partnership, Kaveri Khullar, senior vice president for consumer marketing and sponsorships at Mastercard, commented, “MGX bridges the world of rewards to the thriving global gaming community, offering an innovative and seamless redemption solution in a new category. From eSports viewers to console and smartphone gaming enthusiasts across a range of demographics, it opens new connections to the world’s fastest-expanding entertainment market.”

She added, “As the Philippine gaming market anticipates further growth in the next few years, this partnership with Atome is a fantastic example of how innovative payment experiences are evolving to connect consumers to their passions.”

Philippines – Jollibee is once again creating emotions with two new #MyKwentongJollibee short videos, ‘30 Dates’ and ‘To Love Again’, which are intended to capture the spirit of love this Valentine’s season. The beloved brand continues to strive to tell true love stories by sourcing narratives directly from the people involved, imbuing the films with authenticity and passion.

The short films “#MyKwentongJollibee: 30 Dates” and “To Love Again,” directed by Paolo Villaluna, follow two real-life couples as they negotiate the challenges of life and love.

“In ’30 Dates,’ the story centres on two friends, Kristian and Coleen, who have very different views on love. Kristian wants to start his own family, while Coleen is doubtful and believes that love only exists in movies and television. 

In celebration of Coleen’s birth month, Kristian decided to treat her to 30 days of meals at Jollibee, knowing it was her favourite spot. Will this heartfelt and unique gesture ignite a deeper connection and significance within their friendship, or will it potentially lead to an awkward situation between the close companions? 

The story of Hazel, a single mother who had closed off romance and devoted all of her time and energy to her child, is told in “To Love Again.” Ronald, on the other hand, was instantly drawn to Hazel upon first meeting her. 

Ronald was eager to show Hazel that he was sincere, even in the face of resistance from her family, because he felt deserving of her affection. Despite the scars from her past, can Hazel have the strength to accept Ronald and open her heart again? 

Speaking about the films, Dorothy Dee-Ching, marketing head at Jollibee Philippines, said, “We all have our own Kwentong Jollibee – from memorable birthday celebrations, to going on a first date, and even that unforgettable marriage proposal. While there’s no doubt that Jollibee has impacted the lives of so many Filipinos throughout the years, we’re still pleasantly surprised with the stories that we’ve received. What better way to tell these stories than by letting the real people themselves share their own stories in their own words, thus the birth of #MyKwentongJollibee.” 

She added, “From hundreds of stories, we hope that these two heartwarming tales will touch your hearts and inspire you to share the joy of love this season.” 

Meanwhile, NJ Mijares, group creative director of McCann Worldgroup Philippines, said, “The challenge for this year’s My Kwentong Jollibee is to find stories with topics that people will want to discuss with their peers. We feel that this is a step above what Kwentong Jollibee is and what it means to people. Because apart from just watching true stories, we now give them the opportunity to participate by sharing their own thoughts and feelings.” 

Paolo Villaluna, director of “30 Dates” and “To Love Again”, said, “For us Pinoys, Jollibee is already part of our daily lives: for every celebration of love, family or success, Jollibee is the emotional language we use to express ourselves. Being able to capture that in films was truly fulfilling not only as a filmmaker but as a human being.” 

Manila, Philippines – A new study by Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has found that Filipino gamers have the lowest propensity to spend PHP 620 and above in a month on in-game purchases compared to their APAC counterparts. Gamers in China, for example, spend at least three times more and those in Hong Kong spend two times more.

According to the report, the concept of creating value for Filipino gamers is crucial because when they do spend on microtransactions, the reasons are value-specific, e.g. when there is a sale (50%), in-game power-ups (36%), gifts (31%), a treat for oneself or someone else (31%), and limited-time release (29%).

In general, 50% bought an in-game skin, character, or accessory in the last three months. Other items purchased during the period included battle/season pass (38%), gears/weapons (33%), extra lives, hints, or boosters (29%), and gaming currency (28%).

The report notes that while gaming is a popular activity in the Philippines, oly around 61% of Filipino gamers identify with the label ‘gamer’, on par with the APAC average and sharing similar sentiments as counterparts in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, around 28% do not consider themselves gamers and 10% are unsure. Across all generations, those do not associate with the term ‘gamer’ share two common themes for its definition: time spent playing and device played on.

The top reason was respondents only gaming on their smartphone (44%), like those in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Some also said gaming is not their only hobby (35%) and that they do not play enough (33%).

According to the report, while these items offer brands a variety of opportunities to create in-game collaborations, companies might see lower than expected conversions due to low average monthly spend. Also, these branded collaborations might only work if there is high brand affinity and if they offer value to gamers. In turn, branded microtransactions require a variety of exciting, urgent, and emotional messaging to persuade gamers to purchase.

Mary Buenaventura, CEO at OMG Philippines, said, “While Filipino gamers might experience Internet challenges such as penetration and speed, one should never underestimate the opportunities in gaming. This research indicates that most gamers can no longer be stereotyped as hermits in their dark rooms. Instead, they are highly mobile and are playing during breaks or during their daily commute, thereby democratising the gaming experience.”

She added, To succeed in this space, brands are encouraged to invest on game development or in-store gaming experiences that meet the high expectations of Filipino gamers’ and offer them original, real-world moments.”

Manila, Philippines – Toothpaste brand Closeup has launched its latest campaign, with a film that features a fresh rendition of the iconic song ‘Closer You and I’ by Filipino singer Gino Padilla.

Conceptualised by MullenLowe TREYNA, Closeup’s campaign reimagines the song in 2024 for a new generation with singer Adie’s vocals and the love team of Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, affectionately known as DonBelle, in the film. 

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Close Up’s history, seamlessly blending nostalgia with contemporary charm. The new version captures Closeup’s classic ‘kilig’, resonating with both long-time fans and newer audiences.

Through this campaign, the brand aims to display its unwavering commitment to portray love’s joyous moments, captivating hearts in 2024 just as it did back in the 90s.

Commenting on the campaign’s rendition, Padilla said, “The new version sounds great, and I have to congratulate Adie for doing such a wonderful job. He was able to inject his own style and represent his current generation. It’s a great privilege and honour to be part of the Close Up brand. Up to now, people associate my name with the song, and it really is a great blessing.”

The release of the new single featuring Adie and the DonBelle tandem has garnered over a million views, signifying a new chapter in Closeup’s legacy of fostering connections through the power of love and music.

Philippines – Goodday, a cultured milk drink brand owned by Asahi Beverages Philippines which is distributed by Universal Robina Corporation in the Philippines, partnered with Appetite Creative, a creative technology firm, to create a vibrant and engaging linked packaging experience. 

The partnership allows the web app to track interactions in real time, including purchasing patterns, product preferences, average engagement times, location, scan rates, number of visits, number of return visits, and social media shares. Through the process, personal data that comply with GDPR is collected, enabling the business to enhance its marketing tactics and obtain a more profound understanding of consumer behaviour.

Additionally the partnership unveils a web app-based connected experience accessed through QR codes, registered customers of the Goodday drink smart packaging campaign can win instant rewards. One winner (out of three total) will be selected from each of the campaign’s major draws, and they will each get an all-expense-paid trip for four to Japan, which includes round-way airfare, lodging for four days and three nights, a one-day tour package, and spending money. Additional prizes include a Nintendo Switch Lite, fifty Goodday gift pack winners, P10,000 in GCash Credits, and P1,000 in GCash Credits.

Every Goodday 80ml and/or 350ml bottle variety, which is distributed in supermarkets, convenience stores, and sari-sari stores around the Philippines, is eligible to enter the prize draw. Goodday’s Facebook and Instagram social media accounts also provide access to the QR code. The campaign is expected to last through the end of March.

Speaking about the campaign, Hemalatha Ragavan, CEO at Asahi Beverages Philippines, said, “This campaign is designed to reward our customers with some amazing prizes. Goodday is always looking at creative and fun ways to engage and reward our consumers and this partnership with Appetite enabled us to do just that.” 

Meanwhile, Jenny Stanley, managing director at Appetite Creative, said, “Connected packaging offers brands fun ways to interact directly with customers. From instant rewards and competitions to education and inspiration the opportunities are truly unlimited. It’s great to see the Goodday brand tap into this versatile media channel.”

Manila, Philippines – CNN Philippines has announced that it will be discontinuing its operations across all media platforms on January 31. This officially confirms early media reports of the closure as Nine Media Corporation and CNN agreed to close the television network.

In an advisory sent out by the network on its television channel, it indicated that the cessation of its operations will roll out across free-to-air TV, cable TV, and digital platforms. This advisory has been also posted across its social media channels.

Tristan Nodalo, a reporter for CNN Philippines, has confirmed the news as well, stating that according to CNN Philippines President Benjamin Ramos, they will stop news production operations as a result of serious financial losses. This was announced during a general assembly of the network earlier this day.

“To our staff, we thank you for your commitment and dedication. To our partners, including CNN Worldwide / Turner Broadcasting Corporation, we are grateful for your support. And to our viewers, our sincerest gratitude for your loyalty and trust over the past 9 years,” the advisory read.

CNN Philippines was officially launched in March 2015, and was operated by Nine Media Network, with Radio Philippines Network (RPN) serving as the media’s main content provider. It was the fifth local franchisee of CNN in Asia following CNN Indonesia, CNN Türk, CNN Arabic and CNN-IBN in India.

CNN Philippines’ closure also follows the recent announcement from SKY Cable that it will cease broadcasting on February 26 in anticipation of PLDT’s acquisition to its broadcasting business.

Manila, Philippines – The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing strategies has become a defining characteristic of the modern business landscape. AI is transforming how brands interact with consumers, enabling relevant and personalised marketing campaigns, data-driven decision-making, and enhanced customer experiences. And yet, as beneficial as it seems, many are just only starting to explore AI adoption in their strategies. The question is: are marketers in the Southeast Asia region, particularly in the Philippines, ready for these new technologies?

In light of this, MARKETECH APAC invited top Philippine marketing leaders for a roundtable event to share their insights on AI in marketing, and how they’re implementing AI across their marketing strategies. What resulted was a lively and positive outlook on how marketers in the country can move forward as an industry that embraces AI technologies as part of its DNA.

Marketing leaders who attended the event include:

  • Blessie Cruz, AVP/group head – marketing at 2GO Group Inc.
  • Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, managing director, APAC at Emma Sleep
  • Greg Anonas, international wine and food marketing director at Emperador Distillers, Inc.
  • Erik Kristofer Riola, marketing director at Firefly Electric & Lighting Corporation
  • AR Polinar, marketing deputy director at Flash Express Philippines
  • Rochelle Vandenberghe, chief marketing and digital business officer at FWD Insurance 
  • Brian Augustine Reyes, digital marketing lead (performance marketing lead) at Lalamove
  • Kat Costas, SEA e-commerce marketing lead & country marketing head at Levi’s
  • Andrew Guevarra, head of brand marketing and communications at Malayan Insurance
  • Pocholo Garcia, head of digital & e-commerce at Malayan Insurance
  • Albet Roble-Buddahim, chief marketing officer at PRIMER Group of Companies
  • Munmun Nath, chief marketing officer at UnionDigital Bank

Opening with a keynote address by Konrad Feldman, co-founder and CEO of Quantcast; AI-powered technologies have empowered marketers to gain invaluable customer insights, personalise experiences, and optimise campaigns for unprecedented success. Drawing attention to AI’s ability to analyse vast amounts of data in real time, Feldman also underscored its transformative impact on customer segmentation, targeting, and predictive modelling. Moreover, his presentation delivered a compelling case for embracing AI in marketing as an indispensable tool for unlocking untapped potential, driving growth, and shaping the future of customer engagement and brand success.

“AI is math, not magic. Technology when combined with human ingenuity and creativity really can be magic. AI machine learning can improve everyday advertising experiences for billions of consumers, they can help marketers get better return of investment, they can help content producers capture good revenue for producing original content,” he said.

Feldman also added, “The complexity of everyday tasks has grown with the market and many folks still follow the same processes for planning activations in the past, albeit with nicer tools, but more and more time is spent using these tools, and… lots and lots of levers and dials to check on and constantly adjust, and the technology has made the marketer the computer.”

On the benefits and challenges of using AI to for marketing

The attending Philippine marketing leaders also shared their insights on the status quo of AI in marketing and how brands could better use and benefit from it.

Malayan Insurance’s Pocholo Garcia, shared that they use AI to empower their customer experience (CX) strategies.

“[AI] is primarily for CX, at least on my end, and that’s not just in terms of getting people to convert, because that’s just step one. We want the whole experience of choosing us [as their insurance provider] to be smooth for everyone, not just for clients but also for the people on the inside,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lalamove’s Brian Augustine Reyes explained how AI has been integral in improving efficiency, productivity, and data-driven decision-making for brands and marketers alike.

“As someone who handles the day-to-day performance optimisation, AI can really give you more time to do the strategic thinking part instead of just… identifying the right audience [and] thinking up creatives. AI also gives the advantage of creative optimisation, developing what kind of communication is effective for your audience to improve your metrics,” Reyes said.

Meanwhile, PRIMER Group’s Albet Buddahim explained how the versatility of AI can be beneficial on the e-commerce side of things, and further reach untapped databases.

“AI can help us on the e-commerce side. We’re sitting on a 1.7 million email database but the match on Facebook and Google are low. Maybe [AI] can help us find where the rest of these 1.7 million are going in a way where I can drive them to our offers,” he said.

Lastly, Flash Express’s AR Polinar expressed how AI is beneficial in terms of planning, saying, “We use AI for planning and forecasting. It’s really useful for us [in] making sure that our operations are really ready [based on] the data we’re receiving from our partners and customers.”

It is also worth noting that many marketing leaders are also acquainted with more mainstream AI tools, including the generative AI tool ChatGPT.

For Emma Sleep’s Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, AI tools such as ChatGPT are easy to understand and accessible to use by all, including marketers.

“What we’ve seen particularly with this consumer product, ChatGPT, is just how accessible and easy it is to visualise and sort of ideate creatives, which we found quite fun to play around with,” he said.

Despite the benefits AI has brought to marketers, there are still concerns on whether there are people who are actually capable of using such technology.

This was according to Levi’s Kat Costas, saying, “For us, it’s [about] automation and personalisation… [AI] helps us with the media, in terms of identifying the right segments [and] the right assets that will be served through each of the segments. The big challenge for us is, do we even have the people who can use the technology.”

The negative implications of AI

Despite all of the benefits AI brings to the marketing scene, industry leaders still have levels of uncertainty when it comes to using such AI tools.

Flash Express’s AR Polinar noted that the downside of using AI has been around losing qualitative data upon maximising AI tools.

“One disadvantage would be focusing more on quantity vs quality because of AI. We might not verify the data we receive or not take action immediately. The challenge is to always verify the [data or the] actions of our consumers on the ground,” he said.

For Emperador Distiller’s Greg Anonas, AI still has limited capabilities in exploring unknown marketing territories.

“When it comes to AI–we think it’s a boon to everyone, but it does have some things that it can’t handle. For example, strategic thought and entrepreneurial thinking. What we’re concerned about is, as we move further into AI, we get into things that people have not done before,” he said.

Meanwhile, Erik Riola from Firefly Electric commented that while there are certain negative perspectives on AI technologies, marketers are still open to exploring such tools.

“People tend to focus on the negatives rather than where [AI] could benefit… It is in the understanding, which I feel as a marketer, that we could better use and employ these technologies. But I say that it is a conscious level of optimism because it is still very fresh, at least from the consumers’ perspective,” Riola said.

He added, “All of a sudden now a lot of people are talking about ChatGPT, and as a marketer, you don’t want to be a dinosaur in your industry…you want to learn that technology. And that’s what we are trying to employ today.”

The industry leaders recognised the transformative power of AI in enabling personalised experiences, data-driven decision-making, and improving customer engagement. And expressed the undeniable benefits and potentials of implementing AI in various marketing strategies.

They also highlighted the positive impacts of AI in efficiency, productivity, and creative optimisation–as it becomes more and more accessible for marketers. While acknowledging these, they also raised the concern of limitations such as investments or time, loss of qualitative data, and marching into unmarked territory.

As AI continues to evolve, the future of marketing holds exciting prospects and could redefine how consumers interact with products and services, taking engagement to unprecedented heights. 

However, it’s important to note that while AI offers immense potential, Human creativity, emotional intelligence, and ethical considerations still play crucial roles in designing campaigns that truly connect with audiences on a meaningful level. In this journey, collaboration will be key – between marketers and AI systems, amongst industry peers, and with consumers to ensure that the right balance is struck.

Manila, Philippines – Cable television service Sky Cable is set to make its final broadcast on February 26 following the approval of the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to PLDT to acquire Sky Cable.

In a text advisory sent out to its users, Sky Cable said that it will officially discontinue its cable TV business following its last broadcast day and in anticipation of the PLDT acquisition. Said advisory is also reflected in its official website.

“In anticipation of and pursuant to the closing conditions of the PLDT-SKY acquisition deal, SKY will now begin its transition into a dedicated internet service provider. With this deal, SKY will discontinue its cable TV operations effective February 27, 2024. The final broadcast and sign-off of SKYcable will be on February 26, 2024 at 11:59pm,” the company stated.

It is worth noting, however, that SKY Fiber will still continue operations, with the company promising that subscribers will be provided with the same level of service and customer experience.

“Thank you for your years of support and for making SKYcable a part of your home,” the company concluded.

Recent stock filings by ABS-CBN, the parent company of Sky Cable, and PLDT that the Philippine Competition Commission has already approved the acquisition, and is now subject to closing conditions and final approval through a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) by March 16.

Last week, PLDT clarified news about the acquisition following media reports suggesting that the Sky Cable acquisition had already been closed by both parties.

“Once the approval of the PCC is obtained, the sellers will continue to work on the other closing conditions which include, among others, the termination or cessation of Sky’s pay TV and cable businesses, obtaining all other applicable government approvals and clearances, and obtaining all required consents and corporate actions,” it previously said.

Details about the merger first came into light when ABS-CBN, the parent company of Sky Cable, signed an agreement with PLDT back in March 2023 to sell off fully the business to PLDT. It is also worth noting that Cignal, the media firm under PLDT’s MediaQuest affiliate, had already a 34.99% stake in Sky Cable, which materialised back in 2022.

Manila, Philippines – Local telecommunication service provider Converge has announced a partnership with mobile phone and gadget retailer TL Sales and Management Services Inc. (TLSMS) to expand its distribution network, therefore expanding the provider’s retail network reach across 200 stores nationwide.

TLSMS has an expansive footprint in malls nationwide under the brand names Cellboy, Gaming Grounds, Cell Time, Games & Gadgets, Gadget Plus, BOMA Tech, and Cyber Center. These gadget stores are widely available in malls such as SM (in SM Cyberzones) and Ayala Malls.

Jesus C. Romero, chief operations officer at Converge ICT, said, “We are working hard to expand our channels at the moment. We’ve been looking at partners with a wide reach, to get as many customers as we can and we think we’ve found the right partner in TLSMS.”

He added, “Through their vast network of stores under their seven brands, which, by the way, are present in the country’s biggest malls, we will be able to bring our world-class fiber broadband connection even closer to customers.”

Meanwhile, Alvin Chu Teng, CEO at TLSMS, commented, “At the core of our partnership with Converge is a shared vision to empower Filipinos through technology. As a retailer, we offer more than just a mobile device; we offer a solution to enhance and simplify their digital lives. With this opportunity to sell Converge products and services, we are going a step further in this mission.”