Tag: Philippines

Malaysia – David Viray, who is head of branding of AirAsia for the last 2 years, covering both the airline and the super app in the Philippine market, has been elevated to assume the branding leadership region-wide. Viray, who announced the new appointment on his LinkedIn, is now the head of brand of AirAsia’s airline business in Malaysia and across all of its markets in Asia. 

Viray is a seasoned marketing leader within the AirAsia network, having accumulated almost 9 years of experience in the company. He started as a brand manager in 2014, and moved to several leadership positions in a combination of both region-wide and market-specific capacities 

In his LinkedIn post, he expressed elation on the way he would be starting his ninth year as an ‘Allstar’, the unique moniker of the airline for its employees. He shared that the excitement never fades despite being with the company for quite some time, and goes to thank Rudy Khaw, the airline’s chief brand officer. 

“Challenges keep on coming which helps me constantly feel that there’s always room for growth and possibilities,” he said. 

In November, it was announced that Tony Fernandes, the former Group CEO of AirAsia‘s budget airline, AirAsia X, has relinquished the said position to focus on his group leadership at parent firm Capital A. 

Singapore – Food and grocery delivery platform foodpanda has announced that its on-demand and express delivery service ‘pandago’ will now be made available to customers in the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. 

The service was initially launched in Singapore last August 2022 and has now been extended to Thailand, Taipei, and Davao, with more cities to come in the next few months. It will also be rolled out in other markets next year.

In addition to the expansion, pandago will also provide customers with real-time tracking and a chat function to allow them to track their parcel’s live location and share it with the recipient.

According to foodpanda, pandago has started to gain traction in the Philippines and Thailand in the early launch stages, with the most frequent items delivered in the Philippines being clothes and accessories, while food and drinks, books, and documents are most delivered in Thailand. 

foodpanda also said that delivery fees will start at a reasonable base fee, with an additional per-kilometer distance-based fee in the respective countries.

“Following the successful launch in Singapore, we are excited to extend pandago to millions

more users across the region. Whether it’s to send a gift or something that was left behind, we hope that pandago will go a long way for customers who need instant delivery services,” said Bhavani Mishra, regional director of logistics for APAC at foodpanda.

He added, “Beyond providing convenience and fuss-free service for our customers, pandago represents an important step in foodpanda’s journey to building an all-rounded ecosystem that helps to address the everyday needs of our customers.”

foodpanda has also previously announced its partnership with Huawei to launch its app on the HUAWEI AppGallery for the latter’s smartphone users.

Manila, Philippines – Multinational insurance company AXA in the Philippines has named Bernardo Serrano Lopez as its new president and chief executive officer. He joins AXA Philippines following his recent stint as chief executive officer at AXA Colpatria, the company’s insurance arm in Colombia.

Lopez is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of senior leadership experience. He began his journey with AXA in Chile in 1998 before he was appointed regional CEO for AXA Latin America in 2001 and subsequently general manager of AXA Spain in 2003. 

Between 2006 and 2011, he left AXA to set up his own successful company. In 2011, he rejoined AXA as CEO of AXA Brazil, overseeing the arrival of AXA in South America. He was later appointed as deputy CEO of AXA Colpatria in 2014, where he led the company’s entry in Colombia. He was named CEO of AXA Colpatria in 2016.

Speaking on his new role, Lopez said, “AXA has been part of my professional life for more than two decades, and I am thrilled to join one of the fastest growing markets for insurance, here in the Philippines.”

He added, “I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective to AXA Philippines as we continue to work together to help our customers protect what matters most to them.” 

Meanwhile, Gordon Watson, chief executive officer at AXA Asia and Africa, commented, “With Bernardo’s extensive experience as a chief executive officer in the insurance industry and his entrepreneurial spirit and track record of transforming businesses, he is the perfect lead for our strategic ambitions in the Philippines.”

Manila, Philippines – BLCKBOX, the official apparel and merchandise division of esports company Tier One Entertainment, has launched its first flagship store in the Philippines located at Quezon City in Metro Manila. 

Said flagship store aims to emulate its online success by pushing the brand as a leading esports fashion brand in the local and global market. The store opened on December 15.

BLCKBOX has been an ever-present fixture in its events, and also in various conventions and gatherings throughout the year, including CONQuest Festival 2022, ESGS 2022, and the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines (MPL-PH) playoffs among others. 

The launch will include the Day One collection which commemorates the 5th year anniversary of Tier One Entertainment. This collection will be an annual release showcasing the history of Tier One Entertainment and provides an opportunity for the fans to be immersed in the culture and iconic moments of Tier One.

Other fresh drops at the store launch include the SIBOL 2022 line, a new BLCK cap, and the MLBB Championship Jersey. The launch will also feature a freedom wall where fans can leave words of encouragement for Blacklist International’s Mobile Legends team before they compete at the M4 World Championship.

Tier One’s first merch offering dates back to Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) 2019, where they released their first limited collection called the ‘FIRST DROP’, which paved the way for a new business venture for Tier One Entertainment. 

In June 2021, BLCKBOX marked its official launch in the e-commerce space through Lazada and Shopee. This established BLCKBOX’s presence as a new gaming lifestyle brand, providing fans with high-quality fashion items for gamers.

Tier One recently unveiled its Web3 incubator programme ‘ALLIANCE’, as well as partnering with Bent Pixels Asia to help creators develop monetisation strategies.

Manila, Philippines – Maya, the newly rebranded and one of the leading financial superapps in the Philippines, has named IPG Mediabrands’ media agency Initiative as its media agency of record. The win followed a multi-agency pitch in October 2022. 

Initiative Philippines will be heading Maya’s integrated media mandate. This includes business analytics, audience understanding, media strategy, planning, offline, and full-funnel digital performance activation for the consumer and business segments of the total Maya portfolio.

“2022 was a tremendous year of brand and business growth as we relaunched from PayMaya to Maya, but the work has only just begun. With even greater ambitions in 2023, we must ensure that all our capabilities across the board are on the cutting edge,” said Pepe Torres, chief marketing officer of Maya.

He also added that Initiative proved to be the right media partner for Maya for being just as invested in its success as they are and being philosophically aligned with their “cultural velocity proposition.”

Paul Atienza, managing partner at Initiative Philippines also said, “Maya is a bold tech maverick that continues to stretch the limits and defy conventions in helping Filipinos make bolder financial choices. We could not be more thrilled to partner with them, driving Cultural Velocity to further protract growth for the Maya brand in years to come.”

Melody Laogan, managing partner at Initiative Philippines added, “This win is a testament to Initiative’s culturally driven and outcome-focused approach to integrated strategic planning. We share the same values with Maya, of being fearless, bold, and progressive. We are excited to raise the bar together.”

Initiative Philippines’ appointment is effective January 2023.

Last May, Paymaya rebranded as Maya with the aim to be known as an all-in-one finance platform for individuals and enterprises. 

Maya Bank’s parent firm Voyager Innovations has also previously boosted its total valuation to unicorn plus status.

The Philippines – American ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins has announced through a Facebook post that they will permanently close down their stores in the Philippines this coming 31 December.

“To our dear customers, it’s been an incredible journey over the last 8 years, but unfortunately we will be permanently closing our doors on Dec 31, 2022,” the post read.

The post, however, did not indicate a specific reason for the closure. 

To thank their patrons, Baskin-Robbins offered a range of promos available until closure. “As a gesture of our thanks for your valued patronage over the years, we are pleased to offer a range of promos from November 26 – December 31, 2022,” the post stated.

The offers are as follows: getting a free scoop with any junior/value scoop purchase; a Buy 1 Take 1 deal on all pints, quarts and half gallons; and getting a tub of 86 scoops for only ₱3,500.

“Once again, thank you very much for everything. It’s been an honor to be of service to all of you,” Baskin-Robbins concluded.

Baskin-Robbins was officially launched in the Philippines in 2014, with its first local store established at Central Square in Bonifacio Global City. 

The local stores’ closure follows Baskin-Robbins’ global rebrand, which unveiled the brand’s new logo, packaging, and tagline.

Manila, Philippines – Global consumer finance provider Home Credit has announced that it is selling its Philippine and Indonesian operations, with a valuation of €‎615m. The transaction is expected to be completed in H2 2023.

The transaction has been reached with a consortium with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), led by Thai bank Krungsri Bank, Japanese bank MUFG Bank, Indonesian credit facility Adira Finance, and an undisclosed local Indonesian investor.

Details of the transaction include Krungsri and MUFG Bank purchasing 75% and 25% respectively of Home Credit Philippines for a valuation of €406m; while Krungsri, Adira and a local Indonesian investor will purchase 75%, 10%, and 15%, respectively of Home Credit Indonesia for a valuation of €209m.

Jean-Pascal Duvieusart, CEO of Home Credit Group, said, “Home Credit launched around ten years ago in both the Philippines and Indonesia. In that time, they have flourished into market leading tech-based financial services companies. The success is down to our strong omnichannel network, highly regarded brand and robust customer base.”

He added, “It is now the right time for us to pass the baton onto new shareholders who can accelerate growth for these two exciting businesses as they approach this new phase. Both of these markets have played key roles in Home Credit and we will be watching their future with pride and interest.”

Manila, Philippines – The trio Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company has finally released its overview of the SEA region’s digital economy for 2022. Titled ‘Through the waves, towards a sea of opportunity,’ the latest iteration of the annual e-Conomy SEA report projects that the Philippine digital economy is on track to hit $20b Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) by the end of the year. This is a $3b growth from last year’s $17b projected value. 

It is also projected to reach $35b GMV by 2025 and $100b to $150b GMV by 2030.

Despite the partial resumption of in-store shopping, e-commerce accounted for 70% of the overall Philippine digital economy. It is expected to reach $14b GMV by 2022 with a 17% growth from last year and is expected to amount to $22b GMV by 2025 as it continues to steer the local digital economy.

Aside from e-commerce, food delivery and video-on-demand round up the top three digital activities of Filipinos, showing an adoption rate of 88%, 69%, and 58% respectively amongst digital urban users.

Moreover, projections include transport and food delivery reaching $1.9b GMV, travel growing at $1b GMV, online media reaching $3.1b GMV, and digital financial services such as lending and remittance hitting $6b this year.

The report also stated that the Philippines will attract more investors across sectors in the years to come, as its digital investment sector grew 63% from last year. Digital financial services in the country continue to attract investor interest, garnering 56% of total investor funding in 2022. 

“The Philippine digital economy remains resilient despite headwinds and continues to provide boundless opportunities as it is projected to reach $20 billion GMV by end of year. This year’s e-Conomy SEA report also suggests that the country will be a leading investment destination with over 70% of investors expecting deal activity to increase in the period of 2025 to 2030,” said Bernadette Nacario, country director at Google Philippines.

Willy Chang, associate partner at Bain & Company, also said “The Philippines’ digital economy is one of the more attractive investment hubs in the region. Across internet sectors there remains tremendous whitespace for growth as the ecosystem drives greater digital inclusion in the country, particularly outside of metro areas.”

“The seventh edition of the e-Conomy SEA report shows that the digital future of the Philippines is bright as it has the fastest growing digital investments sector this year in the region,” said Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

e-Conomy SEA is an annual research programme that combines Google Trends, Temasek, and Bain & Company’s insights and analyses of the digital economies of six countries in SEA: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Manila, Philippines – Media and marketing communications agency PHD has appointed Jam de Guzman as its managing director in the Philippines. In his new role, de Guzman will elevate business growth, strengthen network partnerships, and enhance client servicing operations.

With more than two decades of media and advertising experience, de Guzman has previously taken on senior leadership roles in Publicis Media, Dentsu International, and IPG Mediabrands. During his time in the agencies, he has built a reputation for producing innovative capabilities, delivering commercial growth, and driving transformative solutions for clients.

In addition to his industry portfolio, Jam has played a key role in shaping the advertising and communications landscape. Currently, he serves as the President of Media Specialists Association of the Philippines (MSAP) and the Board Secretary of the Ad Standards Council (ASC).

He will be reporting to Mary Buenaventura, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Philippines.

Speaking on the appointment, Buenaventura said, “Jam is a visionary leader with a strong track record of driving transformative growth for clients. His expertise in delivering value across a spectrum of media services and his strategic business sense are assets to our team. I am delighted to welcome Jam to the PHD family, and I am confident that Jam will continue to build on what PHD Philippines has already achieved and move the agency forward in its next era of growth.”

Manila, Philippines – Local Manila-based public relations agency Brandcomm Asia has appointed Paulus Soriano as its new managing director. The agency has been focused on providing PR services for startups, SMEs, and other new business ventures in the Philippines.

In his new role, Soriano will be responsible for the successful leadership and management of the business, supervising and stirring the company’s operations, people, and ventures in order to maintain its growth. 

His vision for the company is to help build the next giants of the industry by sharing his PR and media expertise to support the marketing and communications needs of venture-backed start-ups, SMEs, and underserved brands in the Philippines. 

Soriano is a seasoned, motivated, and solutions-driven public relations professional with more than ten years of industry experience. Since 2012, he has worked with local and global brands in the industries of consumer and enterprise technology, finance, travel and tourism, FMCG, and a lot of other sectors, including government agencies. 

Speaking on his vision for Brandcomm Asia, he said, “We strongly believe that startups and SMEs in the Philippines, especially those that are homegrown, are globally competitive but lacks the opportunity to be noticed and heard. If they could only be given a chance to tell their story of innovation and passion, there is no doubt that they would have a lot of potential to succeed and become the next giants of their industries.”

He added, “As a company, we consider ourselves a startup, too, and we understand the challenges of fellow entrepreneurs. BrandComm Asia aims to help their business grow and grab the attention of more mentors and investors through strategic and creative storytelling. We are committed to our mission of helping promote these startups to their industries and target audiences, in the best way possible, to both local and international markets.”