Tag: Philippines

Travel and tourism marketing has taken a different turn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The major tourism industries have ceased activities in response to travel restrictions, which include the closing of airports, hotels, and travel agencies, as well as restrictions on mass gatherings worldwide, amongst others. This inevitably spills over to consumption behaviour where tourists have drastically shifted their lifestyles, coming to realise the risk and safety of the global health crisis.

Two years after the pandemic outbreak, travel restrictions and quarantines are now being lifted around the world. Many countries have started various marketing and promotional tourism campaigns to support travel recovery. For instance, the tourism marketing agencies of Maldives and Malaysia have recently announced their efforts in boosting inbound travel. Thailand has also launched many travel campaigns this year, like the recent partnership of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai AirAsia, jointly promoting travel to Thailand in key ASEAN and South Asian markets by utilising the airline’s increasing regional flight network.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the country’s Department of Tourism (DOT) has recently unveiled its new campaign called ‘It’s More Fun for All’, aimed at promoting inclusiveness and accessibility in the tourism sector. Moreover, DOT has launched a special playlist on Spotify, ‘Sounds More Fun in the Philippines’, which is a compilation of specially selected Filipino music that aims to welcome listeners back to the Philippine destinations they love, letting them relive epic travel memories. 

Another interesting campaign from DOT is the ‘ASMR Experience the Philippines‘ project, which seeks to bring people to certain destinations through ASMR videos that explore the natural sounds of a place, allowing one to tune into nature and be fully present in the moment.

As tourism in the Philippines has shown signs of bouncing back now that we are in the new normal, MARKETECH APAC’s The Inner State spoke with Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines’ (TPB) chief operating officer, and June Allenie Caccam, AirAsia’s head of marketing for the Philippines, to learn more about the marketing and promotional efforts of the travel and tourism industry today in the country.

Marketing and brand strategy of the Philippines’ tourism sector

While the pandemic has given the travel industry some pressing challenges, it also presented unique opportunities. According to Velasco-Allones of TPB, physical events and out-of-home advertising, which were very strong avenues for MICE and business travel promotions in the Philippines, were rendered moot at the height of the pandemic. However, the lockdown became an opportunity for the destinations to recuperate and recover from over-tourism.

At the same time, the Philippines took this time to rebuild a greener and more sustainable tourism industry. This allowed them to revitalise the tourism products they were going to market as soon as borders reopened.

“We increased our support to community-based tourism sites, providing various assistance in terms of enhancing capacities, particularly retooling skills in areas like digital marketing and leveraging the use of social media. Coincidentally, the pandemic made more tourists aware of the carbon footprint they leave when travelling; they now prefer less crowded destinations and those that support local communities,” said Velasco-Allones. 

Meanwhile, for airlines, Caccam listed some of the challenges they faced during the outbreak. This includes questions on safety, the uncertainty of lockdowns, changing intercity travel protocols, and emerging new COVID-19 variants, as well as the expenses to travel due to testing protocols and quarantine requirements.

“Along with the challenges came opportunities because people were forced to learn to adapt to new technologies and be more present online. Most brands fast-tracked their digital pivot to address the changing customer habits,” said Caccam.

In terms of the influence and marketing strategy reorientation in reigniting travel, TPB has developed new avenues to reach its stakeholders in the digital space.

“The pandemic [also] allowed us to strengthen our domestic tourism program. We were able to promote lesser-known destinations, and, through intensive policy implementation on health and safety protocols, we were able to reopen particular destinations and curate more exclusive experiences,” said Velasco-Allones.

For AirAsia, Caccam said they had to go back to the drawing board and identify the new pain points of its customers and the additional steps needed to include in their booking and travel journey. The airline has maximised all its digital assets to push relevant content to alleviate customers’ uncertainty like disseminating information about the different travel requirements and reminding them of the travel protocols a few days before their flight. 

“We also leveraged on ‘collaborative tourism’ and strengthened our partnerships with different stakeholders in the tourism industry such as the Department of Tourism, local tours and restaurants, and hotel and resort partners,” she added.

As the pandemic-related travel restrictions are now being eased, there are factors the tourism sector considers when creating tourism campaigns during the new normal. For TPB, the imperatives in creating tourism campaigns post-pandemic are revisiting the new avenues where the audience consumes content, redirecting its efforts in building travel confidence, and making sure that its tourism products and services are both sustainable and inclusive for this discerning market of travellers. While for AirAsia, the campaigns are now more personalised based on the segment, destination, and travel behaviour.

Future of tourism in the Philippines

Technology in the tourism sector will primarily be adopted in its marketing and business engagement from the point of sale to the collection of feedback, according to TPB.

Velasco-Allones noted, “Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and the Metaverse are just new platforms by which we intend to engage our current and potential consumers. The unique virtual environments will allow for availment, enjoyment, and sharing of tourism experiences in a broader more visually immersive digital world.”

Meanwhile, Caccam shared, “These technologies such as AR/VR and meta verse are innovative and creative channels that can help brands acquire new customers, provide a wider reach and upsell new products by bringing to their homes the brand experience.”

And now that the Philippines’ borders are open to international tourists, the tourism sector is working continuously on improving the systems to ensure that visitors will have a seamless and still fun experience for the duration of their stay in the country. 

Velasco-Allones said, “One of our approaches is keeping our tourists up-to-date with the latest travel advisories and health requirements for local destinations through digital innovations. The TPB also continues to enhance its digital content development and distribution to make sure we are able to promote the Philippines on all relevant platforms.”

Caccam also shared, “AirAsia is a digital and lifestyle platform for everyone and we aim to be our customer’s everyday app. We are more than just an airline, we are a one-stop-shop for all your travel and lifestyle needs.”

Manila, Philippines – To promote the online series ‘Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Era’, streaming platform Netflix in the Philippines has launched an outdoor campaign that depicts the show’s heist in a literal sense.

Mall-goers at the SM Megamall in the city of Mandaluyong in Metro Manila, as well as in TriNoMa, were surprised to see an outdoor installation where an armoured truck, seemingly stalled due to colliding with a street light post, is brimming with a lot of items and goods, including play money, boxes of Korean goods, among others.

‘Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Era’ is a South Korean television series which is based on the popular Spanish heist crime drama series ‘Money Heist’. The series depicts a hostage crisis situation set in a unified Korean Peninsula.

The campaign is made in collaboration with local creative agency GIGIL, who has long been known for making local campaigns for Netflix, with titles such as ‘All Of Us Are Dead’, ‘Trese’, and ‘Red Notice’.

Photo courtesy of SM Megamalls

Speaking to MARKETECH APAC, Netflix said in order to select what type of outdoor campaign they will execute, they always consider the uniqueness a series brings to its viewers.

“Things that get noticed get talked about, and things that get talked about are searched for–and in Netflix’s case, watched. This has been the underlying principle behind our campaigns for the brand. Conversation enables conversion,” Netflix said.

For this particular case, Netflix banked on Filipinos’ love for Korean-related products, and spun the campaign based on the series’ premise.

“Money Heist Korea is a spin-off of an already existing franchise (La Casa de Papel), so we did some research on what makes it different from the original. The answer was right under our noses–it’s Korean. While it has a similar plot, there are a lot of Korean nuances that give it its own distinct flavour. We deliberately leaned into its Koreanness, because not only did it make the Joint Economic Area special, it also made it fit well with Filipinos–after all, we are fans of Korea’s products, content, and culture. If it’s Korean, then it’s probably worth giving attention to.”

When asked as to why they think outdoor campaigns still matter, Netflix told MARKETECH APAC that one of the best ways to create a digitally-led campaign is to engage with the audience in real-life, then bring the experience to their devices.

“There’s a different kind of magic when you experience something first-hand, and getting to experience this for yourself (which you once just saw on-screen) compels you to share it, and convince others to experience it for themselves, too,” they concluded.

Manila, Philippines — Local billboard advertising agency DOOH.PH has apologised to Lauren Greenfield, an American photographer and filmmaker, after one of her images from the documentary ‘The Kingmaker’ featuring Imelda Marcos ended up in a digital billboard hosted by DOOH PH.

Greenfield had asked around Twitter for assistance on who could identify the company behind the billboard. It turns out that Digital Out-Of Philippines, an LED billboard company owned by Alvin Carranza is behind the massive billboard seen in the Metro Manila skyline.

The billboard greets Imelda Marcos, the wife of the 10th president of the Philippines, dictator, and kleptocrat, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., on her 93rd birthday on July 3. The image, however, is the property of Lauren Greenfield and the numerous production companies behind the ‘Kingmaker’ documentary.

DOOH.PH has since issued an apology, stating that they were oblivious the image was copyrighted.

Photo credits to Rappler Media.

In her most recent tweets regarding the difficult situation, Greenfield identifies yet another case of copyright infringement by the same company, DOOH PH. The photo shows a small-scale LED billboard of the same birthday greeting for the senior Marcos.

Personal finance is such an essential and crucial part of our success, and yet not everyone has access to content to help build one’s financial literacy. This is the goal of Home Credit, the consumer finance company, in the Philippines when they recently launched the ‘Payo Para sa Life’ (Advice for life) radio program. 

Together with Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) and independent media agency PraXis, Home Credit launched an on-air radio program on local radio station DZRH that aims to share useful learnings and insights for financial literacy. 

Watch our full interview with Home Credit PH’s CMO Sheila Paul

Sheila Paul, Home Credit’s CMO in the Philippines, sat down with MARKETECH APAC to share more about its rationale and concept. 

The program airs at the very early morning timeslot of 4:00 to 5:00 am and this is because they are specifically targeting market vendors, farmers, fisherfolks, public transportation drivers, and security guards, who are already up and running at this particular hour. 

Why this group, Paul said, “At Home Credit, we really believe that we should focus on the grassroots level when it comes to financial literacy, [and] the same with financial inclusion, mostly these are [the] sectors that get neglected or [are] underserved.”

“Definitely, we want to focus on the class that is very hardworking. In fact, they [have] to get up super early in the morning to be able to do their jobs and travel somewhere, and that’s definitely when they have the time to listen to the radio,” she adds. 

At a time when newer media formats have sprung up–such as podcasts– some would say that radio is a slowly dying medium, but Paul said that it is about finding the right channel for their target audience. 

“Through our media studies, we still see that radio listenership is quite high, especially in the remote areas. And although digital platforms, as well as internet penetration, have expanded over the last few years, still, only 50% of Filipinos are able to access the internet daily, so their main source of news and information, as well as entertainment, is still the radio, especially in the said sector,” said Paul. 

Watch and listen to the full interview with Paul, which is now streaming on Spotify and YouTube.  

In the conversation, Paul further imparts her insights on the current financial industry, specifically the growth of BNPL services, and shares the broader state of the financial literacy of Filipinos and the role that consumer financial services like Home Credit play in their financial success. 

Manila, Philippines — TikTok, the popular short-form video platform, recently launched its online marketplace, TikTok Shop, in the Philippines. Through this brand new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop aims to open up more business opportunities for brands and small- to medium-sized enterprises. All these, whilst providing a fresh new shopping experience for users and opportunities for local content creators alike.

TikTok Shop in the Philippines aims to provide local businesses with a new avenue for reaching out to customers. It also aims to make purchasing possible and more accessible for Filipinos without leaving the mobile entertainment platform. At TikTok Shop in the Philippines, users can purchase items from various categories of products including fashion, home and living, beauty and personal care.

Meanwhile, merchants will be able to enjoy zero commission fees on the platform for selected products whilst payment service fees are capped at one per cent to payment service partners. TikTok Shop products can be purchased through product anchors embedded in short videos, live streams, and the TikTok Product Showcase tab of a merchant’s TikTok page, making it easy for users to be entertained and yet shop at the same time.

Last June 15 to 21, TikTok Shop held its maiden mid-year sale in the Philippines, highlighted by super deals and users enjoyed up to discounts and subsidised shipping and first-time buyers received coupons and discounts.

Celebrities and top content creators joined the very first sale, including actress Glaiza De Castro, TV host Macoy Dubs, and content creator Alfea, who did key live sessions and short video posts via TikTok Shop.

Kimberly Duyag, CEO of local cloth and garment brand KILY.PH, shared her experience, “Many sellers have been surprised by the platform’s support, especially the free shipping vouchers and discount promotion. Plus it also enables merchants, brands and creators to showcase and sell their products directly on TikTok via feed, content or live stream.”

The week-long mid-year sales campaign saw TikTok Shop Philippines gain a 33% growth in its daily gross merchandise value. The e-commerce platform’s number of daily orders likewise jumped by 29%, while the volume of live stream climbed 36% compared to the previous week.

Manila, Philippines — Lalamove in the Philippines showed its gratitude to its ‘Lalamove Star Driver’ from November 2021 to April 2022. The company surprised the riders in their respective homes, carrying their reward package as a thank you for their outstanding performance. Together with their Panalomove Partners, Lalamove paid tribute to their hardworking Partner Drivers in Metro Manila, Pampanga, and Cebu.

With the theme ‘Partner Juan Fun Day’, it was Lalamove’s turn to #LalamoveTheDistance for their Star Drivers. At the same time, they also wanted to get to know their families, right in line with this year’s Father’s Day celebration.

Also participating in this celebration were the Panalomove Partners who continue to support Lalamove and our partner drivers, such as GCash, FamilyMart, Unioil, Lalamall, Caltex, and McDonald’s, among others.

The whole initiative was documented through a live stream and can be watched on Lalamove’s Youtube channel. Through the program, Lalamove wanted to recognize its partner drivers who have served as economic frontliners in this pandemic that helped identify Lalamove as a reliable on-demand delivery app in the Philippines.

Dannah Majarocon, MD of Lalamove Philippines, said, “Because of your stories, we continue to strive to provide Winning Benefits to make sure you still win in revenue. It makes us proud to see our Star Drivers, Star Driver Awardees, and Bida Best Partners’ hard work pay off.”

On the significance of the initiative, Alfred, senior driver operations manager of Lalamove Philippines, shared, “No other prize can match Lalamove’s sincere gratitude to you. I hope we have given you pleasure and honour in our little way. We hope that we gave you some happiness and honour in our simple way.”

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines’ fully integrated telco company, PLDT, and its mobile unit Smart Communications continue to champion gender equality in the workplace. In a recent campaign, the group showcased how women thrive, amid rapid technological changes in the telecommunications industry.

Now in its second year, the group’s “Yes, She Can” campaign highlighted the important role of women in the workplace, through digital activities and webisodes featuring female employees of various roles and persona.

Gina P. Ordonez, chief people officer of PLDT and Smart, shared, “We celebrate women and the many hats they wear everyday—as hardworking people in the organization, mothers, wives, daughters and talented individuals.”

Ordonez added, “We will continue to provide female employees with opportunities to pursue their passion and purpose, and to achieve success in the organization.“

As an equal opportunity employer, gender equality is high on the agenda of the group’s Environment, Social and Governance initiatives. This is evident in its leadership team, where 58% of direct reports to the CEO, 40% of executives, and 23% of board members are women.

PLDT and Smart’s commitment to gender equality may also be seen in the partnerships that the group has built throughout the years. Via a collaboration with the Philippine Eagle Foundation, PLDT has helped bridge the digital divide in upland communities of Arakan, North Cotabato, by equipping women with technological tools and skills. In partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress, the group also works with Solidarity with Orphans and Widows, a community in Payatas Quezon City, for livelihood opportunities.

Additionally, in 2021, PLDT and Smart became the first Philippine telcos that signed up as members of the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, in an effort to achieve large-scale organizational transformation through evidence-based strategies and best practices in the workplace.

Melissa V. Vergel de Dios, chief sustainability officer of PLDT, said, “At PLDT and Smart, women are taking their rightful place at the table, proving that in our organization, one’s worth is not defined by gender, but by capability. This is a source of encouragement and inspiration for us all—in the workplace, and in the communities we serve.”

Manila, Philippines – Independent local news portal Rappler has announced that they have received an order from the nation’s Securities and Exchange Commission to shut down the organisation, according to its CEO Maria Ressa.

Ressa announced the news during her speech at the East-West Center international media conference in Hawaii, according to a report from CNN Philippines.

“In an order dated June 28, our Securities and Exchange Commission affirmed its earlier decision to revoke the certificates of incorporation of Rappler Inc. and Rappler Holding Corporation. We were notified by our lawyers of this ruling that effectively confirmed the shutdown of Rappler,” the online statement said.

The company also added, “We are entitled to appeal this decision and will do so, especially since the proceedings were highly irregular.”

In a full 12-page statement released by SEC, it stated that the order is made due the organisation’s “violation of constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media.”

“The Company Registration and Monitoring Department is hereby directed to effect the revocation of the Certificates of Incorporation of Rappler, Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corp. in the records and system of the Commission,” SEC said.

This was not the first time Rappler has been ordered by SEC to shut down its operations. In 2018, Rappler was ordered to shut down for the same reason. According to SEC, Rappler violated the constitutional and statutory foreign equity restrictions in mass media when it issued Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) that granted Omidyar Network, a foreign entity, control over the media organisation.

Rappler is the latest news organisation that has been hit with closure orders. Recently, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered the closure of several websites, including independent news organisations such as Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly, that are allegedly linked to terrorist organisations Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Closure of news organisations have been more rampant in the Philippines in recent years, especially those that have been critical of the outgoing government led by President Rodrigo Duterte. The biggest of which is the closure of media conglomerate ABS-CBN on June 30, 2020, where they have been told to go off air in free television.

Manila, Philippines — Home Credit Philippines (HCPH), a consumer finance company, has launched the ‘Para sa Life’ campaign that shares a message of hope for a better life for Filipinos. This new initiative of Home Credit is launched through a campaign video with a song performed by Filipino singer-songwriter Moira dela Torre.

With the hope to inspire new beginnings, Home Credit positions itself as a reliable financial partner that assists Filipinos as they begin a new chapter in life. Apart from providing financial assistance and literacy, Home Credit aims to empower Filipinos to claim what they deserve and to jump-start a new life through various opportunities they offer.

Sheila Paul, CMO of HCPH, said, “This new song of Home Credit encapsulates the brand’s promise of companionship through the use of their easily accessible and affordable finance products, especially for the underbanked and underserved customers.”

Paul adds, “Furthermore, the song relays that Home Credit is ideal for young families and starting individuals who aspire to establish their lifelong plans and helping them turn small dreams into reality. The campaign video is posted on Home Credit’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

Aside from the new song and to continue its campaign for financial literacy Home Credit will be launching ‘Payo Para sa Life’ (‘Advice for Life’), a two-minute daily radio show. The show is produced in partnership with Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), and local independent media agency PraXis.

The show aims to reach different communities and individuals across the country to discuss fundamental financial literacy issues and to educate them about the intricacies of finance, from primary budgeting to helping them make the most practical personal purchases. The radio show airs on DZRH primetime between 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily.

Manila, Philippines — The International Council for Small Business Philippines (ICSB PH) and Union Bank of the Philippines have joined hands to launch a three-day conference and expo for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for free this coming June 27 to 30. The event is entitled ‘MSME Fiesta Sulong Negosyante’ and will be held at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

The expo is part of ICSB and UnionBank’s celebrations for the United Nations’ International MSME Day, which is observed annually every June 27th to raise awareness of the contributions of MSMEs to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

During the three-day event, a number of activities will be held with the goal of helping MSMEs in every aspect of their business. There will be mentoring and coaching to be led by industry experts; opportunities to secure funding from some of the leading financing companies in the country; and learning sessions focused on a wide selection of topics namely access to loans, eCommerce platforms, payment gateways, and digital creatives, among other.

Eric Caeg, founder of ICSB, said, “What’s in it for the MSMEs? We could say we can do these things online, but then again, it’s better for them to see new partners face-to-face and learn new ideas from experts.”

Simultaneously, Jaypee Soliman, UnionBank’s SME and Micropreneurs segment head, shared, “Left and right, so many webinars for MSMEs are happening simultaneously every weekend. I think it’s time that we go beyond that.”

Soliman adds, “What we want to do is to move forward, which is why the name of the event is Sulong! Negosyante. Now, we won’t just be doing talks, but this time we’ll be doubling down on enabling our MSMEs through the activities that we’ve prepared for everyone.”

The event holds tons of surprises for those keen to attend. To make travel to the event site easier, Grab Philippines will be offering a voucher for its users, where they can enjoy a discount on their fare. Those travelling to the event via their own vehicles will also get the chance to take home gas vouchers.

To learn more about the MSME Fiesta Sulong Negosyante, interested individuals can visit Unionbank’s dedicated website registration page for the event.