Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – Local insurance provider Allianz PNB Life has launched its newest campaign for its commitment to sustainability entitled ‘Seeds of Tomorrow’. The digital short film, which is a much more straightforward approach than its previous awarded campaign ‘No Filter’, was made available for streaming on Facebook last June 23.

The insurance company had been recognised twice for its highly visual and engaging creative ad, ‘No Filter’, which launched in 2021. Developed by creative agency Gigil, the ad, currently at 800,000 views, was an eye candy with a ‘cause’, delivered through a jovial mood but provoking an all-important message that the polluted world can’t be ‘fixed’ with a filter–but that a policy from Allianz PNB Life can help. 

The insurance provider shared with MARKETECH APAC that the reason they decided to focus on a more literal approach this time with ‘Seeds of Tomorrow’ is that they needed “to go into detail” and show how Allianz is fulfilling that sustainability role in securing the future. The ad, sans the frills, shows different scenarios of how a good insurance plan can help build a better ‘tomorrow’ for oneself, family, and the environment. 

From the ‘Seeds of Tomorrow’ campaign

“We are proud of our ‘No Filter’ campaign because it firmly established via a creative approach that sustainability is in Allianz PNB Life’s DNA, that we believe that sustainability is a way to fulfil our company’s Purpose, which is ‘We Secure Your Future’,” said the company. 

The insurance provider added, “A more straightforward campaign shows our focus on sustainable food production, renewable and alternative energy sources, tree-planting, cycling (just like our award-winning Allianz Ride Safe campaign, which promotes healthy and sustainable transport), and even our partnership with the WWF for a foodshed that provides food to Filipino families. ‘No Filter’ showed creatively the ‘WHAT’, while ‘Seeds of Tomorrow’ shows the ‘HOW’.”

The company’s ‘Ride Safe’ bicycle campaign was created to encourage a healthier lifestyle among Filipinos while lessening the carbon footprint and pollution generated by transportation vehicles. 

“The [present campaign] ties in with our purpose of ‘We secure your future’, not just of our customers but of the communities we operate in. We want to highlight the importance of getting an insurance plan that can help build a better world,” commented its President and CEO Alexander Grenz.

In terms of what consumers can expect from its sustainability initiatives, the company said it will be continuing the said Allianz Ride Safe campaign. The company shared that there could be more cycling infrastructure in the future, but more than that, it is eyeing activities that will teach more Filipinos how to be bike mechanics. 

Other sustainability-focused activities aimed in the coming periods is its ongoing ‘Kaagapay’ (support) financial literacy seminars which aim to teach farmers, labourers, and other folks, who may not have access to proper financial education, how to properly manage their money so that they have funds for the future. 

Manila, Philippines – Three local healthtech companies–KonsultaMD, HealthNow, and AIDE–will be consolidating their services into one healthtech super-app in a bid to provide more accessible healthcare to Filipinos, led by Globe’s venture company 917Ventures.

The announcement was made in a recent company disclosure made by Globe Capital Venture Holdings to the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The new super-app will feature KonsultaMD’s teleconsultations, HealthNow’s medicine deliveries, and AIDE’s laboratory tests and home care, and combines a total of 2 million existing user base of these three companies. The super-app is set to go live by the first quarter of 2023.

Vince Yamat, managing director at 917Ventures, said, “This is a very important step for us to further grow KonsultaMD. We have long experienced the challenges and difficulties of healthcare in the Philippines and we intend to address those challenges. Our ambition is to democratise health services, making it as easily available and affordable to every Filipino regardless of where you are in the country.”

Meanwhile, Paolo Borromeo, president and CEO of AC Health, commented, “By combining the strengths of each of the three entities, I am excited to see the new KonsultaMD support AC Health’s vision of an integrated healthcare ecosystem. This combined digital team, supplemented by the network of services from AC Health, allows us all to be in a better position to provide much-needed access to quality healthcare services and medicines across the country, accelerating our goal of touching the lives of 1 in 5 Filipinos by 2030.”

Cholo Tagaysay, who has presided over KonsultaMD the past two years will be the CEO of the consolidated entity. Meanwhile, Beia Latay, who has served as HealthNow CEO over the past two years, will be COO of the new KonsultaMD.

Tagaysay said, “Consultations are at the top of the funnel. Consultations generate prescriptions which in turn generate lab requests. Now, we can fulfil all of these. We are a one-stop-shop for all your health needs.”

Meanwhile, Latay commented, “Our synergy creates a complete and simplified healthcare experience, spanning home, in-clinic and hospital.”

Manila, Philippines – Globe Telecom’s venture builder 917Ventures and Ayala Corporation (AC) Ventures have entered into a new partnership to explore business opportunities, as well as grow their own business ecosystems.

Through the partnership, AC Ventures will participate in funding the research, development, and launch of 917V’s new business ventures. 

The partnership with AC Ventures hopes to further accelerate both the quantity and quality of its future companies as the unique advantages now encompass the broader Ayala group, including real estate, banking, power, healthcare, and logistics.

Vince Yamat, managing director at 917Ventures, said, “We are very excited to work with AC Ventures. We can leverage the ecosystem and network advantage that they provide to solve the pain points of consumers and businesses. Through digital solutions, we can help pave the way and deliver indelible value to the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region.”

Meanwhile, Alberto de Larrazabal, chief finance officer at Ayala Corporation and president/CEO at AC Ventures, commented, “The accelerated growth of digital adoption has become ingrained in many Filipinos who have quickly transitioned how they work, study, play, and access basic services.”

He added, “Ayala intends to participate in this multi-decade transformation by contributing to the research and development and incubation of disruptive solutions across different consumer touchpoints in our portfolio. With its strong track record of developing startups to achieve scale and profitability, we believe that 917Ventures is the natural vehicle for Ayala’s digital ventures.”

Manila, Philippines – Following the latest recalls of ‘Lucky Me’ noodle products in the European countries of France, Ireland and Malta, Philippine food and beverages company Monde Nissin has lost around US$340m in market value, according to Bloomberg.

Monde Nissin closed at PHP13.36 per share yesterday, marking a 10% dip since the stock went public in March 2021.

According to said European countries, several of ‘Lucky Me’ products contained high levels of ethylene oxide, a chemical compound which has been banned in Europe in 1991 as a pesticide and in 2011 as an output product in food and feed production.

Monde Nissin released a statement yesterday stating that ethylene oxide is not added in their products but rather used as a treatment in seeds and spices used in ingredients.

“Rest assured that all Lucky Me products are Philippine FDA-registered and comply with local food safety standards and even the US FDA standards for ethylene oxide,” the company stated.

Following the issue, netizen sentiment regarding ‘Lucky Me’ brands have shifted to a negative tone, with many commenting Monde Nissin’s lack of quality assurance of their products. This is after the company admitting that trace amounts of ethylene oxide may still be found in their products.

“Sad to say that every country has its own different high standards in regards with food safety measures. ‘Lucky Me’ should follow the standard food safety in other countries to retain its trust and confidence for safe human consumption for their products,” a netizen named Roy Tanquilan said.

Another netizen by the name of Edgard Andrew Hernandez said, “Even at manufacturing and testing where you can see high ethylene oxide levels on Lucky Me brands, [and] you still chose to sell it to the consumers. I think there’s something wrong with it.”

However, there are a few netizens that still support the brand, with some saying the noodle brands have been consumed by students while on a budget. Some netizens have even shared their own recipes involving ‘Lucky Me’ products.

Manila, Philippines – Lucky Me, a line of noodle brands in the Philippines under the Monde Nissin corporation, has been recently banned in the European countries namely France, Ireland, and Malta due to the presence of a pesticide compound in said products.

According to multiple reports, the said batch of noodles contain ethylene oxide, a hazardous carcinogenic gas that has been reported to cause headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, among others. Said batches were reportedly manufactured in Thailand, with an expiration date of July 20, 2022.

In a statement published by Malta’s Environmental Health Directorate, the ‘Lucky Me’ brands that are banned include ‘Pancit Canton Original Flavour’, ‘Pancit Canton Hot Chilli Flavour’, ‘Lucky Me Instant Noodle Soup Beef Flavour’, ‘Pancit Canton Kalamansi Flavour’, and ‘Pancit Canton Chilimansi Flavour’. The report noted that these noodle batches have high levels of ethylene oxide.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Food Safety Authority published a statement of the recall of only the ‘Pancit Canton Original Flavour’ brand, saying that “although the consumption of the contaminated product does not pose an acute risk to health, there may be health issues if there is continued consumption of ethylene oxide over a long period of time”.

Lastly, France’s Rappel Conso noted the ban of flavours ‘Pancit Canton Original Flavour’, ‘Pancit Canton Hot Chilli Flavour’, ‘Lucky Me Instant Noodle Soup Beef Flavour’, ‘Pancit Canton Kalamansi Flavour’, and ‘Pancit Canton Chilimansi Flavour’ in their recent statement.

Ethylene oxide, aside from its pesticide use, has been used as a sterilising agent as well as in the production of other chemicals such as antifreeze. The chemical has been banned in the European Union since 1991 as a pesticide and since 2011 as an output product in food and feed production.

This was not the first time ‘Lucky Me’ has been banned for containing hazardous chemicals in their food products. Recently, Taiwanese authorities have seized ‘Lucky Me Curly Spaghetti’ products, alongside Indonesia’s Mie Sedaap cup noodles, for the same pesticide residue.

Following the health advisories released by said countries, Lucky Me published a statement on their Facebook page, noting that ethylene oxide is not added in their products but rather used as a treatment in seeds and spices used in ingredients. Once they are processed alongside seasonings and sauces, trace amounts of said compound are still left.

“Rest assured that all Lucky Me products are Philippine FDA-registered and comply with local food safety standards and even the US FDA standards for ethylene oxide,” the company stated.

This article has been updated.

Manila, Philippines – Global cola brand RC Cola has partnered with Mediabrands Content Studio Australia and Mediabrands Philippines, alongside creative and media companies The Glue Society and Ravenous Mantis, to launch a new fun and relevant campaign.

The campaign, which is fronted by a meme-ably manic rabbit, sets out to challenge teens across the world to stop asking ‘why’, and start asking ‘why not?’. It aims to take audiences on a wild reimagining of four of the greatest moments in human history, namely the discovery of fire, the creation of the Pyramids, the invention of the Internet, and the holy union of socks and sandals. The story twists history to suggest that RC Cola mixed with a ‘why not’ attitude was foundational to each pivotal, history-altering moment.

Paul Bruty, director at The Glue Society, said, “A naughty animatronic rabbit travelling through time seemed like the perfect thing to do for this project. It’s the kind of personality you could write a hundred different scripts for.”

Meanwhile, Olivia Warren, managing director at Mediabrands Content Studio, said that they love working on campaigns that stand out from the rest – fun, creative, bespoke, and bold – and RC Cola’s campaign is all of these and more.

“Deliberately different is what we all do best and our team aspires to always have a ‘why not’ attitude as this ensures we go the extra mile for our clients. It’s fabulous to be part of a true collaboration with a client and a raft of like-minded agencies who follow the same rules,” added Warren.

Tricia Camarillo-Quiambao, CEO of Mediabrands Philippines, also said, “This new global platform is testament to how work can be made post-pandemic, a border-breaking collaboration to create a fresh new ad, for an audience not defined by where they live but a common set of values. Our partnership with Mediabrands Content Studio and the Glue Society was seamless and fun.”

Francis Lamprea, RC Cola International’s managing director, commented, “We believe in the strength of the strategy behind the campaign. Lithuania is the first to embark on the ‘Why Not’ journey globally. We look forward to the Lithuanian youth embracing the RC Cola energy and positive attitude of both characters in the story.”

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.