Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – Super app Grab in the Philippines has announced the launch of ‘Grab Caravan’, an on-ground celebration that invites all Filipinos to come together for their love of food by grabbing a bite from a selection of crowd favourite restaurants.

To kick off the Grab Caravan, Grab will first be visiting the home of picturesque sceneries of nature, Rizal province, to bring together and showcase the best of Rizal’s food scene at the Robinsons Place Antipolo Transport Terminal on 14 May. Some of the participating food establishments include Katsu House, Uncle Moe’s, Konbini by Katsu House, Auntie Anne’s, Big Al’s Cookie House, Baked By Mary Grace, Chachago, and Lecheng Tsaa.

“With the variety of restaurants joining together for the Grab Caravan, Rizaleños are in for a great feast, with lots of food choices available for everyone at any price point. Rizaleños should definitely be ready to satisfy both their cravings and their savings as they welcome the first-ever Grab Caravan in their hometown,” Grab said in a press statement.

GrabPay will also be the official payment partner of the Grab Caravan, which will allow attendees to get up to PHP20 cashback for every transaction made through GrabPay during the caravan.

After its stint in the Rizal province, the Grab Caravan will be visiting Cavite, Cebu, and Pampanga in the coming months.

Manila, Philippines – PH telco PLDT has launched ‘GoCamNorte’, an official tourism application for the country’s province Camarines Norte, during the annual Bantayog Festival and the province’s celebration of its 102nd founding anniversary. Developed in collaboration with telco Smart and media company InnoPub Media, the new ‘GoCamNorte’ app aims to boost the number of visitors in the Bicol region’s northernmost province as travel restrictions are gradually lifted. 

With the new app, tourists and locals will be able to learn more about Camarines Norte’s best destinations and heritage sites even before they visit the province using mobile technology. It also has interactive markers that provide contactless delivery of information through QR codes.

Moreover, the new app also links visitors to important government hotlines and accredited tour operators, resorts, and accommodations. This gives tourists the assurance that the businesses they patronise have undergone the necessary training so they can offer a safe and memorable experience.

Stephanie Orlino, Smart’s assistant vice president and head of community relations, said, “Smart continues to empower the communities we serve through our technology-enabled programs. Now that we are slowly opening our doors to visitors, our digital tourism application can help provinces like Camarines Norte share and promote the many wonderful sites to visit, as well as travel guidelines for tourists.”

Meanwhile, Mariano “Bong” Palma, the provincial tourism officer of Camarines Norte, noted, “This digital innovation gives the public easy access to necessary information about the province. The platform also allows us to push messages quickly for updates.”

Max Limpag, InnoPub Media’s co-founder, said, “With the use of smartphones, we can enable safe and contactless delivery of tourism, cultural and historical information, right in the hands of travellers, enhancing their overall experience.”

The ‘GoCamNorte’ app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or from the Apple App Store.

Singapore – Southeast Asia’s influencer platform Hiipi has expanded to the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore markets.

Phi Nguyen, Hiip’s co-founder and CEO, shared that by adding the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore to their network in addition to Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, the platform further cements its position as the number one technology solution provider for brands and influencers in the region. 

Hiip is an influencer technology solution provider using social data and end-to-end software to help more than 1,000 brands and advertisers connect and work with more than 20,000 vetted social influencers. Its in-house tech team provides both key opinion leader marketing and e-commerce capabilities so that brands can optimise their budgets for maximum returns.

Eric Rosenkranz, Hiip’s long-standing chairman, shared that as the US, European, and Asian clients look for opportunities in the rapidly growing SEA region, it is important to note that SEA is the fifth largest economy in the world.

“Almost 60% of SEA’s 680 million population is under the age of 35; and SEA’s digital economy is projected to exceed $300b by 2025, on the back of over 400 million active internet connections and a young, tech-savvy middle-class. Hiip has strongly positioned itself to take advantage of this exciting opportunity,” said Rosenkranz.

Meanwhile, Cecilia Cheng, Hiip’s CEO for Singapore and regional business director for SEA, said, “Singapore is the regional headquarters of many multinational brands and Hiip is now pleased to be able to provide influencer marketing & e-commerce technology solutions to our clients on a regional basis.”

Nikki Fedelicio, Hiip’s CEO for the Philippines, commented, “The Philippines is one of the largest and fastest-growing influencer markets globally. Hiip’s cutting edge technology will now be available in this thriving market.”

Philippines — In the Filipino culture, Mothers have often been called the light of the home but they are also every family’s anchor. For this year’s Mother’s Day, Jollibee is putting a highlight marker on the quality that makes moms the best -a mother’s resilience.

Done in collaboration with creative agency McCann Worldgroup, the campaign, entitled ‘Hinga’, celebrates the strength and selflessness of all mothers through a poignant and heartfelt Kwentong Jollibee Mother’s Day special video that shows how mothers continue to bravely face challenges for their family’s welfare. They remain, at all times, strong, resilient, and selfless.

Francis E. Flores, marketing head of Jollibee Global and Jollibee Philippines, said, “Children learn to handle setbacks and struggles from their mothers. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we take our strength from our moms. Through them we learn how to deal with small hiccups and minor annoyances like being afraid of storms to bigger challenges like injuries and sickness.”

Flores added, “With this special Mother’s Day video, we at Jollibee, want to thank our mothers for showing us how to love endlessly and how to be strong enough to face the challenges of everyday life.”

Set to the heartwarming tune of the popular Filipino band Ben&Ben’s “Ilang Tulog Na Lang”, the video, inspired by a true story shows the little things that convey how mothers are always there for their families. It highlights how moms bravely face challenges for their families–and even though they are also afraid, what rises to the surface is the need to ensure their families’ safety and happiness.

Speaking on the project, director Joel Ruiz shared, “Every Kwentong Jollibee may have different stories but at its core it’s the same: it’s all about love and family, and it’s all tied together by true stories and experiences, that’s what makes every film universally appealing. This Mother’s Day video is no different, and yet it’s so much more special because while directing this film, it felt like I was also paying tribute to my own mother and everything she did for our family.”

Ruiz previously directed the Kwentong Jollibee Valentine Series Homecoming in 2018, another episode in 2019 entitled Proposal, as well as the Father’s Day special video that same year.

Meanwhile, Sid Samodio, executive creative director of McCann Worldgroup, commented, “When we think about our mothers we think about their love and how they are the most fearless people we know. It’s with that truth that we created this short film: it’s a tribute to the strength of a mother’s heart, which she passes on to the people she loves.”

Manila, Philippines – Havas Ortega Group has announced that Angie Tijam-Tohid joins the communications group as its executive creative director, where she will be responsible for driving the agency’s creative philosophy and creating meaningful brands for the Havas Village clients in media, digital, social commerce, CRM, public relations, branding, healthcare, and sustainability. 

Tijam-Tohid will report to Jos Ortega, chairman and chief executive officer at Havas Ortega Group.

She was formerly a radio DJ and newscaster for some of Metro Manila’s most popular FM stations before joining advertising. Her two-decade journey in the industry has taken her to Ogilvy and TBWA\SMP in the Philippines, and Grey Group in Malaysia. Prior to her new post, she led the digital creative group at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Manila as creative director and head of content.

Speaking about her appointment, she said, “I’m extremely excited to be joining Havas. The post-pandemic landscape presents greater opportunities for us to elevate our creative capabilities and create work that’s data-driven, culturally relevant, delivered in the most engaging and impactful ways.”

She added, “Stepping into this role, I feel massive support from Jos, Mother Hermie, Jay and the entire Havas Village. I’m looking forward to collaborating with this awesome and talented team, nurturing our young creatives and creating meaningful work that truly makes a difference.”

Meanwhile, Ortega commented, “We have always believed that diversity drives innovation and creativity. Angie’s unique perspectives, both as a woman and a leader in her field, will help us come closer to achieving our mission of creating a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people.”

The appointment of Tijam-Tohid further strengthens Havas Ortega’s leadership team as she joins previous appointees Jay Lim as COO of Havas Media Group, Mel Panabi as business director of Red Havas, and Apple Galvez-Castillo as business director of Havas Market.

Manila, Philippines – As Mother’s Day celebration draws near, GrabAds, the advertising unit of superapp Grab, has revealed that in 2021, the celebration emerged as the day with the highest user traffic on the app in the Philippines.

The report found that more consumers use the Grab app on Mother’s Day than on Christmas Day, the second-highest day in terms of user traffic for the entire 2021. It also showed that an overwhelming majority of 89% intend to purchase their gifts via apps like Grab this time round.

Moreover, the report showed that consumers in the country are more willing to spend more on Mother’s Day, forking out an average of more than 40% more money per order on GrabFood and making over 30% more GrabFood orders than the average day for the celebration.

The same report also found that while it is expected that flowers will continue to be a perennial favourite for Mother’s Day, Grab saw an increase by four times in deliveries for cakes during the celebration last year. Meanwhile, international cuisine and pizza also saw a surge in orders on GrabFood twice, while pork-based dishes experienced an increase in the volume of orders on Mother’s Day last year.

Ken Mandel, Grab’s regional managing director and head of GrabAds and Brand Insights, shared that since the pandemic has trained consumers in the Philippines to shop on their phones, they anticipate that online-to-offline superapps will play a much bigger role in shaping the shopper behaviours for the coming Mother’s Day.

“This is where a superapp like Grab is positioned to capture some of these shifts in behaviours, to help brands and consumers meet their needs for a great Mother’s Day celebration,” said Mandel.

Texas, USA – Yellow Cab Pizza, the Philippine pizza chain under Max’s Group, has announced the opening of a new branch in the city of Houston, Texas. This marks the pizza chain’s newest venture into the United States, as well as its tenth chain opening during the global pandemic.

The Houston branch is the 19th branch of Yellow Cab Pizza globally. To date, Max’s Group International store network comprises 14 territories, with 600 Philippine and 62 international sites situated across various locations in North America, the Middle East, and Asia. 

Kay Lee, chief operating officer at MGI International, said, “MGI is proud to be a global exporter of beloved Filipino brands, giving our homegrown products an international stage to showcase the local food scene and bring it closer to diners all over the world.”

She added, “While we are in the same vicinity as other known local brands, early figures have already shown a positive response from the Houston community. We’ve been able to grab the attention of the vibrant and young Filipino population in the area who know the Yellow Cab brand very well. It’s also been wonderful to see non-Filipino customers embrace the brand so positively as they discover our fresh, innovative take on New York-style pizzas.”

The store first opened its doors during Rodeo Week in March with the grand opening scheduled to happen within the second quarter this year.

Meanwhile, Ariel Fermin, president of Max’s Group, Inc., commented, “We have always been proud of the portfolio of well-loved brands we operate both in the Philippines and internationally. While the pandemic may have left an indelible mark, it has not stopped ourselves from becoming a true ‘house of brands’ that is frequented not just by Filipinos but also other nationalities looking for great food and excellent service.”

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine-based telco giant Smart has partnered anew with event and tournament organiser Eplayment Entertainment for the fifth season of Liga Adarna, the country’s all-female esports league.

The event has already kicked off last 19 April and will be running until 30 June 2022, with the theme ‘Ikaw Ang Bida’, which in English translates to ‘You are the star’. It will be showcasing once again the skills and strategic gameplays of the country’s top female esports players in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), and for the first time this season, Liga Adarna has also added PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) in its tournament.

Avid gamers and enthusiasts can watch the games live on the Facebook pages of Liga Adarna, Smart, and SMART Sports.

“The latest season of Liga Adarna is in line with Smart’s long-standing support for the Philippine esports to cultivate the passion, skill, and talent of Filipina gamers,” the telco said.

In March 2022, Smart has also celebrated the launch of its Smart GIGA Arena, an online arcade and esports tournament platform, by hosting an exhibition match last 9 March 2022, which features some of the best Filipino esports players and content creators of MLBB.

Manila, Philippines – Amidst a strong recovery from COVID-19 in 2021, small businesses in the Philippines are bullish about their growth for this year, new data from CPA Australia shows.

According to the data, 65% of respondents reported growing and 41% increased employee numbers. This can be attributed to the fact that there has been evident strong customer satisfaction and business strategy. Over the past three years, respondents nominated customer loyalty and improved customer satisfaction as the top factors positively influencing their businesses.

Leslie Leow, general manager for emerging markets at CPA Australia said, “To stand out from competitors and win more customers, it’s pivotal for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt a customer-oriented strategy. This will assist them to provide the products or services customers’ demand.”

He added, “Filipino small business owners are typically young, vibrant and skilful at using digital technologies in their business and to engage with customers and potential customers.”

The data also noted that 91% expect to grow, far outstripping the survey average of 62%. Around 45% stated they will introduce a new product, service or process to the market in 2022, while 62% expect to hire more employees. Both results are the second highest among all surveyed markets. In addition, 62% of respondents expect revenue from overseas markets to grow, outperforming the region.

“The Philippines are investing resources in revitalising industries hard-hit by COVID-19, such as tourism and hospitality. With border restrictions set to relax this year, foreign tourists and opportunities from overseas markets should spur MSMEs’ confidence and expansion prospects,” Leow added.

Aside from the pandemic, increasing costs remains the biggest barrier to Filipino small businesses. Materials costs (42%) and utility costs (39%) were the costs that caused the most detriment.

In terms of financing, 66% of respondents sought external funds last year while 80% expect that they will require additional funds this year. Covering increasing expenses was one of the major reasons for seeking finance. Financing conditions improved significantly for Filipino businesses in 2021. About 38% of respondents found access to finance ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’, up from 13% in 2020. However, this result is still below the survey average of 46%.

Leow further explained, “Easier access to finance is most likely due to the strong shift by local businesses to family or friends as their main source of finance, which was up from 21% in 2020 to 45% in 2021. The survey shows that family and friends are typically the easiest source for finance to access. While the Department of Trade and Industry Philippines released a total of PHP5.9b this year to MSMEs, funding roadblocks are still hindering local MSME’s growth.”

Manila, Philippines – Conversational AI platform Haptik has partnered with MDI NOVARE, the Philippine-based information, and communications technology solutions provider, aimed at facilitating the widespread use and value of AI chatbots for businesses in the Philippines.

The partnership will benefit Haptik by having a strong local partner to improve and solve customer experience (CX) challenges in the Philippines market. Through this, Haptik and MDI NOVARE will jointly transform customer experience across sales, customer support, and co-marketing, as well as sales enablement, and training with AI-powered virtual assistants.

With MDI NOVARE’s vast regional presence and industry experience in the Philippines, the partnership will also strive to help businesses automate customer support, boost lead generation, generate revenue, and at the same time deliver uninterrupted and delightful CX across every channel using Haptik’s cutting-edge AI/ML NLP technology.

Anila Rao, Haptik’s vice president and business head for APAC, shared that with the launch of their conversational partner program a few quarters back, their focus in APAC countries has been mainly to look for strategic partners who can add value and help elevate customer experiences for their clients through Haptik’s AI chatbots and enterprise CX platform.

“Thanks to MDI NOVARE’s presence, scale, and strong reputation of over 30 years in the Philippines region, it did not take us long to decide, collaborate and jolt this strategic agreement together. With Haptik’s industry-leading virtual assistants and chatbots built using the best NLP architecture, we feel it’s a great win not only for MDI NOVARE and Haptik but also for businesses in the Philippines,” said Rao.

Meanwhile, Allan So, MDI NOVARE’s chief commercial officer, commented, “We are happy to team up with Haptik to bring AI solutions to more businesses in the Philippines. Growing our footprint in AI with best-in-class partners like Haptik is part of our mission to be the National Champion in Technology as we bring the power of AI chatbots to deliver next-level Customer Experience.”