Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – As the Philippines gears towards the upcoming national elections come May 2022, the country’s Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has announced that they have surpassed their voter registration target, adding 5.4 million new registered voters. Part of that milestone is attributed to the commission’s recent campaign, which featured the ‘ghosts’ of well-known Philippine national heroes.

The campaign, called ‘MagparehistroKa! (vernacular for ‘Register Now!’), is conceptualized alongside creative agency MullenLowe TREYNA. The campaign is encapsulated in an interactive website, featuring the ‘ghosts’ of the country’s national heroes such as Dr. Jose Rizal, Melchora Aquino, Andres Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini.

These ‘ghosts’ narrated their sacrifices for the country and paved the way for democracy, and then playfully urged netizens into completing their registration or else ‘something happens’.

Another layer of personalization within the campaign is the utilization of Google Maps, which helps registrants locate the nearest COMELEC office of the election officers (OEOs) or satellite registration sites from their location.

Part of the interactive website, the ‘heroes’ also reminds new registrants what to bring to the registration as well as the proper health and social protocols they must follow on the day The site also directs visitors to COMELEC’s iRehistro site where they can accomplish required details and complete their registration. 

Speaking about the campaign rollout, James Jimenez, spokesperson and director at COMELEC said, “It became our main goal to persuade these young Filipinos to register without patronizing or intimidating them. They are next in line to build the nation in the future, and giving them an opportunity to decide for the country will benefit everyone.”

As a final push when COMELEC extended voter registration until the end of October, special OPM playlists were also launched at Spotify and YouTube Music that registrants can listen to during long waiting periods at the registration sites. Listeners can choose from three OPM playlists ranging from rock anthems to girl power tunes and mellow ballads.

Local entertainment personas such as Alden Richards, Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith who saw the social posts from the Twitter accounts of Google Philippines and COMELEC, also helped in promoting the site.

“These results are truly overwhelming because [one] it went past our initial targets, and [two] now more young Filipinos will be involved and participate in the elections for the first time,” Jimenez concluded.

Manila, Philippines – Philippine-based multi-channel commerce platform development startup, ChatGenie, has raised additional capital in its recent fundraising campaign as part of Accelerating Asia’s fifth cohort for its first batch of investments from its US$20m Fund II. 

ChatGenie is an end-to-end web-based platform that lets merchants create an online store via web browsers. It has partnered with a number of big brands and digital wallet platforms, such as GCash, PayMaya, and PayMongo.

The newly secured funding will enable ChatGenie to expand its reach in distributing its product to as many merchants as possible. It will also help ChatGenie to expand its operations by growing its team to cater to more clients and scale its services.

Craig Bristol Dixon, Accelerating Asia’s general partner, commented, “Accelerating Asia is excited to provide support and be an early investor into ChatGenie as it expands across the Philippines and regionally.”

Ragde Falcis, the co-founder, chief executive officer, and chief technology officer of Chat Genie, believes that Accelerating Asia will provide Chat Genie with the tools, network, and mentorship that the firm needs to grow fast.

“So far we have been able to partner with one of the biggest telecommunication companies to upsell our product to its business clients. We are looking for more partnerships like this where we can help their existing merchants grow while increasing the value that our partners provide,” said Falcis. 

ChatGenie said that it is now gearing up for its next online demo day on 16 December 2021 as part of Accelerating Asia’s Accelerator Program, hoping to lure more investors in its next fundraising campaign.

Philippines – Top Filipino loveteam, or the country’s moniker for on-screen pairings, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo has been seen reunited by none other than top fast-food brand Jollibee via its film studios on YouTube – Jollibee Studios. The two have been recently announced to have been signed on by the country’s largest media network, and before the comeback has been made official on the small screen, the F&B brand gets to revel in bragging rights on being the first one to do so. 

From bringing Filipinos their comfort food, Jollibee has grown its brand to be more than just a food staple. Through the years, it has made itself a platform for human and heartfelt stories via Jollibee studios. Following first-time gold medalist and Filipina athlete Hidilyn Diaz’s story for ‘Kwentong Jollibee’, the brand wows audiences by bringing back one of the biggest loveteams in the Philippines. Cruz and Alonzo’s short film will be tackling a “deeper kind of love.” The two started to team up on-screen in 2005, which was followed by a box-office hit a year after titled ‘All About Love.’ The chemistry and star power of the two cemented them as one of the top love teams in the country.

Titled ‘One True Pair The Movie’, the new short film, which is directed by award-winning director JP Habac and produced by creative agency Publicis JimenezBasic and video production firm Unitel Straight Shooters, features the reconnecting story of Ian del Rosario, who is played by Cruz, and Gela Rosales, who is played by Alonzo, and how their relationship evolved over time despite things changing.

Francis Flores, Jollibee Foods Corporation’s country and regional marketing head for the Philippines, noted that the new film is a heartwarming story about a love that lasts and transcends time and romance.

“It was such a joy being able to work with Bea and John Lloyd for this film. As seasoned and award-winning actors who have also been lifelong friends, they bring maturity to the story that makes it highly relatable and gives weight to the message that when you love someone, you love them forever,” said Habac.

Tats Cruz, Publicis JimenezBasic’s head of agency, said, “When it comes to developing a Jollibee Studios story, the marching orders are always about making it real, universal, and full of hope and that’s what One True Pair surfaces effectively. It’s really a very simple story that tells hard-hitting truths about loving someone.”

Jollibee said that ‘One True Pair The Movie’ is the first in a slew of original entertainment content from the revamped Jollibee Studios YouTube Channel, the brand’s hub for its digital Filipino stories. The film is also one of many that will be starring A-list celebrities, all of which will be exclusively available on Jollibee Studios.

Manila, Philippines – If there is one thing that Filipinos also anticipate come the Yuletide season, it would be the roll-out of annual film festivals. These year-end film festivals usually create loud buzz as a fixture that celebrates the diversity of Filipino cinematography, and in the spirit of this along Christmas festivities, soft drink brand Pepsi in the Philippines has teamed up with creative agency BBDO Guerrero to release its newest campaign, ‘Pepsi Hit Sa Sarap Christmas Blockbusters’, an ode to the genres that define Philippine cinema. 

The campaign comprises three short digital films, which all use the same dialogue but each with a different theme, which all ends on how a pairing of Pepsi makes the Filipino ‘noche buena’ tastier. 

The first film ‘Familia Noche Buena’ (The Family Dinner) is a short creative take on a dramatic holiday get together. Meanwhile, ‘May Kumagat sa Dilim’ (Something Bites in the Dark) puts a supernatural Pinoy spin on the table, and lastly ‘Eats Sarap 2B With U Again’ (Eats Good 2B with U Again) takes on a slapstick comedy for a cheeky session with friends.

Speaking about the campaign execution, Mikey Rosales, marketing director at PepsiCo Philippines, said, “Pepsi wanted to create something different this year. While most of us are celebrating another Christmas at home, we also know that get-togethers might not always be cheerful – it can be dramatic at times – but together with Pepsi, there’s always some fun to be found in the sharing, the bonding, and of course, a tall glass of Pepsi.”

All of the films feature local Pepsi endorsers and influencers: YouTube content creator Pam Swing, Filipino basketball player Ricci Rivero and Internet sensation Mimiyuhh, alongside longtime endorsers and seasoned actors, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.

Meanwhile, David Guerrero, chairman at BBDO Guerrero, commented, “What’s great about this is that we brought the spirit of Filipino film festivals into the audience’s homes. A light-hearted reminder of what we used to enjoy outside, and put a spin on it to spread good vibes and cheer to families and friends celebrating the yuletide seasons in their homes.”

Manila, Philippines – Havas Ortega, the media and communications group of the global Havas group in the Philippines, has appointed Mel Panabi, former vice president of marketing communications at energy tech business WeGen Distributed Energy Philippines, to be the new business director of its global public relations, social and experiential agency micro-network.

Panabi has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, corporate communication, stakeholder relations, and crisis management, as well as political communications, and marketing. He has worked on accounts and brands across industries like fintech, real estate, telecommunications, and entertainment, as well as renewables. 

In his new role, Panabi will now be responsible for developing new products and services that will further strengthen Red Havas’ position in the country’s public relations and brands landscape. 

Panabi believes that PR is building a relationship across different touchpoints in the customer journey. He shared that it is not just a campaign but a conversation with brands that consumers can trust.

“I am particularly looking forward to the new direction we’re going to take – highlighting sustainability as a centerpiece communication strategy as we partner with brands. I am also excited by our plans for 2022, as we align our efforts here in the Philippines with the standards and industry-leading initiatives of the global Red Havas brand,” said Panabi.

Jos Ortega, Havas Ortega’s chairman and CEO, noted that meaningful messages aligned to authentic values are what stakeholders look for, and that the new appointment is great support in achieving this.

“Mel Panabi brings with him a wealth of experience that will help Red Havas navigate through the new role of PR and corporate communication—one that is informed by thoughtful corporate responsibility and governance,” said Ortega.

Today, Red Havas in Australia has also announced the appointment of Lawrence Muskitta to be the head of the agency’s new public affairs offering in the market. The new division spans government relations, stakeholder engagement, patient and consumer advocacy, and public behavior change campaigns, as well as policy monitoring and intelligence gathering, crisis management, and strategic partnerships.

Philippines – Aimazing, the retail data platform for mall management has recently obtained a partnership with local upper-scale mall destination in Manila, Power Plant Mall, to launch a digital raffle campaign that offers customers opportunities to earn rewards in real-time for their purchases at stores across the entire mall.

Through the new partnership, Aimazing will be allowing Rockwell teams to automate the entire collection process and focus on better user experiences for consumer campaigns while providing tenants with the highest efficiency and data visibility.

To join the lucky draw, customers will have to use their mobile devices and input the alphanumeric code found on their receipt on Rockwell’s loyalty app while shopping on the go. By spending between ₱1,000 to ₱3,000 at selected Rockwell locations and stores from 05 November 2021 to 31 January 2022, the customers can enter the Christmas Raffle by entering their raffle code on Rockwell’s loyalty app to stand a chance to win a Land Rover Defender.

Tracey Castillo, Rockwell Land Corporation’s vice president for marketing, said that with the new tie-up, they wanted to remove any barriers for customers who will participate in their annual raffle.

“Our partnership with Aimazing comes in at a great time of reopening after the worst of the pandemic dropped foot traffic significantly, and we are delighted to be able to do our part to bolster consumer sentiment and welcome our community back in a festive way this season,” said Castillo.

Meanwhile, Jun Ting, Aimazing’s chief executive officer, commented, “Moving forward, we can power any sort of promos, and many more exciting digital experiences in the mall with our technology and mall pioneers like Power Plant Mall.”

The Rockwell team has also announced that it will be launching various digital campaigns, alongside Aimazing, in their different properties outside the metro in the next few months.

Manila, Philippines – Lazada has officially announced the dates of its 12.12 Grand Christmas Sale which will run from 12 to 14 December 2021.

This year’s holiday shopping festival showcases various deals with Lazada Bonus vouchers offering ₱60 off for every ₱600 spend. Brands will also be offering cashback to get a 10% purchase amount added automatically to a consumer’s Lazada Wallet upon item delivery.

In addition, Lazada is also offering installments on users’ purchases through Lazada Loans. Lazada’s trusted loan providers such as TendoPay will be offering 0% interest on purchases from 5 to 15 December 2021, while Plentina will be offering the same from 10 to 14 December 2021, and Billease and Cashalo offering 0% interest on purchases until the end of the year. 

Ahead of 12.12, customers can also apply for monthly installment plans from these financing partners, allowing holiday shoppers to bag the shopping deals and pay later, with no interest.

Neil Trinidad, Lazada’s chief marketing officer for the Philippines, said, “As the go-to platform of Filipinos, Lazada upholds the heart of gift-giving by empowering our shoppers to interact and connect more with their loved ones, helping bring everyone together and spreading love in the most generous way.”

Lazada Gift Cards will also be available again starting 3 December 2021, giving recipients the liberty to choose an item they want. To avail, users will have to tap on the ‘Lazada Gift Card’ icon on the app or search for ‘Lazada Gift Card’ on the search bar of the Lazada app and choose an amount ranging from ₱100 up to ₱5000. 

Users will only need to enter the mobile number, email address, and the name of the recipient, as well as customize and input the message, and click on the ‘Buy Now’ button to proceed to checkout. The recipients will then be notified of the gift card sent via SMS or email. Upon activation of Lazada Wallet, gift card recipients can redeem the amount with the voucher codes they have received.

Moreover, Lazada is also encouraging its users to donate to Lazada donors and its partner organizations, such as UNICEF, Save the Children Foundation, and World Vision, as well as ABS-CBN Foundation, and GMA Foundation. 

To access direct donations to ‘LazadaForGood’, users will have to head on the official ‘LazadaForGood’ site. Users can also access the page via desktop by simply opening the Lazada website, clicking ‘Load & eStore’, followed by clicking the ‘LazadaForGood’ icon, and then selecting an advocacy partner of choice and ‘Add to cart’ to donate. While on mobile, users will have to click on ‘Load, Bills, and Coupon’, tap on the ‘LazadaForGood’ icon, and select an advocacy partner of choice, then ‘Add to cart’ to donate. 

At the core of the e-commerce’s holiday campaign, popular celebrities in the Philippines and local brand ambassadors Bea Alonzo, Alden Richards, Mimiyuuuh, and Maine Mendoza will be gracing the newest Lazada TV commercial, highlighting “the reasons for the season.”

Manila, Philippines – Among the three main industries of e-commerce, FMCG, and QSR in the Philippines, e-commerce registered the largest ad spend with US$52m for Q3 of this year. This is according to the latest study by data, insights, and consulting company Kantar.

This was followed by QSR in the country with US$6.4m, and FMCG with US$5.3m. 

Philippines brands’ average monthly ad spend was found to be $15b. 

In terms of what channels brands invest in the most, social display comes out on top with 44% of them spending their budgets on such, while desktop display came in second as a priority channel with 42%. A fraction of brands’ ad expenditure was directed towards desktop video (6%), mobile video (6%), and lastly, mobile display (2%). 

Meanwhile, social platform-wise, Facebook registered the lion’s share of overall ad spend by Filipino brands with US$616.1m. with Instagram as the second most popular platform with US$135.2m This was followed by Youtube (US$98m), and Twitter (US$9.9m). The study also showed the platforms that garnered the biggest impressions among audiences. Facebook still topped the ranks with 134.8 billion, followed by Instagram (40.5 billion), Youtube (14 billion), and Twitter (5.3 billion). 

The same study also revealed the ad spending and impressions of the leading news and lifestyle sites in the Philippines. News sites, such as GMA News Online, ABS-CBN News, Rappler, and Philstar, as well as Manila Bulletin, and Inquirer, have recorded US$12.3m ad spend and three billion impressions for the period, while lifestyle sites, namely PEP, Metro, ClickTheCity, Spot, and Preview, as well as Spin, and Cosmo, clocked in a total of US$1.1m ad spend for the quarter and with 239.2 million impressions overall. 

Kantar’s current Digital Advertising Intelligence was conducted during the period of July to September 2021.

Philippines – With the celebration of the Christmas season, people are now gearing up their financial allocations to make the most out of the ‘giving’ season. For Filipino moms, this specific budget has been identified to be an average of ₱10,029 or almost US$200, all for gifts, according to a survey by parenting content platform theAsianparent (TAP) in the Philippines. 

Despite the intended average budget, the survey found that at least six out of 10 moms plan to buy more than 10 gifts, which will amount to an estimated 10% of their monthly income, while only 13% say that they’re unable to loosen their budget.

Overall, 83% of Filipino moms say that their monthly expenditure goes up during this festive period in response to the holiday rush such as sending money, gifts, and treats, and shopping in malls, and shopping online. 

Moms buy gifts for their kids the most (95%) followed by immediate family (92%) and spouse (84%). Meanwhile, the number one item Filipinos purchase as gifts is clothes, followed by toys then educational games for the kids, while household items and food are most likely the items gifted to other loved ones. 

Besides gifts, Filipino moms also spend on high-value items. Half intend to purchase home appliances over the festive season, with 41% looking at furniture, and 37% planning to go into 2022 brandishing new devices and accessories such as smartphones, laptops, and headphones.

Malena Gong, theAsianparent’s regional head of insights, said that with these insights, Filipino moms are crucial segment marketers need to be looking at.

“Combine this with the cultural phenomenon of a long holiday season, and you’ve got an extended period of traditionally higher spending, concentrated on one key demographic: moms,” said Gong.

Aside from items, the report also revealed moms’ consumption practices this holiday season. About 72% of Filipinos will buy on both offline and online instead of just using one; moreover, 16% of respondents intend to shop two to three months prior to the holidays, while 15% plan to shop within a week or less. 

Meanwhile, on the factors for purchasing items, promos and sales offered online is a top factor followed by those offered offline. Recommendations from other moms and parenting apps take the third spot, trailed by recommendations from friends and family. Meanwhile, social media influencers and ads on e-commerce are also top factors that influence Filipino moms’ purchase decisions. For social media and parenting apps, the majority or over 70% are active on these platforms past 7 pm.

Manila, Philippines – The pandemic has resulted in various consumer behavior changes, including the boost of the food and grocery delivery platforms, including the superapp Grab. According to their latest study with NielsenIQ, more F&B brands are giving food delivery a shot, with the number of monthly active merchants in GrabFood increasing by 60% in 2020.

As a leading delivery operator of F&B brands, Grab unveils its awards body for recognizing top-performing partner merchants in the Philippines, called ‘Golden Grab Awards 2021’ which was recently held virtually for the first time, celebrating its best-performing GrabFood and GrabMart merchant-partners.

The award categories are a mix of data-driven and people’s choice awards, and are split in three categories: Sale Superstars, Merchant Congeniality, and Golden Cart. These awards celebrated the best of GrabFood’s merchant-partner rookies, best curated menus, top-performing merchants for every meal, best-rated merchants, and many more.

For the Sales Superstars Awards, some of the awards granted are creatively named after the various meal time occasions. In this instance, Breakfast Champs’ or catered to breakfast, is awarded to Starbucks and to Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant; ‘Lunch Leaders’ or for lunch time are awarded to popular fast-food franchises Jollibee and Mang Inasal; ‘Merienda Masters’ for afternoon snack time are awarded to S&R New York Style Pizza and Angel’s Pizza; while ‘Dinner Dash’ for dinner deliveries are awarded to fast-food chains Chowking and KFC; and ‘Midnight Munchies’ for late-night snackage are awarded to McDonald’s and Army Navy Burger + Burrito.

Other ‘Sales Superstars Awards’ include ‘Promo Masters’ for Shakey’s Pizza and Monicar General Merchandise, ‘GrabAds Guru’ for Mary Grace Cafe and Kenny Rogers Roasters, ‘Campaign King’ for Selecta Ice Cream Shop (GrabFood) and Robinsons Supermarket Corporation (GrabMart), and ‘Data Dynamo’ for Picabean Coffee House (GrabFood) and DRTM Store (GrabMart)

Meanwhile, the Merchant Congeniality Awards are awards given out to partner-merchants that show satisfactory performance on their operations, ranging from delivery efficiency, menu diversity, and hygiene standards. The awards are as follows:

  • Menu Maven-Blake’s Wings & Steaks (GrabFood), Ever Supermarket (GrabMart)
  • Need For Speed-Turks
  • Hygiene Hero-Chooks to Go
  • Pack It Like It’s Hot-Corndog28, Shake Shack
  • Newbie No More-Thai Mango
  • Ultimate Lifesaver-Robinsons Supermarket Corporation
  • Riders Choice Award-Starbucks
  • Staff Salute Award-Classic Savory – SM City Las Pinas

Lastly, the Golden Cart Awards are as follows:

  • Golden Grab Rider-Partner-Wendell Fajardo Songco
  • Top Trender Award-Andok’s Litson Baka
  • Golden Merchant Badge-Big Al’s Cookie Jar
  • Eager Expander Award-Pan de Manila
  • Long Distance League Award-Samgyupsmile Delivery – Molino 3

“Through this celebration, Grab continues to support the growth of its merchant-partners whose partnership with the superapp has been integral in its commitment to providing Filipinos with everyday essentials,” the company said in a press statement.

They added, “In the times of limited or restricted movement, Filipinos have come to rely on online food and essentials delivery services providers such as GrabFood and GrabMart. As the country eases back on quarantine restrictions, Grab, a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, does not fail to recognize the merchant-partners who have been integral to these services.”