Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – Top e-wallet in the Philippines GCash’s new service is a step forward in customer service and in fulfilling its brand promise of safe financial transactions. In partnership with Singapore-headquartered regional insurtech Igloo, GCash launches a first-of-its-kind online shopping insurance protection that will secure consumers from online marketplace fraud.

Igloo’s Online Shopping product is part of its Cyber Protection vertical, which secures financial loss arising directly from any online marketplace fraud. Through the partnership, GCash users will be protected from any transaction they make via online marketplaces such as Lazada, Shopee, including Viber, and Facebook marketplaces as long as their payment was fulfilled through the GCash platform. 

GCash continues to be the leading digital wallet in the Philippines and is continually amplifying its services. The fintech has also recently announced that it is eyeing to launch a Buy Now Pay Later service within this year. 

Martha Sazon, GCash’s president and CEO, said that the shopping insurance offering comes at a time when they have seen robust growth in online transactions and user base.

“With excellent customer experience being the heart of our business alongside value-added services through our platform, we are thrilled to launch this new product with Igloo that secures online transactions for our customers,” said Sazon.

Mario Berta, Igloo’s country manager for the Philippines, commented, “We are excited to partner with the leading e-wallet in the country, GCash, who shares the same vision of protecting digital consumers by pioneering innovative solutions to end-customers at an economical price. With the growing number of digital consumers in the country, now more than ever, is it most important to provide flexible solutions for the changing needs and processes of both businesses and customers.” 

According to GCash, its users currently stand at 46 million. The app has also had over 13 million log-ins per day, peaking at almost 15 million in the second quarter of 2021.

GCash has been integrating insurance as one of its value propositions to users. Within the app, it currently offers a line of insurance products similarly powered by Singapore-grown insurance firm, Singlife. GCash’s offerings are mainly characterized by low-cost premiums and include a range of protection from income loss to health coverage such as Dengue and even COVID-19.

The Online Shopping protection is one of the first products Igloo will be launching with GCash but will soon be rolling out more products with the e-wallet in the next six months that will be geared towards MSMEs.

Philippines – Image filtering is the new stunt of Mountain Dew on its latest meme-fueled campaign. The release of the ‘meme-generating’ augmented reality filters on Instagram comes after Mountain Dew’s initial three launch films, which was created in collaboration with creative agency BBDO Guerrero.

The three prior films highlight a comic parody that claims—literally and figuratively—everything is “mas cool ‘pag my Ice,” which in English translates to “cooler with Ice”.

Meanwhile, the filters use face-swapping technology to let fans own that ‘cooler’ element in their own way by inserting their faces over choice characters in popular online films and literally turning themselves into a meme. These filters were inspired by two out of the three launch films for Mountain Dew Ice which puts some of the most famous local memes and viral content.

Mikey Rosales, the marketing director at PepsiCo, shared that there has been an outpouring of engagement and praise for the “mas Cool ‘Pag may ice” campaign presenting such a bold and unconventional take on modern Filipino meme-culture.

“From polarizing online debates to the full-on explosion of fandoms—the reception of all three videos has been absolutely thrilling, to say the least,” said Rosales.

David Guerrero, BBDO’s creative chairman, said that they wanted to create something that was not just funny and attention-grabbing but resonated very strongly with the market.

“Mountain Dew Philippines is very much tapped into youth culture. And with all of us consuming and generating more memes and viral content than ever, it felt fitting to capture this generation’s spirit through the lens of the Internet,” said Guerrero.

Manila, Philippines – The global pandemic has pushed the majority to tune in to digital channels to be entertained, including music streaming. With the greater majority of these listeners being under the Gen Z and millennial demographic, their diverse perspectives on music streaming content can be tapped by advertisers, as the latest insights from Spotify shows in retrospect of the Philippine market.

Part of the influencing factor many young Filipinos are streaming audio content more than ever is due to reasons around having it as a ‘mental escape’. For instance, the survey noted that the respondents have listened to songs from the ‘70s 59% more and songs from the ‘80s 40% more as a way to lean on to a ‘nostalgic feeling’. Furthermore, about 87% of millennials and 85% of Gen Z’s locally say that they listen to audio to reduce their stress levels. Lastly, around 76% of Filipino millennials see audio as a mental health resource.

In line with this, the survey recommends brands to align any of their sponsored content to a more ‘comforting’ zone, noting that this creates a positive association with the type of audio we are listening to. Furthermore, the survey also emphasizes the significance of the rise of podcasts, which can be used by brands to promote podcast episode snippets to inform listeners and increase curiosity.

“Listeners are more receptive when messaging matches their mood. Consider millennials’ nostalgic listening experience and lean into contextual targeting to match their vibe,” Spotify said in a statement.

And with audio now having a more ‘emotional’ attachment to these younger generations, respondents are now more positive in democratizing live experiences concerning audio content. About 65% of the respondents say that they prefer connecting with other music fans around the world through a live-streamed concert, while 35% prefer connecting with their favorite local artist and fellow fans through a physical concert.

In addition, 51% of the respondents now prefer virtual concerts in contrast to the 42% of respondents preferring physical concerts, stating that virtual concerts are far more cheaper and more convenient.

The survey also noted that as part of democratizing these audio experiences to a wider audience, brands are advised to think more of the consumer base’s interests, not what they are made of. For instance, gamers who are long stereotyped for the male demographic, are now expanding into the female demographic.

“Gamers are focused on scoring when they’re deep in play mode, but they also use time spent gaming to learn and discover new things, from podcasts to playlists. Take your targeting to the next level by reaching gamers of both generations in real-time while they’re soundtracking their gaming,” the company added.

A larger part of the democratization of live experiences in audio content is due to the wave of fanbases rallying support behind these artists and content creators, with 39% of the respondents saying they have known their favorite music artists or podcast creators via social media. Other factors include knowing them from an existing artist (15%), streaming service recommendation (11%), friend recommendation (9%), and as seen from a movie or TV show (8%).

“Gen Zs and millennials are not just consumers, they’re creators. Pull back the curtain and give your audience a backstage pass to your brand’s creative process — and the opportunity to be part of it,” they commented.

Lastly, Filipino Gen Z’s and millennials understand that part of their diverse audio listening experience comes from amplifying unheard perspectives from societal sectors that are not given amplification back then to represent themselves. Around 62% of millennials and 58% of Gen Z’s in the Philippines said they’ve sought more content from more diverse creators and podcasts in the last year.

In addition, 68% of Filipino Gen Z’s believe they have more freedom to be their authentic selves than previous generations.

“As voices behind the mic become increasingly diverse, the audio medium is resonating with a wider audience — the fruits of which are already starting to change the industry,” Spotify stated.

The platform added, “[Gen] Zs are the most racially and culturally diverse generation yet, and they expect brands to reflect, represent, and empower them through their campaigns, talent partnerships, and participation in social justice movements.”

Manila, Philippines – Local-based export startup 1Export has announced that it has raised US$800k in seed funding, which will be used to scale the company’s operations to Indonesia.

Said funding was led by Foxmont Capital Partners, as well as participation from a consortium from the Manila Angel Investors Network and Kerubin Capital, IdeaSpace Foundation, Singapore-based Iterative and other private investors.

Through the funding, 1Export aims to develop and improve its order handling capabilities, marketing services, financing, and other third-party integrations within its platform. Its lifetime revenue of US$1.5m and service availability in 23 countries warranted interest from the investors.

For Mel Nava, founder and CEO of 1Export, the latest funding will help scale their tech platform and services to ultimately support Filipinos MSMEs, contribute to Philippine exports, and create a distinctly Filipino footprint in other markets.

“Businesses all over the world are evolving at a rapid pace, even amidst a global crisis, thanks to technology. It’s time that businesses in the Philippines, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises, keep up with this digital transformation as well,” Nava stated.

First founded in 2016, 1Export had recently generated around US$500k or ₱25m in export sales, accounting for 0.2% of the total Philippine exports. It currently lists 450 supplier partners on its platform and distributes an overall volume of 4,000 tonnes of products, which are a mix of food and non-food products.

Meanwhile, according to Daniel Remo, chief operating officer of 1Export, with the spirit of ‘bayanihan’ or the Filipino equivalent of helping out one another amid this pandemic crisis, 1Export targets to enable Filipino businesses to go global. 

“In the ever-changing landscape of e-commerce, we hope to be able to provide solutions that not only fit the needs of the here and now but to radically transform how Filipino businesses think of exporting,” Remo stated.

Nava added, “Our goal is to help Filipinos all over the world start and run a business, selling products that they’re proud of without having to go through the complexities of exporting. We’re glad we’re able to do so through our tech platforms over the past five years. We’re ready to accelerate our operations and improve our solutions so that we can aid more Filipino entrepreneurs, even during a global pandemic.”

1Export vets Filipino products to be cross-border compliant, allowing local businesses to follow the regulations of the market they want to explore or expand to. The company also offers all-around exporting services such as compliance documentation, product labeling, logistics, export facilitation, and intensive business matching.

Manila, Philippines – Shopee Philippines will be holding its Shopee University Summit for the second time. The summit, which had its inaugural run last May this year, aims to further support sellers as e-commerce takes on a significant role in the global retail landscape. Interested viewers can catch the webinar on 18 September 2021 at 9 am via Shopee Live or Shopee’s official Facebook page. 

With the virtual resource, Shopee aims to equip business owners with the right tools and sufficient knowledge to embrace e-commerce and use it to scale their business. The Shopee University Summit will discuss relevant skills for SMEs such as developing the right business branding, product photography skills, and leveraging Shopee tools and social media platforms to promote their businesses.

The speaker line-up includes Rhea Matute, executive director at Design Center of the Philippines, Mia Mendoza, seller education lead at Shopee Philippines, Agatha Chua, head of community at Shopee Philippines, and Robenson T. Ong Lo, vice president at CameraHaus as well as Carmella Peña, brand manager of PULUZ Philippines, and Jillian Co, branch operator of Human Nature Manila Branch.

Martin Yu, director of Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is committed to helping micro, small, and medium enterprises seamlessly transition and maximize the potential of e-commerce. We are excited to launch the second Shopee University Summit to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary knowledge and marketing tools they need to succeed as online retail evolves.” 

He adds, “These entrepreneurs invested time and effort, and we want to ensure they have the right resources and support to build a sustainable business. Shopee will continue to come up with innovative initiatives to further strengthen our support for our partner brands and local sellers.” 

For 2020, Shopee continues to be the top e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, where it came out as the most visited with average web traffic of 281,385,626 for the year. 

Manila, Philippines – In a bid to ascertain a data-driven approach in the Philippine out-of-home (OOH) industry, programmatic OOH company Moving Walls and the Out of Home Advertising Association of the Philippines (OHAAP) had recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), entailing OHAAP to utilize Moving Walls’ platform to step up measurement, transparency, and accountability for OOH.

The agreement will enable OHAAP member companies owning billboard panels, LED screens, and other outdoor advertising platforms to have a valuable and easily accessible audience measurement, which makes planning static and digital sites easier, and provide the weight necessary to justify OOH ad spends.

Furthermore, members will be able to plan static and digital OOH (DOOH) campaigns more holistically while adopting a data-first approach to its programmatic campaigns with advanced capabilities such as dynamic ad-content serving, audience retargeting, use of various triggers such as weather and time-belting.

“Having a common currency makes the medium more responsible. Advertisers know exactly what they are spending for and this helps to generate trust. Location Intelligence strengthens the OOH media platform as an effective media channel, which aligns it to other measured media such as TV, Radio, Print, and Digital. This agreement ushers in the era of digital and uplift the profile of the OOH industry and deliver substantial value to clients of various revenue sizes,” according to Alex Montanez, chairman at OHAAP.

The development is also seen as a positive reinforcement of the goal of the Media Specialists Association of the Philippines (MSAP), establishing a common OOH currency using the ad-tech company’s data. Previously, Moving Walls had also teamed up with MSAP for OOH measurement solutions.

OHAAP President Ramil Gutierrez comments, “The OHAAP Board is delighted to partner with Moving Walls Philippines to provide OHAAP members with transparency, accountability, and measurability to its campaigns through the use of location intelligence. It’s about time our members level up the playing field and experience the full potential of planning and buying OOH media.”

By connecting to Moving Walls network of 35,000 global connected sites, member companies will be able to plan Outernet campaigns in an automated manner as the platform enables the collection of location intelligence data for both static and digital outdoor media sites.

“We are moving forward into digital transformation and we at Moving Walls commit to further support OHAAP and its members not just with data but also with advanced capabilities needed to future-proof itself,” said Norman Davadilla, CEO of Moving Walls Philippines. “Our next step in planning is to onboard OHAAP members, equip and enable them to understand and utilize the Moving Walls tech stack,” Gutierrez adds.

Manila, Philippines – Allenie Caccam, the head of marketing of AirAsia in the Philippines, is adding podcast hosting to her list of credentials. Caccam just launched her own podcast ‘The Middle Manager Show’ which tackles real-life challenges of being a middle manager.

“Before we become CEOs, we are middle managers after all,” said the podcast’s ‘About’ on Spotify. 

The show is already three episodes in, with the pilot podcast launching on 23 August. For its latest episode, Caccam conversed with top corporate consultant in the Philippines and Apprentice Asia winner, Jonathan Yabut. 

When asked why focus on management instead of marketing in the podcast, Caccam shared to MARKETECH APAC, “There are tons of books and articles that talk about marketing, but there’s not a lot on middle management. While training my team [at AirAsia], especially those who just got promoted to manager, I realized there are certain skills that I thought were natural, but apparently were not and when I dug deeper, I realized managing in the middle is more complex than it looks.” 

Admittedly an introvert, Caccam shared that more than the medium appealing to her natural strength as a person, she chose podcast because she believes a podcast is able to create the environment “where you are listening to a friend speaking over the phone,” and that in that way, it seems more personal and intimate.

Caccam adds, “I want to create that space where the show sounds like your usual pantry session where you exchange [pieces of] advice with your workmates.” 

Caccam entered AirAsia in 2014, and prior to landing her marketing head role in the airline, she assumed the position marketing manager and senior manager for international marketing.

She shared that topics she discusses in the podcast are actually topics she has already touched base with her team in AirAsia first. 

“They are willing guinea pigs and I am so grateful to them. Because we have a direct relationship, aside from the topics discussed in the show, I do have one-on-ones with them so the mentoring is still personalized,” shared Caccam.

Each episode of the podcast is less than 30 minutes in order to, Caccam said, cater to the fast-paced schedule of managers. The topics are picked based on information gathered from an initial survey of new managers, and those who are already head of departments which range from discussing the basics of the middle manager’s dilemma to navigating the first six months as a new manager. 

According to Caccam, the show would probably be less than 20 episodes for the first season, but the idea is that topics will also mature with the audience with the assumption that they are also growing in their role.

“Possibly the topics can tackle more complicated [or] complex situations in the future! Right now, it’s testing the market. It’s a new podcast, barely a month in, but what I really love is it has an average of 80% retention, so those who are listening are really interested!” shared Caccam.

In January this year, MARKETECH APAC sat down for a virtual interview with Caccam on MARKETECH Mondays to get to know her career journey in marketing. 

In the interview, she shared her philosophy in leadership, “I always make it a point to be more self-aware [because of that perspective]. For example, if your team is not doing well, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not good, but also because maybe, it’s your style of leading them, and maybe there’s something more that you need to do from your end so they could do better.”

Manila, Philippines – Dating app Bumble, the disruptor in the dating scene founded in 2014, has released its first-ever campaign for the Philippines. The app currently has presence globally in 150 countries, where in Southeast Asia, it’s present in markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The campaign titled ‘Make the First Move’ is the first-ever communications of the brand in the country.

With the emergence of the internet, dating apps, in recent years, have become increasingly popular among young people, embracing it as a go-to opportunity to meet and mingle with other people.

Bumble, the women-first dating and networking app, has just released its first brand campaign for the Philippines, which seeks to empower women to take charge of their dating lives.

Bumble enables women to send the first message to start a conversation with a match, setting the tone for ‘kind’ and more ‘respectful’ communication and relationships.

The new campaign, which was created in collaboration with integrated marketing agency MullenLowe Singapore, aims to showcase Bumble’s mission to challenge traditional gender norms by encouraging women to make the first move.

The ‘Make the First Move’ film highlights how taking charge in dating can be exciting, empowering, and fun for women. Staying true to its mission for women, the production for the campaign was also women-led, shot by a crew with over 70% women representation.

Lucille McCart, Bumble’s director for APAC, believes that equitable relationships are key to a happy and healthy life. 

“This campaign shows that while putting yourself out there to make the first move can be taking yourself out of your comfort zone, it can also lead to feeling more empowered, more confident, and making meaningful connections that can lead to lasting relationships,” said McCart.

Bumble believes the campaign comes at a time when Filipinos are leaning into virtual dating, given the impact of the pandemic and strict lockdowns. According to the platform, about 30% of people on Bumble in the Philippines said they want to date virtually only, while a further 42% said they are open to socially distanced dating, with just 25% still preferring to date in real life. 

The film will run across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as TikTok, and local OTT platforms throughout September 2021.

Manila, Philippines – B2B tech platform Zilingo which offers commerce solutions to businesses and retailers, has launched Zilingo Digitize in the Philippines. The new solution is a cloud-based SaaS to help brands & distributors digitize their distribution needs. 

Zilingo Digitize adds to the line of product offerings of the tech platform which includes, among others, Zilingo Trade, which aims to bring a seamless process in the bulk-buying and -selling of ready-made (RMG) and made-to-order (MTO) goods as well as Zilingo Factory, an MES software for the garment industry that helps factories increase efficiency and reduce waste.

Shiela Mauricio, the platform’s country manager in the Philippines, said that Zilingo is reimagining the entire supply chain and is aggregating all parties within the same platform by offering services and software that can help businesses do better. 

“This has been the brand’s focus since day one,” Mauricio said.

Meanwhile, Dhruv Kapoor, the co-founder & CTPO of Zilingo, said that the company remains committed to bringing new tools, technology, and innovation that will unleash the entrepreneurial spirit in the Philippines, boost exports from the country and build greater supply chain transparency to reduce cost and wastage.

“With the internet and technology becoming an integral part of our lives, we see a massive opportunity to empower MSMEs across the country and Zilingo is dedicated to being a catalyst for progress and innovation,” said Kapoor. 

The platform further comments that with its direct access to raw material suppliers, manufacturers, and brands, it is able to offer MSMEs the means to achieve product quality, quantity, and availability, and better pricing models.

Manila, Philippines – Security Bank Corporation’s consumer finance arm, SB Finance Corporation (SBF), has partnered with Grab Philippines to offer personal loans to Grab users, driver-partners, and merchant-partners through Grab’s superapp.

The partnership will enable Grab users to apply for an SB Finance personal loan of up to ₱2M with payment terms of up to 36 months. It aims to support Grab’s diverse ecosystem and provide more value-added products for a targeted market segment while growing its loan portfolio. 

The loan application will be through an online process and applicants can expect funds to be released in five days.

“Our strategic partnership with Grab Philippines aims to assist Filipinos by conveniently extending personal loans for their needs. We’re optimistic that Grab users, driver, delivery, and merchant-partners will be able to experience a holistic digital lending experience as we navigate the new normal,” said Abbie Casanova, SB Finance’s CEO and president.

Meanwhile, Erwin Yamsuan, Grab’s head of financial services for the Philippines, shared that the superapp has strived to provide value to consumers and stakeholders and empower them by leveraging its technology and offering its suite of reliable and convenient products and services. 

“The partnership with SB Finance will give our users more access to much-needed financing which they can use to pursue business plans, do home improvement, or pay for health emergencies, among others. We hope that through these loans, consumers can sustain or improve their quality of life, especially during this pandemic,” said Yamsuan.

Grab said that through its Grab Financial Group, it will be offering several financial products to its driver, delivery, and merchant partners. These include offline and online loans, purchase financing, and postpaid fuel cards for driver-partners. It will also offer working capital loans for merchants. 

On the consumer side, Grab also has its PayLater service that allows consumers to pay for Grab services a month later, in one monthly bill, while GrabPay will also be giving its users a more rewarding experience as consumers earn GrabRewards points for their purchases using the service. These points can then be used to avail of discounts, and deals on Grab-related services and other merchant partners.