Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – Courier services in the Philippines, whether for food deliveries or for package logistics, have been an integral part of the Filipino e-commerce shopping. With the heightened usage locally, media intelligence and insights company Isentia has recently published a study noting the local status of courier players, and how their ups and downs can help them strive for local competition.

The Philippine arm of Grab has seen its fair share of the positive limelight after it capitalized on the infamous ‘lugaw incident’, which other brands have also banked into. For context, last 31 March, a law enforcer confronted a GrabFood driver for delivering lugaw, a local rice porridge meal that the latter deemed non-essential, which has earned flak from netizens. 

Grab banked on this trend by releasing a promo that uses the code “LUGAWISESSENTIAL”, generously applying no delivery charges off their GrabFood orders.

On the other hand, food delivery courier foodpanda in the Philippines had a minor backlash from the Filipino netizens following its partnership with fast-food chain McDonalds last 20 March for a ‘50% discount for food purchases’. Netizens were quick to point to the misleading promo campaign, as the fine print of the campaign said that the maximum discount for the purchase is capped at PHP75. 

According to Isentia, compared to just headlining ‘max PHP75 off of your food purchase’, consumers will still see this as a win and will prompt more positive feedback than complaints from being misled to getting a smaller discount. Said promo debacle garnered 5,176 buzz during the day it was announced.

“Delivery services are now needed more than ever. But what delivery service should you avail? This trendspotting report incorporates the inputs of all consumers and translating them not just into actionable insights that brands can use, but also into informed decisions consumers can make when choosing which delivery courier is best for them,” Francis Angelo Calucin, insights analyst at Isentia Philippines said.

On a different spectrum, local courier Lalamove has prevailed in the local market due to its recognition of its employees who strive in their work even during the pandemic. However, many netizens are disappointed with the company’s culture of employees only receiving low standard rates and insufficient incentives.

Just recently, a Facebook group called “Lalamove Riders Group” has been flooded by mixed sentiments with engaged netizens commenting and contributing to discussions. With over 18,000 members, it serves as space for Lalamove riders to share and exchange information regarding company updates and their own experiences as drivers for Lalamove.

Meanwhile, a new local courier player has been noted to stand out from its competitors due to its unique offering of online franchising. With ads suggesting that one can earn up to PHP60k a month, it is not a wonder why app downloads reached 153,644 within just four months from its launch. According to Isentia data, there was a total of 1,898 buzz and Toktok-associated mentions in March 2021.

According to Victoria Bernadette Lazo, insights analyst at Isentia Philippines, the e-commerce and logistics industries have boomed and continued to thrive, and with tighter community quarantine guidelines in the country, more people realize the convenience of having things delivered to their doorstep.

“Now, more than ever, is the right time for e-commerce companies to listen in on the buzz surrounding their industry. On top of listening, these companies need to look for ways to make the conversations work in their favor,” Lazo stated.

Rowelyn Bigaya, insights analyst at Isentia Philippines, added that brands have shifted towards a more digital aspect so customers can buy their products from the convenience and safety of their homes amidst the pandemic. 

“Despite contact restrictions and lockdown regulations, companies could continue operation and provide jobs while adapting to the new normal. The use of trendspotting studies will highlight how brands can leverage the potential of digital transformation and optimize conversations to understand and cater to the needs of the public,” Bigaya stated.

Manila, Philippines – As more and more Filipinos are getting more engaged in social media, everyone of us finds whatever we need online, from food necessities and essentials to finding new connections. However, the irony of social media is evident with the existence of ads and countless content that the user may not actually find useful for them.

Such a dilemma is the objective for AppZaloot, the new super-app expanding to the Philippines, aims to erase, bringing back the ‘human’ in humanity, and making connecting online more meaningful through local connections and presenting only what matters to the user.

Founded by Max Thomas in 2016, the app does not collect data from its users without their full consent, allowing them to use social media without worrying if their privacy is being compromised.

“We understand that most people don’t want to have their data used by social media companies, regardless if the data will be used for good intentions such as creating targeted ads and personalizing their feeds to enhance their social media experience,” Thomas said.

He added, “That’s why in AppZaloot, we value our users’ privacy by not collecting and sharing their data without their full consent, allowing them to see and enjoy how social media should really be done.”

The greater asset of AppZaloot is it uses geolocation-based technology, which enables the users on the app’s local feed to interact with other users in their area, as near as 1km from where they are to up to 25km. This feature allows users to engage with their neighbors, strengthening community ties, providing help where it’s needed, and disseminating relevant local news and updates. 

Having a separate feed for their local community enables users to control what they want to see and when they want to see them as well, as opposed to getting ads and updates that other social media platforms integrate into their users’ feed.

The choice of ads on the platform is only heavily based on the app’s local advertising feed, where users can check local establishments for accommodation, entertainment, local services, food, trades, and shopping. Having a dedicated feed just for ads ensures that users’ feeds are not clogged with pointless and irrelevant ads.

In addition, a private friends feed is also present in the app, where users can view what their friends are up to, which allows them to focus on communicating with their friends and family, bringing back what it means to be social on social media.

Part of the app’s features is the global feed that allows users to follow their favorite celebrities, influencers, businesses, and their other interests. In contrast to the local and private friends’ feeds, users can check out their favorite content and enhance their interests and hobbies through the global feed.

Lastly, AppZaloot will also feature an emergency system that sends out alerts to users based on their local area, ranging from COVID-19 outbreaks, traffic accidents to bad weather.

In a press conference, AppZaloot revealed that they will be preparing to launch its very own crypto tokens called Zaloots, the pre-sale of which will be available by the end of June. Said tokens can be tradeable on several international decentralized crypto exchanges. This will be eventually integrated into AppZaloot’s upcoming loyalty program, as well as used on the app for payments and rewards.

Manila, Philippines – Tier One Entertainment, Philippine-headquartered esports talent agency for SEA, has landed a major partnership with media investment company GroupM with an aim to make advertising more inclusive in the esports industry, specifically to open up esports and gaming content to more mainstream brands. 

GroupM owns some of the top agencies internationally, such as Mindshare, Mediacom, and Essence, and holds global FMCG brand accounts like P&G, Unilever, Nestle, and Colgate-Palmolive, and Pepsico. Through this partnership, both GroupM and Tier One look to lead the way in extending advertising opportunities to more brands, and not just those that are esports-dedicated. 

Despite its rise as a phenomenon, esports and gaming largely remain an endemic sponsor-dominated industry, especially in Southeast Asia. Tier One hopes that with GroupM’s considerable network and resources, they can work to change this and bring more eyes to the industry and their talents.

Tier One is the first and only esports and gaming company GroupM has partnered with in the Philippines, and with this, the company will be onboarded into GroupM’s content platform INCA which streamlines the selling and buying of Tier One’s commercial inventory.

When Tier One launched in the country, one of its core goals is to bridge the gap between gaming and mainstream. The company said that GroupM is the perfect partner to enable them to pursue that goal more actively than ever. 

“It’s been a long-term goal of Tier One Entertainment to partner with GroupM. We are glad to have reached a point wherein our backend team can experience working with the best and brightest in the advertising industry. We look forward to a productive and meaningful working relationship as we bring esports and gaming to the forefront of mainstream advertising,” said Joanne Llavore, CCO of Tier One Entertainment. 

Meanwhile, Laurent Goirand, head of digital at GroupM, commented, “Seeing the growing interest for e-sports in the Philippines, it is naturally becoming a new venue for our clients to reach out to new customers. With our partnership with Tier One, we are able to have access to premium content and a team of experts, which will be highly beneficial to our overall proposition. We are already starting to offer this new content to all our clients through INCA, our Content Performance solution.”

Tier One shared that the partnership comes at an opportune time, as it looks to expand to more countries in 2021 and in the future. GroupM is believed to be instrumental in mirroring the model of success that Tier One pioneered in the Philippines to other countries across the region, with the partnership expected to allow Tier One to scale up at an unprecedented rate.

Tier One’s CEO Tryke Gutierrez said, “While we have made great strides towards bringing gaming and esports to more mainstream audiences, the fact that a company like GroupM chose us as a partner is a real game-changer. This shows that the advertising industry is finally confident and believes in the power of esports in Southeast Asia.”

Manila, Philippines – As the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country, pandemic-relevant items such as face masks, face shields, and hand sanitizers have surged in demand. With this new ‘essentials’ in market, a new study from media monitoring and insights solution provider Isentia notes that Philippine retailers need to listen to the clamor of consumers regarding these essentials, especially through social media channels.

Isentia notes that face masks have naturally garnered high attention from the general public on social media, as buzz online has peaked at 75,715 impressions at least during March 2021. The demand has been also amplified with three local events, as follows:

  • The initial announcement from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) last 13 March where the agency stated that face masks should be worn, even inside of their homes. The statement was met with ridicule from the general public on social media, stating that wearing face masks at home was unnecessary. Some had sarcastic reactions saying that they should then wear masks while bathing, that policemen should be assigned inside their homes to monitor, and that they might as well require wearing a face shield at home.
  • A video of a woman onboard the Metro Rail Transit-3 Train line (MRT-3) last 23 March was met with outrage from netizens after not wearing a face mask and face shield on board the train, where she was met with confrontation from other passengers.
  • An online news report from 30 March stated that people from the English territory Gibraltar are no longer wearing masks due to the absence of COVID-19 cases in the territory. Filipino netizens perceived the news in awe and envy, while others expressed skepticism on how the Philippine Government has been handling the pandemic in the country.

In addition, Isentia notes that the most discussed face masks in the country are N95 masks and the brand Coppermask, as many netizens complain online about using disposable surgical masks when wearing makeup. Some netizens reacted negatively towards the Philippines’ vaccine expert panel’s suggestion that wearing two face masks reduces the risk of getting COVID-19 by 90%. Others praised Doc Adam, an Australian doctor and YouTube personality, for his critique of the Coppermask – saying that wearing the mask is just a fashion statement for most people. 

“Since the pandemic, what the public deems as essential has very much shifted. Masks are now a must-have and retailers and producers have found ways to cater to different tastes,” said Victoria Bernadette Lazo, insights manager at Isentia Philippines.

In regards to face shields, conversations about them were driven by multiple events during the month of March, garnering a total of 43,599 total buzz during the month. The highest momentum was on the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III who went out on the streets of Baclaran to hand out face shields. The majority of the comments were highly unfavorable in nature, with netizens dubbing that it was a ‘failed PR attempt’ for the government arm and its top official.

Lastly, ‘hand sanitizers’ garnered 1,605 total buzz in the social media. One news article that included the mention of sanitizers struck out on 13 March when Thailand Prime Minister Paruth Chan-ocha sprayed hand sanitizer on the reporters of his press conference to avoid answering questions. Filipino commenters still found a way to correlate the news to Philippine government leaders such as President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo. 

“With the threat of COVID-19 still lingering, you can never underestimate any measure when it comes to your safety. A lot of luxuries were taken away from us but what we still have is a choice, an option to choose your face masks, face shields and even the hand sanitizer that goes along with your bag,” Francis Angelo Calucin, insights analyst at Isentia Philippines, said.

The report uses the example of Coppermask which engaged in a so-called ‘Streisand effect’, where the brand attempted to hide, remove, or censor information about negative reviews of their product, such as those of Australian doctor/YouTuber Doc Adam, which in return has the unintended consequence of further publicizing that information, often via the Internet.

“Social media, given its volatile nature, is a good avenue for retail brands to gain insights into customer preferences. Amid the clutter in online platforms, trendspotting reports unlock relevant organic conversations that may be leveraged by brands in devising strategies that will impact their consumers.” Kate Dudang, insights manager at Isentia Philippines, explained. 

Meanwhile, Gladys Mae Ruiz, insights analyst at Isentia Philippines added, “A critical situation like the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed human behavior in different directions. Trendspotting studies such as this will help brands and businesses better understand and respond to the ever-changing consumer behaviour.”

Manila, Philippines – As the company maintains its growth momentum for its financial results of the first quarter this year, China-based online education platform 51Talk has tapped the talents of top Philippine celebrity Maine Mendoza as its first-ever celebrity brand ambassador in the country

Mendoza has been a well-known television personality in the Philippines, most notably for her appearance as ‘Yaya Dub’ in the variety and public service segment ‘Juan For All, All For Juan’ of popular noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’, which aired on GMA Network. She has been recognized as the most tweeted Filipino celebrity in the world in 2017, and enjoys wide influence on the internet, earning her title as the ‘Social Media Queen’.

“51Talk has the best training systems so whether you’ll be teaching full time or part time, you will be ready to hold classes in the comforts of your home in no time,” the 26-year-old actress said.

Announced last 12 May Mendoza’s 51Talk ambassadorship has become a trending topic among Filipino netizens, with the hashtag #MaineFor51Talk trending on Twitter, reaching more than 30,000 tweets in the Philippines.

“Maine Mendoza is a well-known Filipino actress and social media influencer. Her appointment can further strengthen our brand recognition in the country. I look forward to continuing to execute our mission to deliver long term benefits to all stakeholders,” said Jack Jiajia Huang, founder, chairman and CEO at 51Talk.

Mendoza’s stint comes as 51Talk celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. 

At the annual strategic meeting held in Beijing last March, 51Talk announced plans to build a comprehensive yet tailor-made English education system, while committing to empowering its learners with qualified teaching resources and teachers.

In addition to the platform’s fiscal success, 51Talk has also achieved national-level recognition for its efforts over the past years in promoting Sino-Philippine people-to-people exchanges.

“Remarkably, our net revenues from K12 one-on-one mass market offering grew 36.0 percent compared to first quarter last year,” Huang said, adding that the performance was mainly driven by an increase in the number of active students.

To date, the number of active students reached 393,000, which is a 37 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020.

Manila, Philippines – In an attempt to bring an overall message to the general populace amid the pandemic, Philippine-born fast food chain Jollibee has launched its first-ever global campaign centered on the message of finding joy and love amid the tumultuous times brought by the pandemic.

Jollibee which was put up in the 70’s is the biggest and leading fast food chain in the Philippines, and is continuously making a name globally with new international openings coming after another. To date, it already has 1,300 chains worldwide, with the latest branches in Maryland, USA, and in Leicester Square in London. 

With its wide presence, Jollbee has always made it a point to touch the hearts of consumers through localized narratives, making sure that messages are one with cultural values. This time, due to the call of the global pandemic, the brand has moved to delivering a unified communication in order to bring the message of hope to everyone amid these hard times.

Titled ‘A Message From The Future’, the ad narrates the story of a migrant Filipino family in New York City who, like million others around the globe, have felt the brunt of the pandemic. Set in the future year2060, the first half of the campaign shows the various faces of the pandemic effects, such as job loss, losing loved ones due to the virus, as well as the mother of the family getting infected as well. 

Jollibee stresses that despite all of these losses, the family has found joy and love in the mid of their hardships, focusing on the importance of togetherness. In addition, the campaign signifies the transition of fear into hope by the color grading of the film from monochrome black to a colored one. The campaign concludes with the grandfather telling her granddaughter that one ‘could never take anything for granted’.

For Francis Flores, country marketing head at Jollibee Food Corporation Philippines and marketing head at Jollibee Philippines, the brand aims that through this campaign, they are able to help others find a ‘silver lining’ in these hard times, true to Jollibee’s core value of the joy of family.

“Coming from a powerful truth that we are spending time with our families more than ever, it has never happened before and may never happen again – we wanted this campaign to acknowledge the grim reality of the current pandemic but still give a positive message of hope. It’s all about appreciating these moments with them and finding the ultimate joy with family. Our families have been a comforting factor for most of us in these tough times and we wanted everyone to be grateful for that,” Flores explained.

In producing the campaign, Jollibee chose creative agency BBH Singapore to transition into a global approach.

Sascha Kuntze, chief creative officer at BBH Singapore, commented, “We got a little tired of seeing empty streets and locked up places in commercials. The pandemic was and is a lot more personal. To really make an impact we wanted to show a perspective nobody had explored before.”

The campaign was directed by Law Chen of Stink Films Shanghai, and was shot in New York City.

Prior to this, Jollibee’s home market has also recently released a campaign in line with Jollibee’s new ‘Family Thanksgiving’ month initiative, which was launched to encourage everyone to always appreciate and be thankful for their families.

Manila, Philippines – Global payment solutions company Mastercard in the Philippines has recently appointed Simon Calasanz, former executive vice president and head of consumer lending at commercial bank Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), to be its new country manager.

Calasanz brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Aside from his position at RCBC, he also became the president at credit card issuance industry association Credit Card Association of the Philippines, and the senior vice president and head of sales at multinational bank HSBC Group’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management department.

In his new role, Calasanz will be responsible for accelerating the acceptance and usage of digital payments, especially for smaller merchants and businesses, while also expanding on Mastercard’s ongoing digital and financial inclusion initiatives in the country. He will also be boosting the uptake of contactless card payments and strengthening the company’s proposition as a multi-rail payments technology company.

“Calasanz’s ‘digital-first’ business acumen and two-decades long career in the Philippines payments industry will support the company to double down on work with partners in different industries,” said Mastercard Philippines.

Commenting on his appointment, Calasanz said, “In my previous positions, I’ve seen first-hand the important contributions that Mastercard has made to the Philippines economy. I look forward to advancing Mastercard’s commitment to creating a digitized interoperable world and introducing new technologies that will allow the Philippines to leapfrog some of the traditional stages of digital payments and become a leader in cashless payments in the region.”

Meanwhile, Ari Sarker, the co-president of Mastercard APAC, commented that Calasanz is an invaluable addition to Mastercard’s leadership team in the Philippines, as he brings with him unrivalled experience in the country’s finance and banking sector and a wealth of knowledge and strategic insights about the intricacies of the market and consumers.

“Simon will support Mastercard in doubling down on efforts to build an inclusive and digitized economy in the Philippines, while enabling customers and partners to better prepare for economic recovery and growth,” said Sarker.

The appointment of Calasanz comes as Rowell Del Fierro, former country manager, completes a distinguished tenure with Mastercard.

Manila, Philippines – Super-app Grab in the Philippines has launched ‘GrabBayanihan Vaccination Support Program’, to help increase vaccine access and education for Filipinos. 

The program aims to encourage all consumers, drivers, and delivery partners to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Through this, Grab will work closely with the national and local government units and leverage its ground fleet network and app.

Grab will be subsidizing COVID-19 vaccinations for the driver and delivery partners who are not covered by the national vaccination program. It will also be launching a specialized car fleet composed of vaccinated driver-partners to provide discounted mobility services to senior citizens and high-risk Filipinos going to and from vaccination centers.

Furthermore, Grab will also work with the Department of Health (DOH) to provide accurate vaccine and other public health information within dedicated high-visibility spaces in the Grab app to combat misinformation and boost public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. The super-app will launch a ‘COVID-19 Snap Survey’, which will enable DOH to gather real-time data on vaccine sentiment and conduct a series of workshops and town halls to educate Filipinos on getting vaccinated.

Grab Philippines’ country head Grace Vera Cruz said, “Now that we are gradually striving towards socio-economic recovery, we believe that the vaccination efforts from both the private and public sectors provide much-needed hope for many of our kababayans (fellow citizens). Through Grab Philippines’ technology, platform, and partnerships, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting livelihoods and helping the recovery of our communities.”

This year, Grab has also shown its commitment to vaccination efforts in Indonesia. It has been using its platform as an educational channel to fight misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine and has been opening new vaccination centers in different parts of the country, including Bali and Banten Province.

Manila, Philippines – In an attempt to break the norm of failing grades equates to the end line of learning, Philippine-baed educational non-government organization Silid Aralan, Inc. (SAI) has partnered with local-based independent creative agency GIGIL to launch a new campaign to encourage academically-challenged students to rediscover their love for learning.

Titled ‘75under75’, the campaign encourages students who have a grade line of 75 and below to join their Ground Zero Program, an educational strategy that customizes their education to their passions, hobbies, and learning style, as well as immerse in supplemental learning methodologies that make underachievers excellent in school.

‘75under75’ draws comparison to well-known lists like from Forbes and Fortune where they publish their most influential and impactful achievers under the age of 40 and so on. For SAI, they would like to focus their resources on helping low-performing public school students, who are the bulk of the student population.

For SAI Founder and Chief Motivation Officer Arcie G. Mallari, uplifting the lives of children and their families requires “malasakit” and excellence. “Poor performing students, especially those who are from underprivileged communities, must be empowered to become not only achievers in school but more importantly productive citizens of our nation,” said Mallari. 

He explained that when education stakeholders work together, transformation in the lives of students happen. 

“Working with children, parents and partners for more than 10 years taught us the importance of having a common goal and of continuously innovating the way we implement our programs,” Mallari added.

As the submission of entries ended last 12 May, the students will be selected to a final list of 75 by a board of judges composed of: Diosdado M. San Antonio, DepEd undersecretary for curriculum and development; Ivan Henares, assistant professor at the University of the Philippines; and Reynaldo Antonio Laguda, president at Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Various individuals from the private sector will also join in the board of judges as well, from Smart Telecommunications, ABS-CBN and Monark Equipment.

Manila, Philippines – Shopee in the Philippines has launched anew this year’s National Food Fair, which had been originally introduced to support local businesses, done in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The National Food Fair was first launched in May 2020 and is being relaunched in 2021 to give micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) an online platform to showcase their products during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Following last year’s online set-up, consumers can find products such as jams, pastries, condiments, and more from local sellers starting from 10 to 16 May.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that we provide our local businesses with opportunities to bounce back and stay afloat. Shopee will continue to ramp up its efforts to plan initiatives that support local MSMEs and help them thrive on our platform. We invite our shoppers to support our local entrepreneurs this 10 to 16 May at the National Food Fair,” said Martin Yu, the director at Shopee Philippines. 

Meanwhile, Marievic M. Bonoan, Director at DTI – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, shared that they are working towards empowering MSMEs by expanding and increasing their access to economic opportunities. 

“We have partnered with Shopee to further bolster our support for Filipino MSMEs, especially during this pandemic. With the online National Food Fair, local businesses can promote their products on a larger scale and help them grow in the long run,” said Bonoan.

Last February, Shopee also launched #TatakPinoy: Buy Local, Support Local, a campaign that empowered local MSMEs by giving their products a spotlight on the platform, and other Shopee initiatives focused on online sellers to equip them with the necessary tools to monitor their business growth and development while providing them with knowledge on e-commerce and digital marketing.