Q1: You have many followers and are branded as Manila’s top fashion blogger. What inspired you to start blogging while you were still a student? Blogging came to me early on. In high school, I created a private blog that was only viewable by my closest friends so I could practice my love for graphic design and computers by creating […]
Q1: Fast food companies are already selling French fries bundled with their value meals. What made you decide that there is an opportunity to sell fries separately in kiosks? I think the idea or opportunity we saw was that there was a business selling snacks to people who are mobile and who need a companion food. That is why we, […]
Q1: What tools do you use as a guide to help spot opportunities and formulate the right business and marketing strategies? For Product Planning: Industry Scanning/Emerging Trends for new product development BCG Matrix (Revenue/Value/ Volume), Gross Margin, Market Share to assess performance of existing products For Marketing Plans Industry Analysis (Key Success Factors, Competitive Landscape, Emerging Trends) Brand DNA SWOT […]
Q1: You have been with Gardenia since its launch. What was your launch strategy and if you were to change something in the launch, what would that be and why? When Gardenia started in the Philippines in 1998, it marketed Cowhead milk and Gardenia loaves with its sales force selling more milk than bread. The company refocused its strategy in […]
Q1: CDO has become an aggressive force in the food industry. You have, in fact, launched the first canned corned tuna in the industry. What was the idea behind the product? The idea came about by thinking of the personal thing disliked most about the main competitor’s flakes in oil product, which is “in oil”. Canned products should be filled […]
Q1: How does the Filipino perceive the role of insurance in their lives? How does Malayan deal with these perceptions? Majority of Filipinos are unaware of insurance, and those who are aware might know only about life insurance. It is only after disasters such as Ondoy (and other calamities) that many people began to realize that there are other forms […]
Q1: Congratulations! You are one of the few Filipinos who have reached a regional president position in a major multinational company. Can you share with us the strengths of Filipinos as marketers? Creativity and the willingness to depart from the conventional way of doing things. I think this comes from a wellspring of making do with what is available. I […]
Q1: Can you share with us the brand DNA of Belle de Jour (BDJ) Power Planner? How does it differ from your Navi Planner? The target market of Belle de Jour Power Planner is the 20-35 year old female working professional. She balances multiple roles in her life. She has a strong desire to achieve and do things in style. […]
Q1: You have expanded from a shirt brand to a tourism brand. Please tell us what was the insight that led to this transformation? I first got the idea to go into the business of selling souvenir shirts from my travels – shirts were and continue to be the preferred souvenir as they’re light and practical. But many of the […]
Q1: Not many people know your history, but you actually took over FERN Inc. as a turnaround operation. Please tell us about your early days. We Bring Prosperity to Every Home by Tapping the Entrepreneur in Every Filipino. This is the vision, which the pioneers of FERN Inc. had when they first started in 2003. We envisioned uplifting the lives […]