Q1: I have known you since the mid 1990’s, when you were a young partner of a struggling start-up. Although it became successful, the map business was eventually dissolved after 5 years, what lessons did you learn from that early entrepreneurial experience? It’s been exactly 20 years since I met you, Josiah, when you mentored me and my friends on […]

This is continuation of our interview with Universal Robina Corporation’s Vice President-Marketing Edwin Totanes on Launching and Defending New Products. In this second part, Mr. Totanes generously shares about lessons he learned from failures. For Part 1 of his interview, click here Q7: One of your early marketing assignments was as brand manager of Procter and Gamble for Crest. While […]

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“Research results should be “used directionally” and not necessarily to be “followed directly” Edwin Totanes Q1: Congratulations on your winning the prestigious Agora Awards for marketing management from the Philippine Marketing Association last 2013. What do you consider are your biggest marketing achievements so far and why? I have selected 3 examples from my previous employment at a) Kraft Foods, Inc.; […]

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 […]

De La Salle University BSC- Management (1982) Gold Medal for Outstanding Leadership in Community Development Maryhill School of Theology Passed oral academic defense for M.A. Religious Studies Executive Scholar Kellogg School, Northwestern University  (for marketing and sales management) Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MIT Sloan (for strategy and innovation) Advance marketing and innovation programs at: University of Illinois at Chicago Wharton Business […]

Agora award, given by the Philippine Marketing Association (1994) Most Outstanding Entrepreneur, Quezon City Chamber of Commerce and Industry  (1997) Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines, given by Philippine Jaycees (2001) Dr. Jose Rizal Awards for Most Outstanding Tsinoy, given by the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Manila Times (2002, 1st batch) Ten […]

Record-breaking, bestselling author Josiah Go is the Chairman of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc. (the leading marketing and sales training company in the Philippines), and Chairman of Waters Philippines (the market leader in the direct selling of premium home water purifiers in the Philippines). He is Chairman / Vice Chairman / Director of over a dozen companies. Business Background Chairman of […]

The Mavericks: How 35 Marketing Rockstars Think, Strategize & Execute 2019 Best-Selling Book ‘The Mavericks’ features these 35 seasoned marketing experts generously sharing their thoughts and experiences on different aspects of marketing. 1. Strategy and Innovation New Category Strategy by Edgar Sia II, Chairman of Double Dragon Properties Growing Through Innovation by Jane Jimenez – Basas, President and CEO of Cignal TV 2. […]

I thank the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs (formerly Anvil Club) as well as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce for inviting me to give a talk about “Defending Your Turf” recently. The topic on defensive marketing has attracted a bit of attention as of late, especially among those with successful businesses. This type of marketing is different from […]

Josiah Go features the movers and shakers of the business world and writes about marketing, strategy, innovation, execution and entrepreneurship

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