Edie Acedera is the founder and managing director of Brandev Insights and Consulting, and co-author of Mommy Republic: Understanding the Filipino Millennial Moms. Prior to Brandev, Edie was the global consumer and market insight director at Unilever, based in Singapore. In this interview, she shares her insights into the evolving behaviors of Filipino consumers, and how marketers can effectively navigate cultural […]
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I walked into a meeting with a cup of Zu’s coffee in my hand. It was early December, when Starbucks lines grow longer and planners quietly signal participation in a shared ritual. The person beside me smiled and asked, “Do you like Zu? No Starbucks planner this year?” I laughed and answered honestly. The lines were too long for my […]
Leadership in Philippine business is being redefined. Beyond profits, executives are increasingly judged by their ability to innovate responsibly, build institutions, and contribute to inclusive growth amid digital disruption and global competition. “The scope of the awards grew because leadership in Philippine business has grown in depth and complexity. There is more innovation, more institution-building, and more long-term thinking than […]
Learning never stops. The author during a learning session, reinforcing his belief in lifelong learning. In marketing, what we know expires faster than we expect. Consumer behavior evolves, technology reshapes habits, and what once felt like hard-earned wisdom quietly loses relevance. That is why the most important skill in business today is not mastery, but the willingness and discipline to keep […]
December 26 often passes unnoticed in the Philippines. After all, the lechon is still here, and the holiday lull has settled in. But for Christians, it’s St. Stephen’s Day, a time to reflect not just on faith, but on how we serve others. I’m reminded of this most Sundays when I take my 92-year-old mother to St. Stephen Church. Every […]
Egypt’s Pharaoh faced ten plagues but refused to change. Each warning hardened his heart until destruction followed. Our modern plagues are not locusts or rivers of blood, but corruption, greed, and apathy, forces that destroy trust. For brands and organizations alike, repeated neglect erodes credibility and loyalty. False idols we serve today include: Organizations that worship these idols gradually lose […]
Marketers know the secret to loyalty: trust. Whether it’s a brand and its customers, a leader and a team, or a government and its citizens, trust drives engagement. Imagine if tax systems applied the same principle. Rethinking the Tax Experience For many entrepreneurs, taxes feel like a yearly hurdle: forms, rules, and the constant worry of penalties. The system often […]
If you’ve been watching the Philippines recently, you’ve likely noticed two powerful forces rising in parallel: civic protests demanding change and startups pushing for innovation. One speaks the language of activism, the other of disruption. But at their core, both are movements, fueled by belief, powered by people, and born from frustration with the status quo. I recently joined the […]
Across Manila, Jakarta, and Kathmandu, one force is reshaping markets: public outrage, not just at corrupt politicians, but also at ‘nepo baby’ influencers, entrenched institutions, and once-untouchable brands. In today’s hyperconnected world, trust isn’t given, it’s earned. Lose it, and you lose customers. Scandals involving misused funds, political favoritism, and influencer complicity aren’t just headlines; they’re changing how Filipinos and […]
I never really planned to be a teacher. I was an accidental one. The late Prof. Manny Fernandez, one of the great minds of Philippine marketing, saw me giving a talk (I can’t even remember where), and he told me I should consider teaching. That moment quietly changed the course of my life. Teaching became a calling I didn’t see […]