Q1: There are so many banks in the Philippines, yet, since 2012, East West Bank has opened around 300 additional branches in 3 years, what is your vision for East West Bank? A. Our expansion was a necessary competitive response. We needed to expand quite massively because our competitors have much more branches. Otherwise, we will get clobbered. This is […]
Search Results for: Growing Business
Q1: Question to PRA President & Duty Free COO Lorenzo Formoso: What regulatory changes are affecting retailing in the Philippines? “The Retail Trade Liberalization Act has been the most pertinent government regulation affecting the Philippine retail industry especially now that there are a lot of foreign brands coming in to the country. This Act protects Filipino retailers and at the […]
Q1: Congratulations! Piandre is celebrating its 28th anniversary this year. What made Piandre last this long? A: My mom, Linda Francisco, founder of Piandre Salons, has many secrets to success – one of which is her idea of a Total Development Program which involves training in skills, character building and most importantly Spiritual Development. I think Piandre is one of […]
Q1: Your notebooks are doing well despite being priced premium. What made you decide to focus on the upscale market with various brands? A: Consumers today are more mature and buy intelligently. They do not just buy a product due to being the lowest price. They look for value and differentiation. Each Sterling notebook is value for money due to […]
Q1: Prior to Francorp, you have worked in Unilever for over a decade handling brands in 4 different countries. You have also studied in Manila, Singapore, Vancouver, and Oxford. How are you applying international lessons learned to Francorp? A: A major lesson I’ve learned working in Unilever and studying Innovation & Strategy in Oxford is that to truly grow global, […]
Q1: You have won a few awards as a software businessman, what’s your latest software project? A: I joined the Tech industry when I started a typical IT company in 2005, but when I met Tito Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga, my business outlook took a turn for the better. Tito Tony inspired me to aim for bigger things that […]
There is a saying that “If you give a man a hammer, he will see everything as nails.” Similarly, when a person learns about the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotions) as a way to attain marketplace advantage, he may apply it without questioning the bigger picture for validity. Below are two truths espoused by over 99 percent of […]
Q1: What is insighting and why is it important for a marketer or a businessperson to have insight? A1: Insighting” is basically the process of understanding what consumers need or want. It is getting to the heart of people’s thoughts, motivations and behaviors to inspire business opportunity. In that simple definition, one can immediately understand why “insighting” is important – […]
Q1: Congratulations! After 25 years of waiting, the Philippine congress was able to pass the Philippine Competition Act. Who should be afraid of this? A: The Philippine Competition Act punishes entities that exhibit anti-competitive behaviours, cartel-like actions and abuses in dominant position. If your business is playing fair, there is nothing to fear. What this bill will do is to […]
Q1: You recently returned from working in Beijing. Can you tell us about the Online TV phenomenon in China? A1: China is the largest smart phone market and with the biggest number of internet users in the world. With such scale and having around 40% of its population under 30, this generation has all but abandoned TV with more than […]