Page 59 - The EDIT | Q2 2017

Discovery
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What factor is most driving change in your market at the moment?
A country where the average monthly income is at USD 440, commoditizing internet access is key. Gone are the days where internet cafés used to be the source of internet connection for Filipinos. As the number of internet cafés continues to decline, they are being replaced with mobile internet access.
Moreover, there is also a downwards trend for PC sales as an increasing number of Filipinos are opting for mobile devices, particularly smartphones which are more cost- effective. Android smartphone prices are ranging between USD 50 – USD 250, offered by the top three local players myPhone, Cherry mobile and Star mobile.
The mobile networks’ efforts certainly speed up mobile internet usage as they provide free access to certain social media platforms (Facebook is still free), music and video and even e-commerce platforms.
What do you think will be the biggest comms challenge speci cally for your market in the next 12 months - and what will you do to overcome it?
Accurate metrics remain to be the biggest challenge in the Philippines for the comms industry. With 95% of mobile subscribers using prepaid services, there are definite limitations to any data that can be generated. Local research studies indicate that accessing free Wi-Fi networks is the most prevalent access point limiting real time access to Filipinos.
Furthermore, knowledge and insights around the impact of local digital advertising, any brand lift studies or consumer engagement research is rare and has largely been pegged on regional or global data.
What do you think will be the most exciting development in your market in the next months?
A lot of global players have identified the Philippines as
a key growth market in APAC. With the news of Amazon coming into the region, we believe it will play a pivotal role in driving forward the e-commerce market. There is a 21% expected annual growth rate of e-commerce revenue between 2016 to 2020.
Joy T. Castillo Poma P. Malantic OMG Philippines PHD Philippines
Other than that, the rising usage for Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Netflix, Google and even Amazon in the future, we are looking forward to mobile and digital efforts becoming more robust not only in terms of their offer, but also in terms of analytics.
In your opinion, what categories are doing really interesting communications work right now?
The QSR brands are standing out at the moment! It is mainly about mobile apps for ordering food, their use of digital-first creative content and advertising via social media.
We think Jollibee’s Valentine videos are absolutely amazing — check them out here:
#1 Vow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kAOvTFA5rs #2 Crush - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai1AmULzVqY #3 Date - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDHZkLeh6vw
We also really like what McDonald’s has done in March for ‘International Breakfast Day’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6IvxTdjUyI
There is also some amazing stuff coming from transportation services such as Grab: Introduction of GrabExpress, Grab Tricycle and Grab Kalesa which is a horse drawn carriage!
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THE EDIT ISSUE 06 | Q2 2017