MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS ASIA 2008 (MarCommAsia 2008) International Exhibition & Conference will be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila from September 24 to 26, 2008. This is the first major international marketing communications event in the Philippines since the Asian Advertising Congress (AdAsia) held in Manila in 1997.
The event’s objectives are as follows:
To showcase the latest global innovations, trends, products and services relevant to marketing communications;
To bring in international exhibitors and trade visitors, primarily from Asia;
To broaden networks and opportunities for partnership among local and foreign companies;
To expose marketing/advertising students to the latest trends and technology;
To establish the Philippines as a permanent site for an international marketing event;
MarCommAsia is a biennial event that will make the Philippines a regular exhibition destination for Asian marketing, with simultaneous conference sessions from distinguished international speakers and Filipino business leaders sharing their insights on topics related to the latest trends and successes in the marketing communications field.
The strength of the event comes from Motiv8 Marketing and Consultancy, a team of experienced marketing professionals dedicated to helping uplift the standards of marketing in the Philippines.
MarCommAsia 2008 is supported by The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations, Advertising Foundation of the Philippines, Advertising Board of the Philippines, and Philippine Conventions & Visitors Corporation.
For more information, please send an email to Ms. Susie Achacoso-Cruz at susiecruzpr@gmail.com or visit her website at http://susieachacosocruz.com/.
During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 28, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced that the three giant telecommunication networks heeded the government’s call to cut the SMS rate to half. Globe, Sun and Smart decided to cut the SMS rate down to P.50 from the usual P1 standard rate.
She said, “Texting is a way of life. I asked the telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. They responded. It is now down to 50 centavos.” Wow, that means I’ll have a budget to spare to buy a brand new air conditioning compressor and have cooler nights. And yes, a cooler head, too.
But before everyone starts jumping for joy and kiss Gloria’s foot for being “pro-poor”, let me state this clear. What the government has just announced in SONA is a 3-month SMS promo valid until October 22, 2008.
If you’re a Globe subscriber, here’s how you could avail of the PGMA’s SMS promo. It requires registration.
1. To register, text TO (space) 20 to 2868
2. Upon registration, P20 will be deducted from your balance.
3. Wait for confirmation SMS within 30 minutes.
4. Once you received confirmation, you may start texting galore up to a limit of 40 SMS a day.
5. If the 40 SMS limit was not exhausted in 24 hours, it will be forfeited. You have to register again and pay P20.
6. To check your balance, text TO (space) BAL to 2868. Balance inquiry costs P1.
In other words, the 50-centavo text promo is only valid for 24 hours at a registration fee of P20. Let’s hope this latest government scheme would save a hungry nation.
We were in Anilao, Batangas during the Marquez-Pacquiao boxing rematch last March 15 joining millions of Filipinos gathered to their television sets to watch the fight over GMA 7 and Solar Sports channels. Others opted to watch it live in several cinemas on pay-per-view minus repetitive Pacquiao TV commercials.
Pacquiao TV commercials.
Apparently, Manny Pacquiao is such a huge name in the Philippines most companies would kill each other for to get him associated with their brands. If you saw last week’s fight on GMA 7, you know what I am talking about. In almost everything, there’s Pacquiao – from hamburger, beer, ice cream, distilled water, karaoke microphone, cellular network, pain relievers, shirts to socks. He is also into recording and sold his albums to fanatics. GMA 7 also gave him a TV program to host. There’s a movie, too. And last year, Nike got him to shoot a commercial.
I don’t think Tiger Woods had that much liberty to stamp his name on every brand that came across his sight. He is a bigger star than Pacquiao, scandal-free, clean cut and good-looking, but he seemed content with his multi-year million dollar contract endorsing Nike apparel from golf balls, shoes, caps to shirts and pitching products from brands such as American Express, Buick, Electronic Arts, Accenture and Tag Heuer. In all of these, you’ll never catch him without Nike as his uniform. Nike and Woods have become synonymous.
It’s all about branding and this is where the two superstars differ by miles. Tiger Woods cared about his image and is particularly loyal to one brand. Manny Pacquiao is seizing every money-making opportunity in his prime. He has an entire nation to feed just in case. Tiger Woods does not. I think Pacquiao has just reasons if we soon find local cookware carrying his name.
