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Has anyone
ever asked you which is more powerful, the eye or the ear?
Probably not, because the answer is obvious. I’ll bet that
deep down inside, you believe the eye is more powerful
than the ear. Call it “visual chauvinism,” if you like,
but it’s a preconception held by many marketing people.
I’ll bet, too, that you share a related preconception,
first expressed some 500 years before the birth of Christ.
Confucius says: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
What agency president, creative director or art director
hasn’t quoted Confucius at least once in his or her
career?
But what
is a picture worth on electronic displays that can stream
video content through the power of LED technology? In
order to obtain a more objective viewpoint on the subject,
this columnist found an expert, the man behind
Globaltronics Inc.
“Marketers
alone shouldn’t rely on television just to deliver the
message,” general manager Valentin Muñoz told this
columnist in a recent interview. Companies, he added, must
also develop efficient routines for finding new
information. Information costs time and money to acquire,
maintain and distribute. Companies, therefore, must be
skillful and trendspotting.
Globaltronics, the IT arm of the Guido Group of Companies,
has developed sophisticated techniques for acquiring new
information in this new digital outdoor-advertising medium
using plasma screen or LED (lighth emitting diode) monitor
technology. Globaltronics sees this current technology as
its main hope of gaining a market foothold in strategic
areas where traffic is normally heavy and the need for
capsulized information to a busy crowd is highly
appreciated.
As markets
mature and technology changes, there are times when a
company requires a new focus that will better suit them in
the future. No better case study illustrates this kind of
situation than that of Globaltronics, which has now
redefined the face of outdoor advertising. Most of the LED
displays now seen around the metro are supplied by
Globaltronics which makes the company the country’s
leading provider of advanced programmable LED electronic
display systems. The company is, likewise, the exclusive
distributor of products by Daktronics, the world leader in
LED technology display systems.
According
to Muñoz, Globaltronics has supplied various types of LED
displays to prominent establishments like SM Megamall, SM
Mall of Asia, San Miguel Corp., Ayala Cinemas,
Eastwood
City
and the Araneta Coliseum. Schools and public institutions
like De La Salle University, the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration and the Philippine General
Hospital Medical Foundation have also been installed with
LED displays for relaying vital information to the general
public.
Of course,
the winning value proposition would be to offer prospects
and customers “more for less.” This is the attraction of a
highly successful digital revolution that has
fundamentally altered our concepts of space, time and
mass. Cyberspace will usher in an age when buying and
selling will become more automated and convenient.
Businesses will be connected to each other and to their
customers in a seamless virtual network. Information on
digital advertising will flow across the globe in an
instant and niche companies with little capital could
reach a worldwide market.
“We are
pioneering in this country, and even in the region. In
other countries, we provide content for Singapore LED
outdoor display,” Muñoz pointed out.
One of the
company’s most recent groundbreaking projects is the
Philippine Stock Exchange-Insular Life Electronic Display
System on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in
the country’s financial district. “It is the first and
biggest curved LED mural-type display in Asia and one of
the world’s best. The LED sort of wrapped around the
strategically located Insular Life building,” he added.
It is the
first LED display strip in
Asia that is providing stock-market updates and trading
highlights similar to the Nasdaq in
New York
Times Square. Globaltronics acts as the supplier of LED
equipment and content provider for digital graphics and
animation for the PSE-Insular Life display strip. Its
unique curved display measures 30 meters by 1.5 meters and
boasts of a 4.3 trillion color capacity. Equipped with a
photo sensor technology, the display adapts anytime of the
day and allows good viewing anytime at any angle.
To date,
Globaltronics has about 14 LED outdoor sites and over
2,000 plasma indoor sites, all Internet controlled and
managed from its headquarters in San Juan. The prospects
locally stretch from La Union to
Davao. The target is to build 300 indoor displays within the
year.
This
columnist believes the information revolution will
substantially alter the marketing landscape and realign
the fortunes of various players in the value-delivery
process. Today’s consumers face more ways to obtain a good
or service than at any time in history. They can now get
their news from such online sources. A company need not
occupy much space; it can be virtual and anywhere.
Messages can be sent and received simultaneously.
“We sell
headlines. We deliver the message, not products. In this
medium, you have to count eyeballs, and the Philippines
with a huge
population, it is a function of eyeballs,” he furthered.
The format is visually driven, and rarely contains any
visual distractions. People don’t rave about their
commercials, they just remember them.
The rapid
pace of change in the Information Age makes it imperative
that each company set aside serious time thinking of the
future and ask what adaptations it must make now to
survive and prosper. Here, Globaltronics shall look at how
continuously unfolding possibilities unleashed by the
digital-information revolution will change the buying
behavior of consumers and businesses.
On a
mission
The old
methods seem to be failing us. So what next?
What’s
needed is a new approach. And what’s emerging is a
discipline that uses in-depth cultural analysis to uncover
social insights. It goes beyond individual behavior. It
studies social trends and emerging values. This is not
about jumping onto the next fad. Trend reports typically
focus on fleeting whims and ephemeral taste profiles.
This is
something entirely new for Grupo Sorbetero, a fast-rising
activation agency specializing in consumer engagement, and
it’s about diving deep into a corporate social
responsibility (CSR) project that will remain stable all
the time.
The
one-year-old company, whose name is inspired by the
friendly neighborhood ice-cream vendor, rolled out its
first CSR project in the Visayas region. The agency chose
as its beneficiary the elementary school students of
Mercedes Elementary School, located in Poro, Camotes
Island, in Cebu. For this effort, the team applied its
brand-building expertise to go beyond the usual book drive
by conceptualizing “Book Trip,” a creative reading program
for pupils in kinder and Grades One and Two.
In a
statement, managing director Sigrid Perez told this
columnist, “We wanted to do something meaningful to stress
that doing work and giving back to society are
complementary things. We chose education as our advocacy
because we believe it’s a great tool for empowerment and
realizing one’s full potential.”
The team
set out to work by conducting preliminary interviews on
the needs of the school. With dwindling public resources
and limited means, the story of Mercedes Elementary School
is hardly new. The ratio of books to pupils is one to
three. Its library shelves contain outdated materials,
some of them photocopies devoid of color and visual
appeal. Teachers cite absenteeism as a serious concern.
Given this
backdrop, the group clued in on “Book Trip,” spurred by
the insight that books have the power to take readers on
an emotional journey. “By taking individual book trips,
each reading material is expected to transport the
children to exciting worlds of learning,” explained
creative director Myra Carabeo. “We bundled the book
donation of over 300 contemporary titles with a program to
allow the students to share with the teachers. We also
hope to promote interaction and self expression among the
students.”
The entire
Grupo Sorbetero team pitched the campaign to faculty
members, who welcomed the project with enthusiasm. “We are
grateful for Grupo Sorbetero’s contribution to Mercedes.
More than an addition to the school library, the colorful
and up-to-date books will encourage our pupils to be more
imaginative and explore their world through reading,”
principal Regalado Bazarte said.
Teachers
assigned in each grade level will track progress through a
simplified library system to measure the borrowing trends
of students. A representative from Grupo Sorbetero will
also continue to touch base with the teachers to monitor
the program.
As a
complement to “Book Trip,” Grupo Sorbetero is also
sponsoring the education expenses in the name of each of
the company’s departments. The Cebu visit allowed the team
members to personally meet the students who will be
sponsored. “Having an actual chance to help a child get an
education feels extra special,” enthused Anna Cruz of the
business-management group.
“‘Book
Trip’ is like planning a seed. This is a small first step
and we hope to be able to grow the program and reach out
to more schools in the future,” Perez concluded.
Caring
Beyond Air relaunch
Atlas
Copco (Philippines)
Inc., the country’s leading provider of air- productivity
solutions, recently re-launched “Caring Beyond Air” with a
bang at its main office in Laguna Technopark.
“Caring
Beyond Air” is Atlas Copco Philippines’ CRM initiative
program and has become the company’s way of life. Jonnie
Regis, country general manager for Atlas Copco
Philippines,
explains, “We at Atlas Copco have a vision to become and
remain first in mind, first in choice of our customers,
potential customers and our other stakeholders. This means
being a leader. We should lead in the share of mind and in
the share of business. We should be seen as innovators.
“But we
must realize we do not exist in a vacuum. All our actions,
no matter how small and inconsequential they may seem, can
and will affect others. This is why we must work on
building relationships. We have to build on our
relationships with our fellow employees, customers,
business partners, shareholders, to society and the
environment.
“What sets
us apart from others is that we have a commitment to be
ambassadors of Atlas Copco, not only in sales and
marketing, but more important, in everyday lives.” Simply
put, “Caring Beyond Air” means going beyond business.
The event
also featured the launch of Atlas Copco Philippines’
newest group: the marketing and sales support team (MaSS).
Led by Hector Melencio and composed of Charles Salazar,
Romel Tamayo and Mel Galvez, the team aims to consolidate
the best and most suited employees into one group that
would provide shared services to the Compressor Technique
(CT) organization.
Another
highlight of the event is the commitment setting led by
CT’s business-line managers, where employees affirmed
their commitment to uphold Atlas Copco’s core values of
interaction, commitment and innovation. Everyone committed
to do their part in the Atlas Copco family by pledging to
build and strengthen relationships with fellow employees,
customers, business partners, shareholders and to society
and the environment. They finally committed to themselves
to “care beyond air.”
Atlas
Copco’s products and services range from compressed air
and gas equipment, generators, construction and mining
equipment, industrial tools and assembly systems to
related after-market services and rental. Headquartered
in Stockholm, Sweden, the group’s global reach spans more
than 150 markets, with its own sales operations in about
80 countries.
PANA joins
global network of advertisers
The
Philippine Association of National Advertisers (Pana) has
joined the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), a global
network of 55 national advertiser associations in five
continents.
The WFA
champions responsible and effective marketing
communications and aims to help members maximize the
effectiveness and efficiency of these communications while
also defending the marketers’ key interests.
The goals
of the WFA are aligned with Pana’s commitment to protect
consumer interests through fair and truthful advertising
and to develop its members as responsible and
market-sensitive practitioners through relevant
educational programs and interaction. By joining the WFA,
Pana strengthens its role and thought leadership in the
self-regulated Philippine advertising industry.
“The WFA
network will provide Pana a unique access to insights on
[the] emerging advertising and media landscape,” said Pana
president Charmaine Canillas. “WFA’s input could be of
high added value to Pana, sharing learnings and
best-practice guidelines on matters related to integrated
marketing communications, media clutter and audience
measurement and agency-client agreements.”
Membership
in the WFA will allow Pana to consult the wider WFA
network of national advertiser associations for
best-practice advice specific to the local market. Pana
will benefit from the ability to access information from
other markets with the support not only of local national
associations but also of corporate members active in the
market.
The WFA
network includes Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Spain and
also the US, Turkey, Russia, India, China, Canada and
Japan and over 50 of the world’s top 100 advertisers, such
as Nokia, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Danone, Heineken, InBev,
Kellogg’s, Kraft Foods, Masterfoods, Nestlé, P&G, Unilever
and Vodafone, among others.
Now on its
50th year, Pana’s membership has grown over the years with
over 300 member-companies dedicated to promoting “truth in
advertising.” Formed by advertisers for advertisers, Pana
is the only organization in the country that unites the
users of advertising with members coming from every major
industry in the
Philippines.
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