DOUBLE-GOLD MEDALIST CARLOS YULO! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!
Art
Anna Chua-Norbert
Hydz Enriquez
Maricar Manuzon-Angeles
Victoria Teylan
Contributor
Clodene Abrigo
DDB Group Philippines was one of the select organizations that reaped accolades at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) Regional Edition 2024 recently held in Bangkok, Thailand. The integrated marketing communications agency was recognized for Corporate Excellence while DDB Group Philippines Chairman and CEO Gil G. Chua was named Master Entrepreneur.
Master Entrepreneur Award
Chua was given the "Master Entrepreneur" award for having demonstrated outstanding
business leadership, including the tenacity and perseverance to continue innovating, providing the vision and direction to his group of companies. As Chairman and CEO of 11 companies, Chua has always endeavored to provide Filipinos with meaningful employment that empowers them and enables them to be productive members of society.
DDB Group Chief Culture Officer and Managing Director of DDB Philippines and Bent & Buzz, Anna Chua-Norbert accepted the Master Entrepreneur award on behalf of her father Gil Chua who was not able to
attend the awards ceremony due to unavoidable circumstances. In her acceptance speech, Chua-Norbert thanked the award-giving body for recognizing the contribution and vision of the DDB Group chairman and CEO and for making him part of the roster of very distinguished APEA Master Entrepreneurs in the region.
Corporate Excellence Award
Meanwhile, Tribal Worldwide Philippines Managing Director Diane Chua came up on stage to accept the Corporate Excellence award given to DDB Group Philippines for having demonstrated effective talent mobilization and organizational capability to deliver consistent business results, while remaining aligned to the organization’s purpose.
"It's really a great honor to be the first integrated marketing communications
"When he was a young business executive, Gil Chua's dream was to create jobs for his fellow Filipinos so that they will have the option to work in the Philippines instead of being forced to work abroad, away from their families. Fast forward to today, he says that, more than the material reward, the best thing about being Chairman and CEO of 11 companies with 5,000 employees is that it enables him to make a positive difference and uplift the lives of his fellowmen and the people around them. His wish is for this award to inspire and challenge his peers, colleagues and friends to use their blessings, talent and resources to become entrepreneurs too," she said.
agency to receive this award. It's a validation that it's good business to put our people first, and deliver emotionally charged creativity that harnesses the power of human emotions to help brands achieve their marketing objectives and address their business challenges, while creating positive change to society through our campaigns. We dedicate this award to all our people, our clients, our trusting partners, our Execom, and of course, our very supportive families," she said.
DDB Group Philippines was established in 1992 as a result of the groundbreaking partnership between local industry pioneer Advertising and Marketing Associates (AMA) and New York-based global marketing communications network DDB Worldwide. DDB Group Philippines consistently translates its People First policy into industry recognitions and substantial business growth and profitability. In all its years of providing creative and business solutions to clients, it has evolved into a full-service marketing communications group composed of award-winning creative business solutions agencies that do mainstream advertising, digital solutions, media services, public relations, branded entertainment solutions, and data analytics.
A regional program that celebrates entrepreneurial excellence across 16 countries and markets, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) - Regional Edition brings together business leaders and enterprises to foster innovation, fair practices, and growth with the goal of fostering sustainable economic and social progress in Asian economies.
Influencer Marketing Campaign of the Year
Communications or PR Campaign of the Year Community Engagement
THANK YOU, YOYOW!
In our family, one expression of gratitude always gets mentioned whenever my grandfather is around: "Thank you, Yoyow"the latter being our cute way to say granddad or "lolo" in the vernacular.
It is but right to constantly thank people like my Yoyow, who work hard to give us the opportunities and experiences that make our lives so much better. As such, I make it a point to say, “ Thank you, Yoyow” every time I celebrate my natal day. And now for his 67th birthday, this thoughtfully written piece is my way of expressing my appreciation for all that I've been blessed to enjoy because of him.
ndeed, at the center of our big family is our
grandfather, Gil G. Chua, a seasoned advertising man and Chairman and CEO of DDB Group Philippines and other allied companies. He's the soul and guide in our journey. To me, he is always wise and constantly supportive.
As a grandfather, he is encouraging and kind, always pushing and supporting everyone in our family to achieve our goals and to pursue our dreams. He has always been larger than life in my eyes and a very loving one. I remember how shocked I was to hear that Yoyow wasn’t always the illustrious, celebrated man and leader that he is today. I was surprised to learn that he came from humble, simple beginnings.
Gen Z's Alexandra "Alex" Chua Norbert pens a thoughtful birthday tribute to his grandfather, DDB Group Philippines Chairman and CEO Gil G. Chua
As a young child, I always thought of him as the "Big Boss" and he would call me "Baby Boss" and treat me like a little princess. The stories of how hard he worked to get to where he is now are truly inspiring.
There is a story that is often told in our family about how Yoyow successfully worked on an advertising campaign for an iconic energy brand, Milo. I was impressed and proud that my grandfather handled one of the most popular and most-loved brands that I still get to enjoy today. This story made me realize that no matter where you come from, or where you start, you can accomplish great things. As one Milo campaign tagline says: “Great things start from small beginnings.”
To me, the hard work and wonderful accomplishments of my grandfather serve as a reminder to always persevere no matter the challenges I will face.
I see my grandfather as an ambitious and selfless leader. His dreams and ambitions are not just for himself, our big family and the company, but for as many people whose lives he can touch. He leads by example.
There is one person who has been inspired and shaped by his brand of leadership. She is no other than my motherAnna Chua-Norbert, who is DDB Group Philippines Chief Culture Officer and Managing Director of the latter's business units, DDB Philippines and Bent & Buzz. She is the most hardworking, creative, and dedicated person I know. I personally believe that it is through Yoyow’s ambition and support for her that she was able to accomplish all she has achieved and to become the person that she is today.
I believe that Yoyow leads by showing people that he has faith in them and by providing encouragement and effective mentoring.
He also gives people responsible freedom to choose the path to achieve his or her good goals. You can always count on him to have your back. I know because that is how he is with me and with everyone.
I recall my first national sports tournament early last year. Yoyow cheered me on every day and even sponsored my team’s tournament expenses. He reminded me daily to “Go for gold!” and this inspired me to do my best and to make my family proud. I am sure it is that type of leadership and caring that not only push others to become great, but also allow people to grow and learn because they know there is that person who only wishes the best for them. Just as my grandfather does for me. I learned this through my mother, who learned it from her parents.
This brings me to my next point. I am learning that it is not just ambition, hard work,
and all that which makes a leader a great one. His values and priorities carry much weight through it all. Yoyow works hard for our family because he values us and we are his priority. Yoyow works hard and wants to continue to succeed because he wants to continuously support and give back to people. My grandfather is also a prayerful man. He believes so much in the power of prayers and his faith in God is so strong that no wonder he is very blessed.
Thank you, Yoyow for being a blessing in my life. Thank you for showing me what it means to be a leader - what it takes to be successful, and what I can accomplish with hard work and perseverance. I will always look up to you with love and admiration and I will always be your baby boss.
Happy 67th birthday, Yoyow!
FEU-DDB Partnership
In photo signing the MOU for academe-industry partnership on Tuesday
DDB Group Philippines
FEU, DDB GROUP PHILIPPINES SIGN MOU FOR ACADEME-INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP
The Far Eastern University (FEU) Group of Schools has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with integrated marketing communications and services network DDB Group Philippines to lay down the groundwork for their collaborative endeavors including internship training, job placement, recruitment, seminars, and certificate programs.
The MOU was signed on Tuesday by FEU President Juan Miguel R. Montinola and DDB Group Philippines Chairman and CEO Gil G. hua, with FEU Vice President for Academic Services Raquel Baquiran and DDB Group Philippines Chief Operating Officer and CFO Judd B. Balayan as co-signatories.
Montinola said the MOU is part of FEU's efforts to create closer and more invested partnerships with select industry partners.
"At FEU, our main aspiration is to give our students meaningful careers and lives. And we are very certain that, as an industry partner, DDB Group Philippines will take an equal interest in the development of our students, who will in turn
...ENJOY DDB'S WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES,"
The FEU president said.
are FEU President Juan Miguel R. Montinola (2nd from left),
Chairman and CEO Gil G. Chua (3rd from left), FEU Vice President
For his part, DDB Group Philippines Chairman and CEO Gil G. Chua, an FEU alumnus, said he is excited for what the partnership will bring as this will enhance previously isolated partnerships that DDB has had with FEU.
"As part of our recruitment and internship programs, we have accepted applicants from FEU. The new agreement will now put these activities in a more structured partnership framework
AS WE SHARE THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE FEU LEADERSHIP IN HELPING OUR YOUNG TALENTS ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL CAREERS.
This also benefits us by allowing us access to a pool of talents with fresh perspectives," said Chua.
The MOU formalizes the collaboration of DDB Group Philippines as Industry Partner and FEU as Academic Institution in the areas of internship training; seminars, company tours, and training programs; certificate programs for the qualified graduating students; job fairs and symposiums; research and evaluative reports on alumni and work placement; industry integrated learning; short-term job placement for senior high schools students; and other possible collaborative endeavors.
FEU Group of Schools executives led by President Juan Miguel R. Montinola and DDB Group Philippines executives led by Group Chairman and CEO Gil G. Chua come together at the MOU signing ceremony for the two parties' academe-industry partnership.
DDB
PHILIPPINES AND PARTNERS SUPPORT FILIPINO OLYMPIANS THROUGH 'FAME SWAP' CAMPAIGN
The Philippines is embracing a new wave of support for its athletes through the "Fame Swap" campaign by Cignal TV and DDB Philippines. This exciting initiative is designed to highlight and uplift athletes from different sports as they compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
PUBLIC FIGURES AS MEDIA PLATFORMS
The campaign launched on Philippine Independence Day, with Filipino Olympians’ names on Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players’ shirt warmers and leveraged on high-profile
sports properties for maximum exposure. Professional basketball players are some of the most revered in the country, and so the stunt quickly snowballed into a movement that inspired people to swap their names, fame, and influence for athletes who needed it most.
Premier Volleyball League (PVL) players, the hosts of the country’s #1 noontime variety show Eat Bulaga, and more soon followed suit. The most followed, most loved public figures in sports and entertainment industries swapped their names for those of their fellow countrymen competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
MORE SUPPORT, MORE CHANCES OF WINNING
Cignal TV, the country’s leader in Pay TV, strategically utilized the top sports properties and entertainment variety shows within its universe to bolster awareness for the Olympians now competing at the games.
Jane B. Basas, Mediaquest Holdings President & CEO, highlights the initiative’s strategic impact: “The movement effectively utilizes our leadership in sports & entertainment media to celebrate every Filipino athlete and their remarkable achievements.”
Sienna G. Olaso, VP for Channels and Content at Cignal TV, notes the campaign’s role in fostering community support: “We maximized our strategic advantage as the leader in sports to shine the spotlight on our Olympians, and with the bigger Mediaquest ecosystem of shows and programs in full support, we’ve extended the execution towards the lifestyle and entertainment space.”
Kelvin Co, Executive Creative Director at DDB Philippines, notes the campaign’s success: “We’re dedicating all our efforts to highlight Filipino athletes from all sports and invite everyone to celebrate their journey and accomplishments”
As the Philippines’ best athletes compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Cignal TV and DDB Philippines invite everyone to show their support. “Backing our athletes is about celebrating their dedication and inspiring future generations,” adds Basas.
Join the celebration using the hashtag #100TaongLaban #ParaSaBayan and follow the journey through Cignal TV’s live coverage. Subscribe to Cignal TV, SatLite, or Cignal Play, and enjoy the action on the Pilipinas Live app to watch anywhere and on any device. For more information, visit cignal.tv/article/3050/paris-2024.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: Cignal
Jane B. Basas, Mediaquest Holdings President & CEO
Sienna G. Olaso, Cignal TV FVP for Channels and Content Management
James Meneses, Cignal TV AVP & Head of Channel and Content
Marketing
Miguel S. Vea, Cignal TV AVP & Head of Sports Business Development
AGENCY: DDB Philippines
John Lucas, Chief Growth Officer
Anna Chua-Norbert, Chief Culture Officer, Managing Director
Diane Capile, Business Unit Director
Farveh Arabpour, Senior Account Manager
Gabby Jimenez, Account Manager
Danielle Guizano, Account Manager
Kurt Dueñas, Senior Account Director
Rissa Guilas, Cignal TV AVP & Head of Channel Management and Programming
Paulo Fernandez, Cignal TV Channel and Content Sr. Marketing Manager
AJ Bolando, Cignal TV Channel and Content Marketing Manager
Joshua Buenaventura, Cignal TV Content Marketing Supervisor
Kelvin Co, Executive Creative Director
Sarah de Joya, Executive Creative Director
Min Roldan, Creative Director
Al Gonzaga, Associate Creative Director
Marc Flores, Copywriter
Erron Torres, Art Director
Orlan Codamos, Art Director
Ami Dela Cruz, Art Director
Players from Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the country’s premiere basketball league, swap their names for rising athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024[JCM1] . [JCM1]Olympic Games Paris 2024 is the proper wording
Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) players don Olympics hopefuls’ names.
Hosts of the country’s #1 noontime show, Eat Bulaga!, use their fame to shine light on Filipino athletes.
DDB GROUP PH HOLDS 1ST HALF TOWNHALL
DDB Group Philippines held its H1 2024 Town hall in mid-July. Business units shared their first-half operational highlights, including Q1 & Q2 financials, campaigns and projects, BU-specific employee trainings and engagement programs, as well as new hires and promotions. The meeting had been an opportune time to update everyone on each BU's performance and activities. Onwards and upwards, DDB fam!
OPTIMAX INAUGURATES NEW OFFICE
The IMC agency celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated office space within the DDB Group Philippines headquarters with Mass and a delectable feast.
AGILE CELEBRATES
7TH ANNIVERSARY
Proof that Agile Intelligence was ahead of its time was that it invented 'AI' long before artificial intelligence was born! Happy 7th anniversary, Agile!
2024 DDBAZAAR: IGNITING EMPLOYEES'
ENTREPRENEURIAL
SPIRIT
JNC SHOP
THE DDBOOK CLUB
The Culture Hub once again organized a bazaar, providing DDB employees a platform to showcase their entrepreneurial ventures and passion projects. The event had a live selling, including the Norbert's preloved items and Chewy's shoe collection.
The DDBazaar concluded with great success, with nine shops participating. We look forward to seeing you at the next DDBazaar
DRAGON FRUIT
Mila from Finance offers a selection of women’s and kids' shoes, all sourced from the US.
CHEWY’S KICKS
A DDBazaar favorite, Chewy from Agile showcases an impressive collection of shoes and sneakers.
THE NORBERTS
Anna from PHL and B&B curates a range of pre-loved fashion items for women and teens.
THE DDBOOK CLUB
Offers a mix of pre-loved and new books, including self-published graphic poems.
Hydz from the Culture Hub brings freshly harvested dragon fruit straight from the farm.
SA CLOSET
Swayne from Ripple 8 shares women’s clothing from her own wardrobe, along with a selection of perfumes.
KELVIN STORE
Kelvin from PHL sells a curated assortment of pre-loved items.
NICH’S
CJ from Caishen offers lip tints, perfumes, and handcrafted soaps.
We had no less than our CFO Judd Balayan to talk about the Psychology of Money, Tribal Business Head Jenny Wieneke to talk about turning your Passion to Profit, and PHL co-ECD Sarah De Joya to talk about Finance from a Creative standpoint.
We also had external guest speakers who discussed Basic Financial Literacy (Pioneer Insurance), Healthcare (mWell) and the Importance of Non-Life Insurance (St. Peter). Participants also enjoyed giveaways, prizes, and free-flowing food and drinks.
Congratulations to our DDB F.C. for winning 2nd Place in the Platito Division of the recently concluded Adobo Inter-agency Football Cup 2024 held at the Atleta 63 Turf at Bridgetowne Central Park, Pasig City.
Thanks to the DDB FC team members who gave their best during the practice and the games, namely: Randy Baraceros, Miguel Gonzalez and Mig Sevilla of Tribal Worldwide; Farveh Arabpour and JB de Joya of DDB PHL; Nicole Balaoing, Luis Catipon, Patricia Ferrer, Martin Ignacio, Ria Ilagan, Aya Lim, Alexandra del Mundo, Mark Ngo, and James Pereda of Optimax; plus our special guest client player Ivan Bautista of Meralco.
Aside from the players, members of our DDB family led by The Culture Hub were also onsite to cheer for the team and make sure everyone's fed and hydrated. It's definitely the DDB team spirit in action. Congrats again, DDB FC!
I’ve advocated for years we’re consumed by lagging indicators of performance. We seem content with constantly checking our rear view mirror.
My first MD (Ron) at DDB was also a racing driver of single seaters and later, touring cars. I was once a passenger weaving around a circuit, fast, which was exciting and terrifying at the same time. His driving style was of course different from most of us. His vision was fixated on the fast approaching corners, which were often hundreds of metres in front of us. Whilst our line of sight is not much past our car’s bonnet, his was a long way down the road, anticipating where he’d point the vehicle for optimal speed out of the corners.
Ron’s enemy was time; ours, I’d argue, inertia.
Thinking about anticipation, here’s a few thoughts in support of my conviction around its role and importance.
Anticipation in business is a critical skill that involves the ability to foresee future demands, opportunities, threats, and changes, and to prepare accordingly.
This skill is essential for strategic planning, innovation, and maintaining a competitive edge.
Into the future, I wish for us to be less reactive. I say again, channeling a previous TBS ThinkPiece, let’s fall in love with problems as opposed to solutions. I do think anticipation is liberating, appealing to clients, a purpose staff will find attractive and differentiating in our category.
Imagine our fortunes if we actively embraced The Power to Move, in everything we do, every day. Our thoughtful operating system ensures we remain alert, curious and energetic. From our clients short term perspective, the notion of value is shifting at pace from a focus on competing on products to competing on experiences.
Strategic thinking & foresight
Anticipation is akin to strategic thinking and foresight, allowing leaders to envision a desired future state and take preparatory actions to achieve it. This involves understanding relationships, connections, and dependencies between various moving parts and evaluating both current situations and possible future states to develop relevant tactics. Our Power to Move is the system to deliver on this.
Business acumen
As a business acumen skill, anticipation involves looking ahead to see things others, including customers and competitors, see, and developing solutions before competitors do. This skill helps in making informed decisions and staying ahead of the competition. How many of our clients think five years hence? Are we bringing our future to the present fast enough?
I was just reading today, a research piece recently published by Dell and commented on by The World Economic Forum –“Companies used to manage their talent with a focus on traditional degrees and linear career progression. But that approach no longer works, given the heightened focus on the employee experience combined with how fast the nature of jobs is evolving.
In fact, Dell Technologies predicts that 85% of the jobs in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. To navigate the speed and scale of this new reality and help prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, it’s imperative for organizations to adopt a skills-based mindset driven by the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)”.
I’ll talk more about the Dell report and our rudimentary application of AI another time. The point I’m underscoring here, what’s holding us back from anticipating our future? Are our offerings changing fast enough? With the Dell prediction in mind, what’s our talent strategy six years out from now?
Risk management
Leaders must think ahead to identify hurdles that might arise and endanger their plans. This involves building what-if scenarios and preparing for unexpected challenges. We did this remarkably well –armed with very little data and experience – protecting staff and the business from COVID. With hindsight, what anticipatory lessons from our management of COVID are we implementing?
Building a culture of anticipation
Leadership commitment. Creating a culture of anticipation starts with leadership commitment. Leaders need to communicate the importance of anticipation and encourage employees to think about the future, challenge assumptions, and explore new possibilities. This involves fostering an environment that encourages curiosity,
experimentation, risk-taking, and continuous learning. Did I mention The Power to Move?
Techniques for fostering anticipation include creating cross-functional teams, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing, providing resources and support for experimentation, and recognizing and rewarding innovative thinking and behaviour. We should also encourage employees to take risks and learn from failures. Our Four Freedoms in action.
Challenges & adaptation
Dealing with uncertainty. While anticipation is crucial, it is equally important to be prepared to respond to challenges that were not predicted. Adaptation is a necessary complement to anticipation, especially in a volatile world where unexpected events can occur. Leaders must be ready to improvise when their anticipations turn out to be wrong or inaccurate.
Continuous improvement. Anticipation is a learned skill that improves with experience and continuous learning. By paying attention to trendsetters, understanding industry cycles and patterns,
and continuously collecting and interpreting relevant data, businesses can enhance their anticipatory capabilities and make better strategic decisions. Our AI team could have a role surrounding this endeavour. In closing, I suggest we consider employing a futurist in residence. You’d recall I’ve equally suggested engaging a professor in practice, to advance our thinking. A business futurist uses various scientific, analytical and creative techniques to predict and shape future trends, possibilities and outcomes. A future forward provocateur. To my earlier view on talent, retaining and recruiting. The best anticipatory people diagnostic I’ve had the good fortune of becoming involved with recentlyhttps://winslowsolutions.com/
If anyone would like to anticipate, predict the suitability and future performance of people with an assessment validity in excess of 90%, do let me know.
