Not that any of us are superstitious, we just thought that today would be the best day to come out as a newly formed partnership.

Today, 08.08.08, Dep de Pasion and I embark on Visibility (full name : mediavisibility) .  Visibility is born out of the growing need of ad agencies to have specialized strategists and planners in the realm of out-of-home media without having to staff up and increase headcount.

Dep and I worked together for a few years in UniversalMcCann as the Out-Of-Home media specialists on accounts as Globe Telecom, Coca-Cola, Unilab and Philip Morris.

We bring to the table the experience drawn from handling these clients as well as all the dealings we've had with various Out-Of-Home media suppliers who own the numerous billboard sites in the metropolis. 

We are not another OOH supplier.  Neither are we an OOH media agency.  I have to admit that I have not found the right term to describe the partnership as the word "consultants" does not exactly fit the bill.  I would like to believe that we are in a "Category of One" if I may use that McCann cliche.  At its most basic, I guess we are a partnership to whom media agencies may "outsource" their "outdoor".

For the friends in brand and advertising on multiply who are in search of that "needed-yesterday-billboard-site-on-EDSA-Guadalupe", here are our addresses :  dep@mediavisibility.com and lloyd@mediavisibility.com

Make Your Brand Obvious.

I just leafed through Media Magazine's June 12, 2008 issue and was stunned by the fact that in their traditional list of Asia's Top 100 Creatives, the first Filipino weighs in at number 57.  Everyone else who precedes Joel Limchoc, ECD of BBDO Philippines is either Singaporean, Thai, Malaysian or Chinese.  If it's any consolation, the Pinoy (note, the Pinoy meaning only 1) weighs in ahead of Indians and Japanese.  Still, he's outnumbered.

As usual, just like Philippine basketball where we enjoy the participation of imports and the Philippine Olympic Team which openly embraces Fil-Ams, the Philippines chalks up an additional name through Simon Welsh, Executive Copywriter for BBDO Philippines.

Does this actually mean that we are less creative than our regional neighbors?

I don't think so.  I've worked with the best of them creatives.  You know who you are (you're on Multiply too!).  Thing is I've seen our best ideas often shot down by clients who are too scared to toe the line when it comes to revolutionary ideas.

No, we don't have a creative drought.  We only have clients who are.....

...o sige nga,...creatives, you supply the words :-)

The invitation read, "Dress up in tropical gear, bright colors, Hawaiian shirts, surf shorts, sarongs and even swimsuits for those who dare to bare".

I just found it so ironic that on the night when UniversalMcCann had its send off for VP, Cookie Bartolome, I was garbed in common work attire.  It was ironic because I usually wander the De la Costa Triangle in shorts and a sports t-shirt.

Coming in super early was a good thing.  There was nothing else to do anyway at nearby Makati Golf Club.  So I popped in at about the time ex-colleagues Carl, Ivy, Andrea, Tammy, Tin, Pam, and Danna were still sprucing up the place.
First to arrive among the invited was McCann CEO, Ricki Arches in her tropical attire.  Andrea surprises and stuns by directing to keep Mother Ricki occupied while waiting for the others to come. 

There was a good twenty minutes till UM head, Venus Navalta and hubby, ex-ASAP President, Egay came.  In a little while, everyone else started trickling in - including the fêted herself, Cookie B. with husband Eric.


Photo shows our media superstars Gie Lansang, long time area buddy, Josette Feliciano, Cookie, and the ever scintillating Junn Diva.

All in all, it was one bang of a UM reunion.

In my mind, the scene was all too familiar...parang kasal ito ni Minnie and Andre sa Boracay a :-)  Unfortunately, Minnie and Andre are halfway around the globe enjoying the Norweigian summer.

Finally, as a parting shot to this post: I  really don't write this way.  Nagpa-practice lang po ako as  I'm thinking, "Hey, one day, when I fully retire in Negros, maybe I could be the society columnist in the local paper".    Of course I do not intend to hop around in outrageous outfits like other publication scions. :-) 

See you later palanggas . ROFL

It was a different Hans Lopez-Vito I got to meet yesterday.  No longer was he in a hurry to catch a meeting or get back to his computer.  You could feel the spring in Hans' step as he walked down De La Costa Street.

I guess Hans was enjoying the freedom of not being employed (at least for a few days until next week). 

In one of Hans' lectures to college students whereby he debunks the myths of having a career in advertising, Hans has this presentation slide which shows how Hollywood has played up and perhaps stereotyped the modern day advertising executive.  Overworked, harrassed, heftily paid yet ironically undercompensated given the enormous work demands.  The movies came with different storylines: "Sweet November", "What Women Want", plus a few others.  Amidst the diversity, all of these spoke of one thing - an imaginary line to cross which marks a major turning point in the career.

For some, crossing the line could mean total abandonment of the frenetic activity in the ad world.  National artists Cesar Legaspi and Malang did just that.  Giving up being art directors for a home-based career in painting.  For others, it could just mean a few tweakings, continuing in advertising but, taking things at their dictated terms.  I for one have realized that in as much as I would like to spend the days painting at home, I can hardly escape the trappings of Out-Of-Home media.

Hans shall still continue in marketing and advertising, this time though, he takes his skills to the regional level as he moves to Shanghai. 

While descending in GT Tower's elevator, I couldn't help but ask Hans in our native tongue, "Pila ka na Hans?" (How old are you now?).  "35 na `ko", was the reply. 

"Te, amo naman gid na ang edad nga kinanglan mag-desisyon.  My last day in the agency was the day before I turned 37".

Maayo lang nga paglakat pare!






Todos los Ilonggos de McCann (part 1)

It just dawned on me that despite the runaway popularity of the medium which I am most involved with (Out Of Home Media), the industry is really in its infancy given the lack of data and clearly defined parameters on who takes on what.  Really it's quite like a chicken and egg situation.

I post this as a reflection from a presentation I had yesterday wherein three parties were involved.  Client/Advertiser, Agency OOH Specialists, and myself as a third party resource.

In the course of the presentation, I posted these questions on one of the slides, not that we would discuss them one by one, but as a means to show that these are the vital questions which remain unanswered.  Since my multiply site is connected to so many friends in the ad industry, I'd love to hear your comments on this.

Here are the Vital Questions on OOH Unanswered:

1. When will there be a unified source of data for OOH media related questions (here in the Philippines?);
2. Who will spearhead that data source?
3. How can creatives, account executives, and clients alike be educated in mastering the OOH medium?
4. Given the rise in OOH specific tasks, is there a need to supplement common media planning skills with OOH specific intelligence?
5. Who can/will provide the training for such?
6. Which entity will champion the growth for this medium over the next five years (given that there is so much hype about digital media these days)?
7. What is the viewpoint of advertisers when it comes to the role of OOH?

Your thoughts will be highly appreciated.

I mulled over the sensitivity of my last post.  I am a professional after all, working across different ad agencies from a neutral standpoint.  Therefore confidentiality must be the minimum order of the day.

The irony of it all lies here : we lose our humanity in the name of professionalism and non-disclosure.  We have it this way simply because there are so many jobs that need to get done - the majority of which were supposed to be done yesterday.  So most of us speed off as robots trying to do the impossible.

Robots.  That's the perfect noun - robot.  I guess I was a robot for the large part of the time I spent in the agency.  Then singlehandedly trying to do what now takes 6 or more people to do.  In the process losing so much time.  Much time to talk, much time to live, much time to connect, and more importantly, much time to show appreciation.

In trying to recover what may have been lost in time, allow me the space to show appreciation for someone who has transcended an uncharted dimension of motherhood.

Minnie Bobe and I met her in 1996 when our fledgling agency in Bacolod became McCann's strategic alliance partner in that part of the country.  After doing some media training at McCann when the agency was still in Herrera St., a dinner at Italianni's to cap off a week of media info overload.  When dinner was done, she had to excuse herself to get back to work.  To say that I was impressed by her dedication is an understatement.  Little wonder that five years later, when Venus calls on me to join the agency, Venus emails, "I will be out of the country by the time you join the agency but AVP Cookie Bartolome will be there to orient you".

And so it was. Cookie welcomed me to the team and served as mother to the brood which found Mon Samarista and myself as the only males working directly under her auspice.  There were only good times and hard times. 

The good times: Touch Mobile OOH launch, TCEC Non-Carbonated Beverages win, winning Project WTA, Globe Handyphone relaunch (total overhaul of Globe's OOH inventory), Coke OOH plan year after year, plus a whole lot more to mention including the recovery of PhP 2million of Coke's money from a supplier who failed to deliver.  

The hard times : Cost Esimates forever stuck and unsigned in the desk of a brand manager; me almost breaking down due to the lack of an available assistant during the days when OOH planners were as scarce as an ice cube in the desert (thank God Dep de Pasion came along!); consequently, I would for a long time be behind in my plans for the NCBs; a lot of momentary setbacks like Coke Chief Marketing Officer Mary Minnick at the verge of staring at a non-operational Coke tri-vision billboard from her room at the Makati Shangri-la; Mother Ricki and Angel Guerrero appeasing an upset Cathay Pacific Country Manager; the litany of unpaid media suppliers and my "heroics-slash-stupidity" of advancing payments to them which later backfired.

Through it all, it could only be "the best of times".  In contrast to Dickens, there could be no worst of times.  

My account above is only one of the many stories of her brood.  The rest have deeper stories to tell, more profound statements to share.  With tighter bonds forged through the years, they are even in a much better position to share how great a mother/leader/friend Cookie is.  And I guess that is why this Mother's Day weekend may go down as one of the longest weekends ever for some.

I've seen the tears and I could feel the pain.  The stillness permeates.  I wouldn't be surprised if even the arowana at the UniversalMcCann lobby feels the loss.  The pain is not in Cookie's leaving and moving to a new agency.  Everyone moves on at one point or another.  The pain is really in the abruptness of the move.  For the most part, it has left a number of people...errr, 'blindsided'.

With a big jolt like this, it only serves as proof that Cookie B. has really cornered a large part of our hearts.  Proof as well that I am not a robot anymore.  Humanity largely restored.

Trash professionalism and sensitivity of confidential agency info...anyway, the transition will be heralded in Media Magazine's next fortnightly issue.  Mother Cookie, you're the best!  I did recall that I was hoping to talk to you before I left the agency but it seems like we were all too busy.  Before we know it, three years have passed by and BOOM!, you're the one now leaving.  My family and I wish you the best in your new endeavors!  

I know the decision you had to make was a tough one but, like 'blindsided' always says, "The greatest risk one will ever take is not taking a risk at all".

For this, you deserve a bag!  A Rafe bag no less!

Happy Mother's Day!





-photo note : none of the people in the picture are with UM anymore, even the background has been changed :)

De La Costa St. is an amusing street.  There are two corners of De La Costa and Tordesillas St..  There are two corners of De La Costa and Leviste St..   There are two corners of De La Costa and San Agustin St..

There are two corners of De La Costa and Valero St..

In between the four pairs of identically named corners....

As it was stated today in Media Magazine (the magazine I'm clutching in my headshot)....

Asia leads social media trends: UM study

06-May-08, 08:14

ASIA-PACIFIC - Asian countries are leading trends in social media, according to a global study by Universal McCann.
Six of the top ten countries for reading blogs and seven of the top ten writing blogs are Asian, while the region dominates the world in sheer numbers of bloggers.

South Korea is the country most interested in blogs, with 77 per cent of internet users reading blogs each week, compared to just 58 per cent reading the mainstream press.

But China tops the survey for volume of bloggers, with 42 million, or 70 per cent of internet users writing a blog.

The Philippines is not far off, with 66 per cent of netizens regular bloggers. However, the Philippines is the world's most "sociable" country online, with 83 per cent of internet users hooked on social networking sites.

Natalie Pidgeon, Universal McCann’s insights director, said: “There are two key areas that marketers could move into. One, create experiences for consumers rather than pump messages at them.
Two, move from advertising to content creation and add value.” 

The study, UM's third in a series on social media, involved 17,000 interviewees in 29 countries.

----------------------

Proof to the assertion that we are all exhibitionists in varying degrees?

I thought of bringing up this picture because of Belai Servando's latest post.  Photo was taken during Emily Abrera's surprise birthday celebration at Rockwell in August of 2004.

Left to right : Hans Lopez-Vito, myself, Minnie Bobe, Ems, and Rudy Villar.  Ems spent a large part of her childhood in Bacolod (even studied in La Consolacion College) and in Iloilo. 

The title to this post is a bit of a misnomer because there are others who should also be in this picture including Belai and Dawn Justiniani-Atienza plus a few more.  Sadya kami to`ya! (trans: It was fun over there).

One of those crazy Ilonggo moments I remember in the agency happened at the 34th floor Executive Presentation Room where we were doing some planning for McCann's 40th anniversary.  On the side, Dawn Atienza starts chatting to me about the hottest buzz in Bacolod.  Rudy Villar then overhears and says, "Oi,Oi, Oi, ano ina?  Kabalo bala ako sina" (I know about that). 

Dawn remarks in 'St. Scho Ilongglish', "Oh, so kabalo ka man gali?" (So you know about it too).  Spontaneous laughter breaks out.  Laughter startles McCann VP, Aleli Villanueva who then says, "What is that all about?".

Rudy Villar replies, "Something shocking back home". 

Aleli: "What?! Do you think that at my age and experience there is still something left to shock me?"

Rudy, Dawn and myself look at each other and reply in unison, "Yes!".

Indeed there are still many stories from the land of sugar which can shock and disturb.

Out of curiosity, I shot out this morning, several copies of this email to a number of key leaders in the Philippine advertising world.  The email read:

Dear_________________,

Greetings!

In the past few years, Out-Of-Home Media has been gaining ground as a medium and even eating into the adspend share of broadcast (as substantiated by Nielsen Media Research). With the medium growing further into the next few years, there will be a need for a constant delivery of a holistic POV on the medium.

As one straddling the gap between supplier and advertiser/agency, the big picture on OOH Media is a lot clearer from where I stand. It is in this respect that I am pleased to inform you of the availability of the presentation entitled : 

"Inside Outdoor : A glimpse of emerging trends in the business of out-of-home media"

This is a 30 minute presentation which will provide your media staff and managers with an accelerated and wide-angle view on the growth and trends of OOH as a medium as well as the rapidly changing business dynamics. 

Benefits are an overall appreciation of the opportunities and challenges of the medium.

Please feel free to call on me if you have any queries or would like to schedule the presentation.

With best regards,


(-blindsided-)
Out-Of-Home Media Strategist at-large

---------------------------------
I am amazed.  In 8 hours I have created a full schedule for the days to come.  Back to back presentations for next week.

Looks like most of the agencies are hungry for data and perspectives on the medium we know as Out-Of-Home.

OutlookPH, my blog containing personal points of view on Out-Of-Home Media.

click: http://outlookph.blogspot.com

OOH Resource is the Philippines' Online Resource for Out-Of-Home Media.  I have my share of tasks in keeping this blog updated.  This initial post serves as a bookmark of sorts on my Multiply.  Every now and then, I will just bump up this post with a comment to indicate that a new post has been added to http://oohresource.multiply.com  .

For now, the latest post is:

EDSA Guadalupe Billboard >> Going, Going, Gone!

Apart from maintaining this blog, Blindsided, I also maintain another blog called OutlookPh.  OutlookPh is perhaps the most comprehensive resource online when it comes to Out-Of-Home Media, Outdoor Advertising, and billboards in the Philippines.

You are invited to join the community.

Click:

http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/community/outlookph/

Just a short commercial here:  As of 6:00 p.m. this evening, The Coca-Cola Export Corporation just lost its right of first refusal to the most coveted billboard space in Metro Manila.

My partner and I are now opening the ad space on a first-come-first-serve basis.  If anyone wishes to book this space, for and in behalf of another advertiser, you are very much welcome to do so.

In doing the same, you are also welcome to place a mark-up over and above the net monthly rental rate due to us.  Your advertiser/client can also move in as early as May 18, 2008.

Please feel free to send me a PM for the details.

A quick one hour reunion among the original Out-Of-Home Media team of UniversalMcCann.

Minnie Bobe-Rakvag flew into town from freezing Norway with her husband Andre, who was eager to get some lessons on the driving range.

Time flies quickly.  Not too many years ago we were a team of three perched from the 33rd floor of GT Tower, "littering" the stretches of EDSA and SLEX with billboards for Coke, Globe, Nestle, Philip Morris, and all the other accounts in between.

Initially there was me.  Then came Dep de Pasion, who now has a very "un-advertising" job for the Manila office of international lawyers, Baker & MacKenzie.  A few months later, Minnie came on board.  Minnie mainly managed the nationwide outdoor media inventory of Globe and Touch Mobile.  Favorite clients: Dodo Reyes, Peter Monis, and Archie Monzon.  Dep on the other hand was the master of the 35sqm. billboards handling the restricted tobacco ads of Philip Morris.  Favorite clients: Jenny Lladoc, Mean Paredes, and Maarten Kila.

I look back to reflect on the turn of events yesterday.  I started out with an early morning tea with an ex-colleague from McCann-Erickson, back in the days when the ad agency was located in Herrera St.  The fact that Herrera St. is now V.A. Rufino St. gives one an idea how many years ago that was.  We were having light conversation at the fountain area of Greenbelt 3 shaded from the morning sun by the ubiquitous green parasols of Starbucks.  Conversation delved on how we should always see the silver lining in every cloud of grey that enters our life.  We talk about how life has changed after the agency experience.  How a blessing and honor it was to be part of such a prestigious firm.

Not having seen this person for some time now, I related how things can be amusingly different in certain ways and yet similar to a point of complete familiarity.  Picture this:  I used to work at the 33^rd floor of GT Tower.  Corner slot.  Majestic and  unobstructed view of Manila Bay by my window.  Then, I was handling Out-Of-Home Media for the agency.  Today, I still cater to the various Out-Of-Home Media strategy tasks and requirements of the agency, but as an outside party.  I still work in the same area which is the immediate vicinity of RCBC Plaza, GT Tower, and the now demolished Shell Maya station.  From where I spend my time clicking away on my computer, only a wall separates me from my former office at GT Tower.  I am at Cityland 10 right next door.  My view now is less breathtaking seeing the Valero open carpark below me.

Work-wise, the agency calls for a meeting, and I am at the same old media conference room in a jiffy.  One elevator ride down Cityland, and one elevator ride up GT Tower.

And so it was yesterday.  I was scheduled for one of those next-door meetings at 11am when I received the text at GB3 that the meeting had to be moved up to 5pm.  Fine with me.  I could use the time in between for other matters.

At 5pm I was ready for the meeting.  Slipped down Cityland 10.  Zipped up the elevator to McCann against the flood of people from other offices within the GT Tower who were already leaving the building for a Friday night out.  Nothing really eventful. 

Upon alighting at the 33^rd, the usual after-work laughter from the pantry with the recognizable laughter of my former “area-buddy”, AVP Josette Feliciano wafting into the reception area.  "Hi-Hello-Exchange Cell Numbers" bit with Media Research head honcho, Maita Consulta.

Meeting starts at about 5:15 at the “mediacon” (media conference room).  Serious talk ensues about an upcoming campaign while the gaiety and frolic reverberates from the pantry to the “mediacon”.  As official business was fully tackled, our group inside the mediacon began to talk about one of the media planner’s “career freefall” (a.k.a. resigning without knowing what’s in store for next and all for the sake of pursuing life’s passions).  And so it was.

As we ended the meeting at about 6pm, we stepped out of the mediacon and were surprised to see almost everyone in silence.  No, it was not time to pray the Angelus (though it may have looked like it).  Silence, shock, disbelief.  All these were made clear when a planner whispered, “We lost.”

Loss referring to another round of a battle royale between UniversalMcCann and Starcom Mediavest.  At stake, the hundreds of millions of pesos in advertising money of The Coca-Cola Export Corporation.  Both agencies had prepared for this pitch for close to a month with sleepless nights and endless cups of coffee.  The regional “big-guns” were even brought in for the task.

I had to leave immediately.  My daughter was waiting for me downstairs.  And most of all, I had to just leave because I’ve seen this scene before and could not take another round of it.  Within the time I was with the agency, I  have seen how “come-from-behind” victories were wrought.  We lost San Miguel to Starcom, we lost Nestle to Optimedia, we lost Unilab to Starcom, and now we (buhay pa rin kahit papaano ang pagiging McCann ko) lose Coca-Cola to Starcom.  Among these accounts named, I was mostly involved with Coke.

It has been an eventful 24 hours.  I started the morning yesterday lightly recollecting snippets of agency life over tea, and then everything escalated from there.

‘Overwhelmed’ is not enough an adjective to describe the roller coaster ride of emotions experienced.  Arousal, Involvement (realization), Acquisition, Confirmation, Conversation.  These are what we know as the five stages of media marketing engagement in today’s highly-connected world.  The same stages describe the gamut of events which transpired yesterday.

My prayers are with my ex-colleagues.  To continue with that light conversation at GB3 yesterday morning, the postulate is, there is a silver lining in every cloud of grey that enters our life. I pray that the silver lining becomes evident at the soonest possible time in this season.

The highly charged 24 hour period ends right now as I press the "Save & Publish" button to what could be my longest blog entry so far.

As a media strategist, I was impressed by the kind of data generated by The Media Audit on the people group easily classified as "Retired America" or "Retiring America".  For anyone in marketing, this data could spell a great difference in terms of focus in product development, media selection, and the whole gamut of marketing activities.

I could only wish for data like this wherein the base would be 'total Philippines'.  I honestly doubt if the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) has solid data as this:


Retirees, Followed By Boomers, Will Redefine Retirement

According to a report from The Media Audit, adults who are nearing retirement are now one of the fastest growing demographics in the country. 17.9% of all U.S. adults are now retired, a figure that has increased by 6% in the last five years and will rapidly increase as Boomers exit the workforce over the next few decades.

Consumption habits of aging Americans are likely very different from those of their predecessors because they are living longer, achieving higher levels of education, are wealthier, and redefining what it means to be retired.

• 83% of the retired adults in the U.S now own their own home
• Thirty percent of retired adults have cash, stocks and CD's valued at more than $100,000, the highest figure ever reported
• 13.1% of new automobile purchasers are retired, compared to 11.1% five years ago. 8.3% of adults who have a car loan are retired, compared to 6.4% five years ago, an increase of nearly 30%
• 16% of adults who frequently stay in hotels are retired, compared to 14.7% five years ago, a jump of almost 10%
• Among frequent beer consumers, 13% are retired, compared to 11.3% five years ago
• Adults who are retired are 6% more likely than the average U.S. adult to frequently dine out at a full service restaurant and retirees now make up nearly 20% of all adults who frequently dine out.
• 14.3% adults who plan to take an ocean cruise in the next year are retired.

Nearly one in five adults who plan to have lasik eye surgery are retired, and are 5% more likely than the average adult to be planning a lasik eye surgery procedure.

The report further reveals that adults who are retired today compared to the average U.S. adult:

• Spend nearly 30% more time watching broadcast TV,
• 14% more time watching cable TV
• 25% more time reading a daily newspaper

Retired adults today spend only 89 minutes per day online, a figure that is 26% less than the average U.S. adult who spends 123 minutes per day online. The next generation of retirees, though, is expected to be more computer and internet friendly, since Baby Boomers between the ages of 45 and 64 spend a considerably higher amount of time online - 123 minutes per day.

The most affluent retirees can be found in larger markets such as Washington, D.C., where the average retired adult earns $64,000 in household income.

San Jose, California, Fort Myers- Naples, Florida, San Francisco, California and Long Island, New York, follow behind with household incomes of more than $50,000.

And, currently the top ranking retiree markets are:

• Ocala, Florida with the highest percentage of retired adults (36%)
• Fort Myers- Naples, Florida (34%)
• Daytona Beach, Florida (33%)
• West Palm Beach, Florida (31%)
• Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida (29%)

My most awkward moment in my 4 year stint in McCann :  pitching for the business of Lyncor Inc.

Lyncor Inc. is the company behind BAYO.  What made it so awkward was having to present before cousins Lynn Dizon-Agustin and Corcor Dizon-Bitong.

Could I actually be so darn serious about advertising, media, and business in general with cousins I used to play parlor games with?

I honestly couldn't tell if I should have felt more relaxed that it was "just them" listening to the presentation or if I should have felt a greater deal of tension knowing that we've never been as formal as this moment at McCann's presentation room.

Try ninyo kaya kung pinsan nyo ang cliente ;-)

BPI Institutional TVC