In advertising, what are the true measures of success?

MANILA, Philippines – In the highly competitive and diverse advertising industry, investing and earning sky-high amounts of money do not automatically mean success and, on a personal level, satisfaction.

At Ad Summit Pilipinas 2018, notable industry experts from here and abroad took the stage to share their respective take on ROI (return of investment) following the theme, DIY Your ROI.

(LIVE BLOG: Ad Summit 2018) 

If there’s one thing that can be gleaned from these advertising stalwarts’ talks throughout the three-day summit, it’s that there are far more important and universal indicators of what makes campaigns successful.

Simply, these are reinforcing deep connections with one’s personal and cultural identity; and becoming adaptable, flexible, and gutsy. 

Stay rooted

Adaptability, audacity, and flexibility are traits Filipinos bring with them, from the Philippines to the global stage.

Katryna Mojica, who spoke about Return on Initiative, started working for Ogilvy & Mather Manila in 1996; a decade later and beyond, she was already heading regional offices of the same agency first in Vietnam, followed by Indonesia. She’s currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the agency’s Hong Kong office.

Mojica hit the ground running, discovering the nuances of each branch as she went along. Aiming to build an environment that allowed room for dissonance and disruption, she adjusted her brand of leadership according to the work culture of each country.

“I think our adaptability makes us so wanted on a global scale but it can only take us so far. If we really want to aim higher, we also need to have some audacity,” she said.

Filipino-American Pampanga native Lionel Carreon spent most of his life in the US. He started his advertising journey as an intern before becoming a copywriter. Through the years he worked his way up – he’s now the Global Director for Creative Recruiting at the New York-based firm R/GA.

According to Carreon, advertising agencies in the US remain predominantly white. But he aims to contribute in changing the norm by diversifying the workforce.

In keeping with his theme, Carreon presented case studies of successful campaigns, Always’ #LikeAGirl and Ad Council’s Love Has no Labels.

“The ability to change the world is our Return on Identity,” he said.

Draw from culture

Filipinos are big on hugot. It’s everywhere: from social media to the silver screen, and everywhere in between.

Jollibee, with a deep understanding of its consumers, was not only quick to leverage their campaigns on this – it also managed to take ownership of hugot. Its  #KwentongJollibee Valentine’s Day series, in particular, was so popular on local and even international social media that Jollibee’s sales skyrocketed, too.

What makes these videos relatable is that they’re real. Francis Flores, Jollibee’s Global Brand CMO and PH Marketing Head, said that each story is based on someone’s actual story – one of them being one his brand manager’s, he revealed.

Speaking about Return on Intuition, he said, “Don’t be afraid to use your intuition… Intuition is having the confidence to make bold decisions without solely relying on market data.”

Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO India, draws inspiration from local culture as well to show how brands can go beyond advertising and spark social change.

With award-winning campaigns such as Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad, Whisper’s #TouchThePickle, and Mirinda’s #ReleaseThePressure, Paul and his team brought Indian taboos and practices to the forefront with the goal of inciting action among the public (they did).

“Don’t create ads, create acts… Our return is a response from a society that is waiting for things to happen,” he said. 

Trust your gut

This year’s keynote speaker Anselmo Ramos, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of DAVID Miami, spoke about Return of Ideas. Ramos is the mind behind Burger King’s Proud Whopper campaign, as well as Heinz’s Wiener Stampede Super Bowl spot and Pass the Heinz campaign.

Ramos, who’s won 195 awards including the prestigious Cannes Lions, insisted on “trust[ing] your gut” and going for bold ideas.

“If you want a return on investment, put everything into your idea because if it’s a great idea, it will get you money,” he said.

On its third edition, the biennial Ad Summit was held on March 7-10, 2018 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Other speakers invited to share their insights were Mara Binudin Lecocq, Founder and Creative Director of Secret Code; Amit Chaubey, Marketing Science Lead of Facebook; Girish Menon, Vice President of [m] Platform APAC; YouTube creator Wil Dasovich and the Vlog Squad; David Webb, Senior Director of Data and Insights at Turner Asia Pacific; and Carl Nawagamuwa, Head of Platform Sales for Google DoubleClick. – Rappler.com