MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In all its 25-year history, the 4As Philippines Agency of the Year’s Media Agency of the Year award has always been dominated by multinational agency networks that seem to have a stranglehold on that category. That is until this year, when the independent agency The Huddle Room (THR) won one of the big trophies of the awards show: 2023 Media Agency of the Year. The award, that saw the agency besting media agency giants, was an awesome achievement for The Huddle Room; an achievement made even more sweeter as it was received prize on the agency’s 10th year anniversary.
The Huddle Room also showcased its thought leadership by grabbing Best in Industry leadership and Community Service for its continuous efforts to elevate media and advertising as an industry and thrust for social and common good.
This win in the 25th AOYs was immediately echoed at the advertisers’ PANATA Awards, solidifying its win as Media Agency of the Year for 2023, the inaugural win for this category.
The Huddle Room story started among five friends that turned into partners – Dimples C. Cruz, Julia E. Garcia, Eugene M. Manalo, Pat F. Dizon and Reena Cruz-Robles – who decided to establish an independent agency 10 years ago, in a time when unbundling of services was happening in the industry to offer an integrated customized service.
Asked about the agency’s success, Dimples Cruz, Chairman and CEO, put it simply, “I work well with my good friends. People who want me to succeed, and people who I want to succeed. This is a product of a decade of collaboration with our clients and media partners who trusted us along the way.”
Pat Dizon, THR’s Managing Director, said, “When it comes to media, it’s not just about the scale but also the skill is what truly matters. This is just the start of how we evolve more beyond an ad agency but us as a growth agency in this market.”
