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MANILA – November 21, 2013 – As the media landscape becomes more complex and diversified, the demand for creativity is higher than ever.
"It is really critical that you know that we’re able to engage consumers with more creative ideas," said Rommel Mariano, who was recently appointed by IPG Mediabrands as ASEAN Regional Business Director.
Mariano, a hybrid planner, explained that the changing media landscape has led to drastic and rapid changes in terms of consumer behaviour, receptivity, and consumption. "TV costs are escalating, and there is so much clutter. So it’s important now for brands to really relay their messages with very compelling ideas, and with the right media mix," Mariano told adobo.
Mariano shared that the reason he moved to a media agency after having spent over 15 years in a creative agency, was that the disciplines in media, PR, and creative are increasingly converging. "So it is important for someone like me or it is important for the industry to embrace this hybrid picture and really move seamlessly between disciplines so that we could provide a single marketing solution for the clients," he said.
In the same way that disciplines are converging, Mariano said skills are also converging. "You have to be both creative and strategic now, so that you can be able to really contribute and give the best marketing solution for the clients," he said.
As ASEAN Regional Business Director, Mariano acts as the core client contact for J&J across six key markets: Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Part of his role, Mariano said, is to guide his clients as they invest in digital efforts for their brand. "It’s actually my role to re-assure them that digital will work, digital will bring in their sales. That is the usual concern of clients: If I allocate a portion of my budget into digital, will it bring in the ROI?" he said.
Mariano, who has observed both big and small brands going into digital, said the choice to go into digital would depend on the brand’s objective, as well as the consumer. "There are some objectives which only require you to be single minded into digital but there are some that require you to apply convergence, use both traditional and non-traditional touch points," he said.
The advantage of digital, apart from being less expensive, is it allows brands and consumers to engage with each other. "Digital is really an interactive medium, it’s a two-way channel where the brand and the consumer can really connect and can really communicate. So that is the advantage of digital, unlike traditional media which is very one-way and digital is really it opened the floors for a lot of communication," Mariano said, adding that digital allows consumers to give feedback and suggestions, while also giving brands a way to get to gain a deeper understanding of their markets.
Mariano shared that he would use his experience working across many countries in the ASEAN region in his new role. "I will definitely use my deep understanding on the ASEAN consumers in my new position and of course, coming from a creative background, I am very passionate about ideas that really break through the clutter," he said.
He added that he was very excited about 2014. "Timing is everything, and I’m just so excited and thankful that we’re all doing 2014 planning now. so I really want to use my previous experience, really contribute so that 2014 can be an even more successful year for J&J," he said.
