MANILA – December 16, 2013 – With 2014 just around the corner, the Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), led by its new board of directors, is preparing its lineup of activities for next year. With the goal of growing the digital marketing industry in the Philippines, IMMAP will be focusing on digital transformation. Part of this is growing digital spend and improving customer experiences, according to incoming president Michael Palacios.
The estimated digital ad spend in 2014 is about P3-B, said Palacios, noting that the amount is quite small compared to the total advertising pie. He said that this amount is not proportional to the amount of time spent online. "I think we’re getting to the point where decision makers are increasingly digital savvy, but we’re not there yet. It’s not a hundred percent," he said.
On the other hand, e-commerce players are spending serious amounts on digital media, he added. "The Zaloras, Lazadas, Cash Cash Pinoys, Metro Deals… those are the bright spots, the lowest hanging fruit. They are already in the game," he said.
According to Palacios, one of IMMAP’s thrusts for 2014 is to make the case that customer experiences, market experiences, or brand experiences, can be improved through digital. "We can improve them and enhance them by putting them online," he said.
Another goal for IMMAP is to find new people, as one of the biggest problems in the digital scene is internal piracy. As Palacios said, "We need more people in the ecosystem."
IMMAP also wants to get brands to feel more confident about their digital strategies. "We want to involve more and more brands, get them to share their case studies get them to share their problems so that we can solve them," he said.
Palacios said 2014 would be about digital transformation, taking off from 2011’s theme, digital shift, which was about the changes on the part of the consumer. "This is now what are companies doing to align with that, to align with those media changes, with the more empowered consumer, and with a consumer ecosystem where there is so much peer to peer knowledge already because of social media," he said.
For 2014, IMMAP’s offerings will be segmented according to three tracks. The first track will be oriented towards leaders in this industry (who drives the strategy), the second one toward the communications groups (who implements the strategy), and the third track are the builders – creatives, developers and designers. "Those are the three spaces we want to occupy," Palacios said.
He added that IMMAP will also be strengthening its partnership with the Ad Standards Council (ASC). "We’re kind of taking a more holistic approach to our entire strategy for 2014," Palacios said. Events to look forward to include the IMMAP Summit in August, the Breakfast Series, as well as pocket events spread throughout the year.
