MANILA, PHILIPPINES — At the start of the pandemic, people felt disoriented. Going out was deemed unsafe, and many had to reevaluate what is essential in their lives. As people had to stay indoors and away from workplaces and classrooms, connections had to go virtual.
In this new normal, hyperconnected Filipinos needed innovative digital solutions. And 917Ventures, Globe’s non-telco subsidiary, has risen to such challenge, helping customers adjust to an abruptly changed reality.
Its brands such as e-wallet service GCash, telehealth providers KonsultaMD and HealthNow and online grocery platform PureGo have been indispensable for customers to access basic needs and services while locked down in their homes.
Through e-commerce and loyalty solution RUSH, full-service digital agency AdSpark, business intelligence system dashboard Inquiro, and Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging platform M360, the company has also been helping businesses reach customers while physical stores had to limit operations.
It has also invested in startups such as web development educational bootcamp KodeGo, ultimate showbiz marketplace Fanlife, and BentaTV, a digital platform for non tech-savvy sellers.
As the lingering pandemic drives demand for digital services, 917Ventures continues to look into digital solutions that could address painpoints in six hypergrowth industries: fintech, digital health, adtech, edutech, entertainment, and e-commerce.
These industries are only seen to grow further over the next few years, not only through serving Filipinos for their day-to-day needs, but also supporting the country’s digitalization efforts.
“We listen to what our users want and observe how they react to these changes. We believe in assisting our customers in their digital journey, recognizing that we are on the journey with them, creating or supporting solutions that can make their lives easier,” said Vince Yamat, 917Ventures Managing Director.
Speaking at the recent 51st National Marketing Conference of the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA), Yamat shared that brands have to keep up with hyperconnected consumers as they shift to more convenient and digital ways of working, studying, and accessing basic needs, as made evident by the 917Ventures portfolio companies.
Tackling the theme “Reimagineering The Future of Marketing,” Yamat said serving a hyperconnected customer is not just about changing products and services but also making them easy to use. Such hyperconnection is reflected in 917Ventures’ portfolio companies, which are linked within the Globe ecosystem.
This gives customers an integrated and seamless user experience.
For instance, when shopping at PureGo, one can receive a P150 voucher for HealthNow. KonsultaMD is, meanwhile, bundled with Globe At Home and Globe postpaid.
RUSH onboards brands to GLive on GCash to attract current and new customers. Meanwhile, after enterprises learn more about their consumers through Inquiro, they can also reach them via M360 or even create a compelling story with AdSpark.
“Hyperconnectivity is not just important among consumers, but also almost among enterprises. Our portfolio companies being hyperconnected to each other gives customers better access to our services and makes their life more convenient. We innovate for the people. We ideate opportunities, launch solutions and accelerate lives. This philosophy empowers us to captivate the hyperconnected customers in the Philippines and beyond,” Yamat added.
