MANILA – As Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine office of IPG Mediabrands and chair of the 2017 MSAP Media Congress, Venus Navalta is a respected industry leader with years of experience in the advertising and media industries. She recently shared with adobo some key insights based on her observations and examination of industry trends both here and abroad.
adobo: What are key transformational shifts you see affecting the advertising industry which will have the strongest impact this year?
Venus: There are several:
More foreign players, especially from ASEAN and China, will enter the country, offering the same or better quality products at lower costs to consumers. Their marketing and communications approach will be different, impacting our current clients and our industry.
Access to better data and use of more sophisticated analytics will demand for greater accountability from all stakeholders. Precision targeting and personalized messaging are becoming the new normal. We now have better tools to deliver on desired KPIs. Previous metrics that we use in our industry are fast becoming irrelevant. At the same time, the level of ad avoidance is increasing rapidly as more people block, skip or mute ads, or simply turn their attention to something else while ad breaks are on.
Increasing use of e-commerce by Filipinos, disrupting different sectors of the marketing and communications industry.
adobo: How are you and your network adapting to the changes in the business environment? What measures are your taking and how are you leading your company and its people to tide and thrive?
Venus: As a young company, we have the advantage of organizing and putting together the right resources to take advantage of all these new opportunities. Our structure, fresh approach, and diverse talent team have made us the fastest growing agency in the market. We grew rapidly from two people three years ago to 120 today. UM was awarded by R3 “Best in New Business” in 2016 and our newly launched second agency, Initiative, won that honor in 2017.
Our digital and data teams are growing the fastest. We have won multi-country clients in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The Manila office is now a hub for advanced business analytics for Mediabrands. We have 25 data scientists working on global accounts from our North America and Asia-Pacific offices. Our digital team has likewise expanded beyond our shores, servicing the US, Canada, and Australia.
adobo: What is the best thing that will happen to our industry this year?
Venus: As we are proving, with technology and world-class talents, Philippine-based agencies can win and service clients across the globe.
