From left to right: Paolo Mercado, Nestlé Philippines SVP and Director of Marketing Communication and Innovation, and John Miller, Nestlé S.A. SVP for Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa and former Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Philippines (Photo courtesy of Nestlé)
MANILA — Nestlé Philippines SVP and Director of Marketing Communication and Innovation Paolo Mercado has been named Chief Marketing Communications Officer (CMCO) of the Year by the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Tambuli Awards, a program of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P).
The award is given to one who has demonstrated superior leadership in achieving marketing communication excellence and profitability, and who has been actively engaged in the promotion of human good and brand purpose through marketing communication campaigns or programs.
Meanwhile, John Miller, Nestlé S.A. SVP for Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa, and a former Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Philippines, was accorded the Tambuli Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor is bestowed on an outstanding, highly respected, and accomplished leader in the marketing communications industry for at least 25 years, known to uphold and believe in the mission and core values of the APAC Tambuli Awards. He was selected for embodying the essence of the award, as seen in the many achievements and initiatives of Nestlé Philippines in helping communities and its various constituencies, in such areas as poverty alleviation through jobs, and health and wellness initiatives during his tenure as chairman and CEO.
Mr. Mercado was chosen to be CMCO of the Year for his sustained performance in leading a range of initiatives and programs at Nestlé Philippines.
Promoting human good. He is the force behind a number of Nestlé’s social initiatives to promote human good. These include the Wellness Campus, a continuing, joint program by Nestlé Philippines and the Department of Education (DepEd) to teach grades 1-10 public school students the importance of choosing healthier food and drink options through nutrition modules and engaging in physical activities via the Wellness dancercise. The Wellness Campus has, to date, reached seven million high school and grade school students in 10,821 public schools in the NCR, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Central Visayas.
Building a Creative Economy. Believing that a strong Creative Economy is essential for the Philippines to grow domestically and to be competitive in the global marketplace of products, talents and ideas, Mr. Mercado, together with other key players, has founded the Philippine Creative Economy Council. The Council has formulated a Creative Economy Masterplan for the Philippines that seeks, among other things, to define, measure and prioritize creative industries with high potential for revenue growth.
Digital transformation. Mr. Mercado is at the forefront of Nestlé Philippines’ digital transformation, rallying the organization to embrace the digital world and make it an integral part of the company’s way of life. He is a key enabler in making Nestlé Philippines a leader in the creative and high-engagement use of digital communication. To this end, he has mobilized his Digital Acceleration Team (DAT) and Creative Services Team to guide marketing units in transforming campaigns into digital communication.
Recognizing the tremendous impact of increasing social media conversations among Nestlé consumers, Mr. Mercado has expanded the scope of Nestle’s Consumer Engagement Services Unit, from a 24/7 consumer care telephone hotline handling consumer queries, comments and complaints, to cover 24/7 social media listening and responding for 51 Nestlé digital assets. The measure has enabled Nestlé Philippines to improve consumer engagement in real time.
Developing best in class brand builders. Mr. Mercado is a staunch advocate of bringing the marketing and communication skills of Nestlé brand builders to the level of best in class. Since joining Nestlé Philippines in 2015, he has embarked on a continuing program to develop the capability of brand builders to achieve marketing excellence in today’s digital world. He and his Nestlé Brand University (NBU)Team have elevated NBU initiatives several notches by offering more focused courses tailor-fit to the needs of Nestlé brand builders. A six-week MBA-like Brand Management Program conducted by the NBU with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is designed to strengthen Nestlé brand builders’ consumer-centricity so they can better meet consumers’ needs, given the challenging competitive environment.
Prior to joining Nestlé Philippines, Mr. Mercado was SVP and Head of Marketing and Consumer Communication for the Nestlé Greater China region. During his three and a half years in China, he established Nestlé as a leading FMCG company in digital and social media marketing, sharpening the company’s internal capabilities for digital listening and engagement. Before his assignment to China, he was the Global Communication Manager for Nestlé’s dairy brands, based in Vevey, Switzerland. In this role, he was responsible for the global communication strategies for well-known Nestlé dairy brands in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
