MANILA — Rona Angeles, who has extensive experience in doing ethical campaigns for pharmaceutical brands, now leads Havas Life Manila, the health and wellness communications arm of Havas Ortega. As Account Director, she is in charge of acquiring business, client servicing, as well as leading all projects.
Previously, Angeles was Business Development Manager at a small boutique agency specializing in pharmaceutical advertising, where she co-headed business and brand planning. In 2008, Angeles was among the roster of the prestigious MarkProf Top 25 Marketing Management Trainees and received the Leadership Award.
“Angeles is an asset to the team because of her positive disposition, boundless energy, and exceptional work ethic. We are delighted that she is taking on this mammoth task. We have faith in her abilities to meet the challenge,” Jos Ortega, CEO of Havas Ortega, says.
She takes to heart the principles of servant leadership and has inspired many of her colleagues at Havas with this groundbreaking and humanistic approach.
“I was initially not in love with the world of advertising,” 29-year-old Angeles admits. Her five-foot (1.52m) frame and bubbly demeanor belie her depth and breadth of experience in the health advertising industry. “But then, I saw how it can possibly affect lives for the better. Advertising is more than just selling products and services. It’s a tool for positively changing behaviors and perceptions. It’s a tool for answering needs. It’s a tool for changing the world.”
After being immersed in ethical advertising, Angeles says: “I fell in love with the health advertising world. I get fulfillment from working in the health sector (not to take away from consumer brands) because I like the idea of helping people find information that can help them, sometimes, to save their lives. And for doctors, helping them find products that can probably improve their patients’ lives.”
At Havas Life Manila, Angeles has already led the successful rebranding and re-launch of a local hospital. Angeles is also part of an innovations team in Havas Ortega called MED, a group organized specially to ideate and develop healthcare solutions using digital channels and technology. This is purely an initiative, completely separate from her duties with Havas Life, where she finds her creativity challenged even more to solve unique problems through custom solutions.
Ably supporting Angeles with his extensive medical experience is Dr. Blue Soon, a practicing clinical radiologist who also serves as Havas Life’s medical consultant and content writer. Most of his medical practice was spent at Cardinal Santos Medical Center. He is a diplomate of the Philippine College of Radiology and a fellow of the Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Society of the Philippines as well as the Ultrasound Society of the Philippines.
He is able to put his talent in writing to good use by marrying this with his medical expertise. Proof of this is his more than decade of experience in writing consumer and medical professional targeted materials.
“Dr. Blue ensures that all of our projects are rooted in clinical fact, at the same time, innovative. I am very pleased to be working with him on healthcare advertising,” Angeles shares.
The powerhouse team at Havas Life Manila has already consistently been making strides in delivering sound campaigns for several local and regional clients in the industry.
