Digital: The boomerang effect

First of two parts

Technology is beautiful. Without a doubt, it makes life a little better. If wonders never cease, especially in the digital world, the inevitable will  happen: the geeks will inherit the earth.

This they did in last Friday’s IMMAP (Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines) Boomerang Awards, where the best and the finest brand advertising using the digital highway were given their own spotlight.

Philippine digital wizards and brand honorees took center stage as the seventh edition of The Boomerangs, now beginning to be the most exciting part of every IMMAP event, opened at The Loft, Manansala, Rockwell Center, Makati.

The Boomerangs, literally named after a curved flat wood designed to circle back to the thrower, is the Oscars of digital advertising. The shape is aptly, graphically digital, moving forward. This year’s official creative agency partner is Digit-DM9.

Started in 2007 as a sideshow of every IMMAP summit with mostly independent digital agencies participating, Boomerang has grown by leaps and bounds, attracting even multinational ad agencies that seriously go to Cannes.

Digital campaigns and programs utilizing Internet-enabled technologies (brand-managed communities such as Facebook pages), branded utility apps and e-commerce platforms vie for a Boomerang statue.

Today, it is fast shaping up as the country’s most prestigious digital awards show, a competition eagerly awaited, a must-attend industry gathering.

“We are moving toward the right direction, the awards is on its way to becoming mainstream,” says Ed Mapa,  conceptualizer of the Boomerang Awards and one of IMMAP’s founding fathers.

Mapa was previously president & CEO of Media Contacts Philippines. He steered the agency to win the Araw Media Agency of the Year in 2009, and with that leadership brought home important businesses from Unilever, San Miguel Brewery and Citi-digital.

In the same year, his agency captured a Gold for Innovative category in the Boomerangs, stretching all the way to the Ad Congress with a gold in Best Use of Internet and a Bronze in Best Viral campaign.

In an interview, Mapa, credited with developing Havas Media Ortega as one of the most innovative digital agencies in the country, says: “Digital creativity is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose.”

“It is about search, explore, learn, discuss, experience, leading to a desired result or action,” he says.

With everyone trying to catch up with the digital bandwagon today, Mapa, the digital pioneer, believes it is not about “Think Simple” anymore but rather “Think Orchestration. It is not about media planning anymore but behavioral planning,” he adds.

Huge reason why he was recently elevated as Chief Innovation Officer for Havas Media Group China, relocating to Beijing right after the Boomerang Awards. He will tackle a more challenging role—championing innovative thinking for the agency’s data, creative and technology products.

Digital advertiser of the Year

A total of 20 bronze, 19 silver and 5 gold Boomerangs were handed out at this year’s Boomerang Awards. For investing money into digital, glory circled back to Nestle Philippines, bringing home the Best of Show, aside from winning the most number of awards across all categories for most of its brands.

Gold Boomerangs also went to DM9 JaymeSyfu, OgilvyOne and Mobext for their respective clients.

Business Friday interviews Sandra Puno, director of Nestlé Corporate Communications, Aurora Alipao, Nestle head of Consumer Services and Corporate Communications and Nicole Bulatao, head of Digital Marketing:

BF: How does it feel to be on the top again?

Sandra Puno:  Pleasantly surprised and extremely happy. Our work in digital space continues to be inspired by Filipino consumers, our “Kasambuhay, Habambuhay,” and it is for them that we launch and sustain all our digital campaigns, to be able to reach out to them.  These awards are a tribute to the Filipino consumers, who have made our brands a part of their daily lives.

BF: Why is “Nestlé Club” effective?

Au Alipao: Through the years, the Nestlé Club has become the members’ go-to source of homemaking information and inspiration—making them feel more empowered and confident.

The Nestlé Club, through our various communication materials and channels, has consistently provided content relevant to its members, while creatively promoting use of Nestlé products through recipes, games, and useful homemaking tips.

As moms became more digital savvy, the Nestlé Club evolved, engaging its members even more through digital channels.

The Nestlé Club website (www.Nestléclub.ph.com) has over 309,763 unique visits with average engagement time of 3.45 minutes, 750 percent higher than a 30-second TVC.

It is one of the longest running consumer relationship marketing programs in the country, and we are here for the long-term. We do not only acquire members, we make sure that once our consumers become members, we continually communicate with them, in ways relevant to them. We can never thank them enough for the love they continue to share with us.

BF: Similarly, why does “Gerber Farm” tick?

Nicole Bulatao: The short answer is its simplicity. The idea behind Gerber Farm is that we wanted to communicate the fact that Gerber is made with wholesome ingredients, without preservatives.

The Gerber Farm Facebook app allows mothers to virtually pick fruit from a farm, pack it in a bottle and vacuum seal the lid, thus leading users through the process of making Gerber.

Easy steps, beautiful imagery and strong message all worked together to bring the message of “Freshness in Every Jar” across.

BF: You have different ad agencies but most of them, if not all, won awards for Nestlé. What can you say about them?

Sandra Puno: I am proud to say that we work with some of the most creative and inspired people and agencies in the industry.  I’ve always believed that it is the ultimate tribute to Nestlé and our brands, when our agencies decide to enter the work they’ve done for us in various competitions.

That means our partners believe they’ve done great work for us. And when these awards are won—that means the industry of experts agree with them.  That is really a big honor.

Nicole Bulatao: MRM, Ogilvy One, Publicis and NuWorks have been partners for years, and each agency manages multiple brands for us. Their teams truly collaborate with me and with the brands, and they’re never afraid to defend a contrary point of view if they believe that it’s what’s best for the business.

BF: What is your guiding philosophy for making them deliver?

Sandra Puno: The Nestlé Philippines’ mission is to nurture generations of Filipino families and help build a strong and prosperous nation.  This is a mission we share with our communication agencies.

BF: What makes you believe in digital?

Sandra Puno:  Digital is here to stay.  There is no going back.  If we are to continue to succeed, we need to embrace digital, with all its benefits and complexities.  The sooner we get our people to do that, the better we will deliver our mission.

Nicole Bulatao: Digital channels are different from traditional channels in at least two ways: the technologies available allow for almost any execution an agency creative or brand manager can imagine, and the channels encourage peer-to-peer sharing.

This means that the field of digital marketing communications is both incredibly exciting, and impossible to totally control. Messages communicated on digital-by artists, journalists, everyday people, and of course, brands can be incredibly powerful.

Au Alipao:  We have to be where our members are, so we can continue to be relevant in their lives, and more and more of our Nestlé Club members are into digital.

The 2-day summit opened with a theme: “Digital Drive: Trending Towards ROI,” had a stellar cast of speakers, local and foreign, a veritable who’s who in digital media.

Among them were Ruth Stubbs, CEO of iProspect Aegis Media Asia-Pacific; Thomas Crampton, director, Social@Ogilvy, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific; Nick Fawbert, head of Digital Enterprise for Media Corporation, CEO Third Space Consulting Southeast Asia; Gabby Lopez and Donald Lim, Chair and Chief Digital Officer of ABS-CBN respectively; Merlee Jayme, Chair and Chief Creative Officer of DM9 Jayme-Syfu; Budjette Tan, Deputy Executive Creative Director of MRM Manila, digital arm of McCann WorldGroup; Bela Gupta D’ Souza, head of Globe Telecom Mobile Advertising; Leah Besa-Jimenez, group head-Digital Media, Smart Telecom and a host of other experts in the field.

Miguel Ramos, IMMAP President, gave the welcome remarks while Stubbs made a keynote presentation on “Performance Marketing.

Last year, over 150 submissions from agencies, industries and platforms were received. DOT’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” (BBDO Guerrero) and Coca-Cola’s “Where Will Happiness Strike Next: The OFW Project (McCann Worldgroup Manila) campaigns won gold Boomerangs.