How Marty Tio keeps the ‘jeannovations’ coming

FREEGO new VP for marketing, Marty Tio, looks forward to sharing what he has up his sleeve to drive the denim wear label to continued success.

Having recently taken the helm of local casual wear brand Freego, new VP for Marketing, Marty Tio, looks forward to sharing what he has up his sleeve to drive the denim wear label to continued success.

With his equally passionate team, Tio, a BS Economics Statistics graduate from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, is the bright young businessman now responsible for steering the long-established brand towards the right direction.

“For me, Freego has always been a top-of-the-line brand. Whether it’s the fit, length or design, they just make denim look sexy,” he shares. Tio also discloses what initially drew him to take over the reins of Freego: “It’s remarkable how, despite changes in the economy and trends, the brand, thanks to its jean innovations—or what we call ‘jeannovations’—continues to be a leader in the market today.”

The vision of the brand is to clothe the Filipino best and after 30 years in the industry, it’s still what they intend on doing. “The first business principle I wanted to apply when I came in was to be clear on what we wanted to do. Broadening our vision on the brand while narrowing our focus—the basic strategy was hinged on making those choices,” he explains. Taking off from this, Tio and his team reviewed their brand identity, even coming up with a brand book to recapture Freego’s history and ultimately define what the brand  stands for.

“Since you can’t be everything to everyone, you should be something to someone,” he says. “I wanted to establish what differentiates us from the competition.” Looking back at Freego’s campaigns through their past advertising found in billboards, endorsers, and the like, Tio points out a common denominator in their messaging—“Freego is all about being ‘sexy.’ We are the sexy denim brand that takes off from the idea of freedom—the freedom to move, be comfortable, and to wear jeans that make you look and feel great.”

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The brand, he declares, is more than capable of enabling Filipinos to experience this freedom because of its mastery in what the market wants and needs. “Through the years, we’ve consistently worked on ‘over-delivering’ to the market by pushing ourselves to come up with fits and designs that are unique to the Filipino wearer, helping them enhance their best assets. Also, we want to give them the best possible product that won’t require them to spend a fortune.”

True to its sexy “jeannovator” status, the brand is famous for many firsts, such as the Freego Skinny Fit, the Jeggings, and just recently, the Reversible Jeans. Tio attributes these accomplishments to his bright and passionate team from Freego.

“We make it a point to experience new trends first-hand and regularly seek inspirations for our ‘jeannovations,’” he says of his team’s approach to the job.

“One aspect of innovation is the research. We need to keep finding new spins on great ideas,” Tio remarks. “We also take our fashion hits and find fresh and exciting ways for our market to experience them.” The Reversible jeans, for example, have already become very popular, but Freego continues to reinvent them. From the first version that featured five functional pockets, Freego now boasts the 10-Pocket Reversible Jeans. “When it comes to fashion, men, prioritize comfort, utility, and convenience. And having a pair of 2-in-1 jeans definitely addresses all those.”

Constantly coming up with new and up-to-date products that address the various needs of the market can be quite tough, admits Tio, especially with many international brands also coming in. “But what consumers must know is that these incoming brands are not manufactured to tailor-fit the Filipino wearer, so finding the perfect fit would be tricky for the average Filipino,” he points out.

And this is where local edge comes into play. Tio, who has previously worked at a marketing research firm, considers business reviews, customer feedback, and analyzing consumer behavior and needs very vital in producing the best products for Filipinos.

“We researched the height and body measurements of the average Filipino to ensure that our jeans will fit them best,” he says. The Super Shapers collection, for instance, plays with the length, the panels, the waistline structure, and many other elements to make jeans that fit and contour the woman’s figure well, thus taking care of problem areas.

For Tio, it’s the values Freego has been patronized for that allows it to remain a market leader. “Innovation is definitely important. But it’s the quality, value and research that we put into every product that make our jeans a must-have for every Filipino.”

And lastly, there’s also the “people factor.” The brand owes its success to its hardworking team, who themselves have embraced and are living out the Freego vision. “As in any business, I know how vital people are in helping drive the brand to success. And that’s why we’ve ensured that each member understands what we want to do for the brand and where we’re all heading,” remarks Tio. “It’s important that we ourselves believe in Freego’s thrust. And, it’s equally important for us to believe in the capacity and openness of our market to continue rediscovering denim. It’s that kind of attitude of openness that can set the trend for generations to come.”