It is an honor to be conferred as a Certified Professional Marketer or a CPM. The title is a result of rigid examinations in various topics in Marketing. It has been a test not only of knowledge, but also of endurance. It has stretched our capacities to its limits.
We live in challenging times. I belong in an industry where speed in delivering news and information is the name of the game. Technology has changed reader preferences and behaviors. As a result, we find ourselves asking the question, “Are we still relevant?”
I am privileged to belong in both worlds, being an industry practitioner & an academician.
I have the habit of doing this ritual in my classes. I ask my students, “Who among you read the newspaper?” I am lucky to have five people raising their hands.
However, when I ask my follow-up question, “Who among you is interested in news and information?” I see all of them raising their hands.
This activity was a learning experience for me. It taught me the things that change and the things that remain.
I realized that our industry has evolved. Our customers now have choices on the platforms where they want to be informed.
This is an era where people are not just consumers of news and information. They want to be engaged. They want to share their opinions and ideas. Readers can also be sources of news and information.
This is something every media platform must consider, whether in print, mobile or digital.
The print media is an avenue where it has to respond to the demands of the times.
Many might not know that the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Youngblood column in its Opinion Section receives thousands of articles from readers 30 years old and below. There are already five editions of Youngblood books.
There are mechanisms installed in the print platforms to provide reader engagement.
The process of breaking news had been redefined. There were cases where news reports were broken in print and amplified in other platforms. It can also work the other way around. The other platforms break the news and print provides the complete details.
It is therefore not a question of substitution, but a matter of being complementary with each other.
Our core business is content, not the medium. Technology will always be an enabler. It will never be a strategy. A certain technology can fade but the core business stands the test of time.
Systems & processes can always be copied. However, the passion and competencies of the people behind the news & information can never be imitated.
A credible content is the backbone of every platform in a multi-media organization.
This is our challenge in Marketing. This is the big idea we want to share. The brand is the content. The content is the brand.
To my fellow CPMs and CPMEs, may the title conferred to us be a reminder to the values we adhere as marketing professionals.
The medal bestowed on us as CPM is not only a symbol of success but a call to be humble.
We never assume we know everything. We must always listen and be ready to discover new things to our customers and environment. We must be open to news insights and ideas.
The title conferred to us is just a beginning. It is a call to respond to use our knowledge and efforts to serve not only our respective organizations. We are called to contribute in the advancement of the marketing field in our country.
I am blessed to be part of an Inquirer family where people are passionate in their work.
I share this moment with the Inquirer Marketing team. Your commitment and dedication is exemplary. Thank you, Dolce, Mai, Che Ann, Sam, and Lendy. You never cease to amaze me on how you can cast out magic just to deliver results beyond expectations. There is nothing more I could ask for.
Thank you also to Dave Buenviaje, my immediate superior, who has been open to our ideas and suggestions. Your concern at the lowest point of my life is something I will cherish.
I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Inquirer’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Rene Reinoso. I thank you for trusting and believing in me even when others cast their doubts in my capability. We’ve been through the worst of times, and also in the best of times. Your leadership is definitely one of the reasons why I am inspired to be the best of what I can be.
And most of all, I offer this CPM to my three in heaven, to my Daddy, Mommy and to God.
That in all things, God may be glorified.