Gathering the young business startup community with hundreds of local and international entrepreneurs, BusinessWorld launched its premier convention on ideation and venture capitalism last May 12, 2018 at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City.
With great emphasis on the booming business industry, relevant business and ecumenical trends that will help create impactful local opportunities were discussed. Meanwhile for the panel discussion, techniques on how local start-ups can compete globally was the main subject tackled by leading technopreneurs and start-up incubators.
On empowering young entrepreneurs
Best-selling author, corporate training consultant, and inspirational speaker Francis Kong shared his keynote insights on the most important part of business. Kong asked the audience if the answer was among Education, Talent, or Diskarte (Strategy), but thereafter explains that it is knowledge, or kaalaman, in Filipino. He demonstrates that the chief end of doing business is to be able to meet needs. These respective needs are problems that start-up companies should offer solutions to. In return, profit becomes a by-product of creating value.
In line with producing inclusive business ideas, Francis Reyes, CEO of Caravan Food Group, Inc., talked about his two unique dessert concepts – Elait artisanal ice cream and Overdoughs fried doughnuts, respectively. He gave great emphasis on how he developed his food concepts with two primary objectives in mind, which were to provide opportunities for local suppliers for inclusive growth and to give meaningful employment opportunities to deaf people and other persons with disabilities.
On crafting creative business concepts
College friends and workmates, writer Ali Sangalang and visual artist Panch Alvarez, delivered their talk on how they built their brand Linya-Linya, a social media page turned retail clothing brand. Along with their partner and marketing and advertising head, Jim Bacarro shares their company’s goal, which is to create an avenue for Filipinos to express their feelings. “We basically use feelings to sell products. We sell relatability. Knowing our customer,” he emphasizes.
Alvarez was one of the editors of the Official Gazette Online (gov.ph) before turning into the Communications Head for then Representative Leni Robredo. Sangalang on the other hand has written for Philippine governmental issues, web-based social networking, and what he calls “fun-trepreneurship.” As speechwriter to President Benigno S. Aquino III, he was considered the resident wordsmith and copywriter for Presidential Communications.
Linya-Linya aspires to connect to a wider audience and share their original words, art, and concepts that essentially contribute to Philippine culture and society.
On building remarkable brands
Gino Borromeo, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of McCann Worldgroup Philippines, rationalizes his admiration for the ability of young minds to innovate; how business is a constant source of challenge and excitement. Borromeo leads the multidisciplinary planning team of the country’s largest marketing communications agency. He takes with him over a decade of hands-on experience planning for brands at the local, regional and global level – both for consumer and B2B brands.
Borromeo shares that in a society of popular culture, brands have to work harder than ever to stand out. He then shares five substantial lessons on how to make a brand remarkable. The first one is that brands have to stand for something. Entrepreneurs should look for a mission, a purpose, or a cause. “Always be clear about your why,” he asserts. The second one would be to always be delightful. Borromeo conveys that unremarkable brands give you what you expect, but remarkable brands delight you. He then flashes a video of isthereaproblemofficer.ph, an advertising campaign of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) that aims to increase awareness of their no contact apprehension program.
In light of the dramatically increasing number of local and international brands alike, Borromeo expresses that brands should always be entertaining. “You can’t bore people into buying your brands,” he says. He then shows an ad about Nestle Cream that targets the viewers’ emotions. The fourth one would be to always be helpful or useful, and the last would be that brands should be brave. Most brands are unremarkable because they play it safe.
The whole-day event is organized by BusinessWorld‘s SparkUp and Globe myBusiness Academy, in partnership with Accenture in the Philippines, FWD Life Philippines, and Hyundai Philippines, respectively.
