DigiCon 2024, the event organized by DMAP, or the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines, took the whole nation by storm. Industry leaders gathered in a two-day event last October 15th and 16th at Newport City in Pasay to uncover the digital strategies of the country’s top brands.
Usually, what you see from Philippine brands like Jollibee are just the finished ads and marketing materials. You never really get to know how they were made and what strategies were used to come up with such a strong message. Well, DigiCon 2024 came to the rescue as it provided the attendees with their all-access guide to what happens behind-the-scenes before marketing and publicity campaigns are launched. Let’s take a look at some of the brands featured in the event, starting off with Jollibee.
Jollibee
The country’s leading fast food chain that’s proudly Pinoy – sorry, McDonald’s – and now with branches all over the world, from the Middle East to some parts of the United States, has gone a long way. It has become more and more creative in creating its campaigns as time goes by, from the cheesy Karen and her Lolo ad from the early 2000s to today’s viral campaigns featuring “the nation’s girl group,” BINI.
DigiCon 2024 shares how those digital campaigns came to be. Complete with Jollibee restaurant’s mascots gracing the stage, the digital marketing team of Jollibee banks on “the Joy of purposeful people-first technology.” With millions of Filipinos eating at Jollibee, rich and poor, this should not be a surprise.
Moreover, Jollibee’s representatives to the event said the company doesn’t just “spread joy” on food, but beyond it, encompassing strong brands and even meaningful careers. Customer focus, the spirit of family and fun, humility to listen and learn, integrity, and speed with excellence are what drive Jollibee’s digital transformation, the speakers said.
The JolliBINI Campaign
You sure danced to the beats of BINI, an eight-member P-pop group inspired by the K-pop wave, but for sure, you also danced to their jingle song for Jollibee’s Cheesy Yumburger. “Best Cheesy Yumburger ko…” they would sing to the tune of one of their songs, “Pantropiko.”
And for sure, if you are used to buying just one piece of this Yumburger, you’ll be pushed to buy two now that you’ve seen BINI’s ad for the food. DigiCon 2024 shared the secret behind the campaign’s success.
“We listened to customers and drove highly experiential moments based on our insights with BINI content…” they said.
Even if BINI is present in countless other Philippine brands, their Jollibee stint is a hit.
Burger King Partners With Marvel
Next is Burger King. It’s not one of the top three fast food chains in the country (McDonald’s, Jollibee, and KFC), and you’d probably visit Burger King if the nearby Jollibee is closed or under renovation. So, to reach more audiences, they got to step up their game.
Burger King thought about what other fast food chains missed: partnering with Marvel, particularly the recently shown “Deadpool & Wolverine” movie. Now, that’s difficult. If this campaign were a choreography, it can be hard to learn the steps. But, Burger King did it perfectly. DigiCon 2024 showed how they incorporated the trending Marvel movie into their ordering app and social media accounts like Instagram.
Smashburger’s Strategy To Stand Out
Have you ever heard of Smashburger? Perhaps not. You are not alone. In a world hyped about Shake Shack, Smashburger would be a supporting role if it were a movie. But, with its digital marketing campaigns, it is introducing what it has so it becomes unforgettable for customers.
For context, Smashburger offers what burger chains like Burger King would. Burgers using Angus beef, you got it. But, this is an American fast-casual hamburger restaurant, so you get the speed of Burger King with the sophistication of Shake Shack.
DigiCon 2024 said, “We made the experience better for customers, with personalized orders, zero wait time, and loyalty rewards.”
In addition, the event also showed shots of its slogans, such as “Skip the line like a boss,” “Deja food,” and “Free Smashburgers? Yes please.”
Greenwich and the Gaming Community
If you’ve had Pizza Hut yesterday, you’d probably choose to have Greenwich today. Greenwich is also not the number one choice among Filipinos. Its pizzas as just, well, not as grand as those of Pizza Hut. But, if you want a pizza that’s truly Pinoy, head to Greenwich.
Greenwich also doesn’t want to be left behind. If Burger King tied up with a Marvel movie, Greenwich tapped on the gaming community for their digital campaigns.
“We showed how Greenwich understands, celebrates, and powers the gaming community that’s leveling up eSports from online to in real life,” the DigiCon 2024 speaker stated.
GrabBayanihan
Grab, initially a transport hailing app but now a platform where you can order food and groceries, is also getting louder and louder online, at least in the Philippines. You recently saw Grab ads on top of your YouTube feeds. Ply through EDSA and Grab billboards are all over as well.
At DigiCon 2024, Grab was also featured from the perspective of their partnership with the Jollibee Group Foundation. So, this is about the community.
Specifically, Jollibee tapped on Grab’s charity arm, GrabBayanihan “to help communities in need” with GrabRewards points helping the victims of Typhoon Carina, which hit the country in July 2024.
foodpanda isn’t Generic
Lastly, there’s foodpanda, that food ordering app that’s not as famous as Grab Food, but captivates hungry Filipinos with their striking pink color scheme and their cute panda mascot named Pau-Pau, who was, by the way, present at the event! The fun billboards of foodpanda are also all over EDSA.
At DigiCon 2024, the speakers shared how foodpanda’s digital ads provide data and insights about their audience based on real-time purchase and intent, something far from how ads from generic platforms work.
Those are just some of the brands tapping on the Filipino market featured in this DMAP event. The event has seriously inspired attendees who were more than ready to take inspiration and apply their learnings to their own campaigns, whether for their digital content or businesses.
With the theme “Digital REVOLUTION,” this year’s DigiCon is a beast aiming to lead, innovate, and redefine the digital frontier. DigiCon is DMAP’s digital convention of global and local industry experts. For more highlights of the event, you can watch this coverage on YouTube.
DigiCon 2024’s sponsors and partners are Jollibee, UnionBank, Grab, Unilever, KFC, Google, and McDonalds, among others.