For episode 5 of Near Creative’s ongoing series Convos with Marketing Pros, we have Jasper Evangelista, brand and marketing director of DITO Telecom.

Jasper offers his unique perspective in the telecommunication industry and his observations on  how to create a cohesive and creative marketing campaign that does not just feel authentic, but specifically rings true to the everyday Filipino consumer.

Tell us more about your company and what’s keeping you busy these days.

“My role revolves around creating marketing strategies that truly connect with everyday Filipinos across the country. Right now, my main focus is on building and scaling what we call DITO ‘telecommunities.’ It’s a movement that reimagines how we connect with our customers – not just through our products and services, but by creating digital hubs that empower individuals and communities to thrive in today’s digital economy.

“This initiative is about more than just providing connectivity. It’s about bridging the digital divide and giving underserved communities access to opportunities they’ve never had before. Whether it’s education, economic growth, or civic participation, we’re working to ensure that no one gets left behind. By combining hyperlocal engagement strategies with purpose-driven digital solutions, we’re not just building a customer base. We’re building relationships that matter.

“Outside of work, I’m passionate about brand education. I love speaking at marketing summits and workshops where I get to share insights and strategies that challenge the status quo. It’s always exciting to connect with other marketing professionals and learners, and to advocate for more inclusive, culturally relevant approaches to brand building – especially in emerging markets like ours. For me, leadership isn’t just about personal success. It’s about contributing to the growth of the entire marketing community.”

You've been in the telco space for the past 5 years. How do you stay updated and how has your approach evolved over the years?

“One key thing I’ve learned is that staying relevant is nonnegotiable. While I keep an eye on tech advancements in information and communication technology, I also focus on observing real human behavior. I pay attention to how Filipinos interact with technology in their daily lives – how they react when they land at airports, how they load data, and what frustrates or delights them about connectivity. These small, everyday moments often reveal insights that data dashboards can’t.

“I also immerse myself in global trends, from Web3 to AI, and even youth subcultures. Over the years, my approach has shifted from simply executing campaigns to building ecosystems. Every initiative I work on now has to create a ripple effect, whether it’s creative work that drives sales, services that delight customers, or systems that scale naturally. I’ve also learned to be ruthless in filtering ideas: if it doesn’t connect meaningfully to the community or drive results, it doesn’t make the cut.”

In your experience, what are the key elements that make a marketing campaign truly stand out in today’s competitive/short attention span landscape?

“For me, it boils down to three things: clarity, contrast, and conviction. First, your message has to be crystal clear within the first three seconds, especially in a world where people are scrolling endlessly. Second, it needs to stand out visually or emotionally to break through the noise. And finally, it has to be rooted in a strong sense of purpose. The majority of consumers these days have built-in “fake detectors” and they can sniff out inauthentic adverts from more than a hundred meters away.

 “When we launched DITO Home Wow-Fi, it wasn’t just about clever wordplay. It was a bold statement about what 5G should really mean: accessible, powerful, and inclusive. As the world’s first commercial deployment of RedCap technology for residential use, it was a global milestone. But more importantly, it made high-speed 5G affordable for millions of Filipinos who had been priced out of high-speed digital access for far too long. This is genuinely our mission DITO.”

How do you see the role of influencer marketing changing, and what strategies do you recommend for brands looking to leverage this trend effectively?

“Influencer marketing is shifting from being about reach to being about resonance. It’s not about how many followers someone has. It’s about how much trust they’ve built with their audience. The best influencers today are those who have deep connections with their communities, whether through expertise, leadership, or authenticity.

“For brands, this means moving away from transactional relationships and focusing on collaborative storytelling. The most successful partnerships happen when influencers genuinely align with your brand’s values. Instead of giving them a script, let them lead the narrative. The goal is to create moments that feel natural and authentic, not like a paid ad.”

With the rapid rise of platforms like TikTok, how should marketers adapt their content strategies to engage younger audiences, particularly Gen Z?

“I have a daughter, Mika, who’s about to graduate from college, so I get my daily dose of engagement with this unique and fascinating generation. Gen Z is unlike any other consumer segment. They don’t respond to traditional advertising. To capture their attention, you need to offer something meaningful, whether it’s utility, creativity, or a way for them to express themselves. 

“Platforms like TikTok are a perfect example of this shift. TikTok rewards content that feels real, spontaneous, and in-the-moment. It’s not about polished perfection; it’s about authenticity. Watching how Mika and her peers interact with content has taught me that brands need to stop broadcasting and start collaborating. The key is to create opportunities for participation where Gen Z and younger millennials feel like they’re part of the story, not just the audience.

“At the end of the day, my advice? Don’t overthink it. Instead of meticulously planning every detail, experiment and adapt. Some of our best campaigns on TikTok came from treating it as a creativity sandbox where users could remix, reinterpret, and personally interact with our brand. The key is to spark participation, not just push out content.”

What advice would you give to marketing professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve and continuously improve their skills?

“If you want to stay ahead, become a student of human behavior. Pay attention to what frustrates, excites, and inspires people. Test your ideas constantly, and don’t be afraid to fail. Also, look beyond marketing for inspiration. Study things like game design, behavioral economics, and even music videos. The best marketers I know are endlessly curious.

“And don’t be afraid to share your journey. Post your work-in-progress, talk about what you’re learning, and let people see your growth. It’s a great way to build trust and get feedback that helps you improve.”

In 2025, what marketing trends are you most excited about and how are you planning to leverage them more?

“For the first half of 2025, I feel this will be all about participation. Customers aren’t just consumers anymore; they’re co-creators. I’m excited about the rise of interactive experiences, where even traditional ads become opportunities for engagement.

“At DITO, we’re investing in creator-driven campaigns, gamified experiences, and storytelling that adapts across platforms. The goal is to provide value first – whether it’s through education, entertainment, or utility – before asking for attention. The brands that focus on immersion, not interruption, will be the ones that win.”

It is not enough for marketing campaigns to be good. They must be relevant, and they must be resonant to succeed. And the best way to get it right? Think outside the box, try new things, and keep learning from everything around you.

Get into the hottest social media trends of 2025 when you download our guide here. Want to make creative campaigns that resonate? Message us via sales@nearcreative.co!

Here’s a blast from the past: remember the days when our social media feeds displayed content chronologically?

These days, whether you’re scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you will see a feed curated according to your interests and preferences. Personalization is the name of the social media game, and it has brought about a shift in the influencer space. We are seeing an increasingly even playing field for content creators, in which micro-influencers (10,000 to 99,000 followers) are growing in prominence.

But while we’ve established that micro-influencers have great potential in promoting brands this year, you may be wondering how to approach this shift for your 2025 campaigns. Well, Near’s got you.

3 tips for finding the right micro-influencers

1. Take notes from your audience.

No marketing campaign can be successful without an understanding of the audience you’re marketing to.

If you want to find the right micro-influencers, you can start with your audience. Who are they following? Whose content do they interact with? What kind of content do these creators have? Finding the answers to these questions will already give you an idea of the right micro-influencers to tap because the answers will tell you about their interests, their pain points, and the niches they belong in.

Tapping a micro-influencer your audience already follows is a simple way to ensure that your campaign is a match.

2. Gauge the influencer’s authenticity.

There are simple ways to check if a micro-influencer will be a reliable partner for your campaign even before you contact them.

Just go on their social media profile and take a look at the following:

• Content quality: Look at their posts. See if the content they create is well-made and executed, from the hooks and scripts to their filming and editing styles. They don’t need to have high production value, but they do need to be creative and offer something substantial to the viewer.

• Previous posts: Branded or otherwise, their posts will tell you more about their interests and the kinds of products they gravitate towards. This will also give you an idea of what their audiences care about. Their existing posts are a good way to gauge if your product is something that could resonate with their audience or address a pain point they are experiencing.

• Follower engagements: Micro-influencers tend to have more opportunities to interact with followers due to their smaller community and specific niche. You can tell if a micro-influencer has an engaged following if they respond to followers’ comments on their posts or if the followers themselves have discussions in the comments.

3. Make use of influencer discovery tools.

There is a wealth of influencer marketing platforms that can point you to different content creators in the Philippines. At Near Creative, in addition to our wide influencer database, we use these tools to enrich our influencer recommendations, as they are able to provide in-depth insights such as content niches, posting consistency and performance, average engagement rates, and even influencers in the same category. This way, we are able to refine our recommendations to ensure a brand fit for our campaigns.

These tools simplify and speed up the vetting process, while also ensuring the quality of content for the future.

Making memorable content with micro-influencers

Choosing the best micro-influencers is half the battle, but the other half is developing high-quality content that your target audience will watch.

• Collaborate. An influencer is a partner; not simply a doer. This means that the final output must be the result of collaboration with them; you can guide them on the brand’s identity, while they direct on what content works best for their platforms.

• Communicate. Be clear about what you need, when you need it, and how you need it. When everyone is on the same page, it will be a seamless experience from when you onboard an influencer to when they finally upload the content.

• Cultivate. Build and nurture a relationship with your influencer partners. Getting to know them leads you to understand them better, which will help you create even better content for your future collabs!

So remember, in 2025, micro-influencers are key to social media success! Understand your audience, get to know your influencers, and employ appropriate tools to find the best recommendations. From there, three Cs: collaborate and communicate with your micro-influencer partners, then cultivate a relationship with them to ensure you create more great content and campaigns together.

Want to build an influencer strategy that works? Sign up for our webinar today!

We’re back with awesome new insights for episode three of Convos with Marketing Pros!

In this episode, we are featuring Jonas de los Reyes, head of digital marketing at Metrobank. Jonas’ 20 years of expertise shows a depth of insight into how marketing strategies and campaigns must adapt and evolve to a world that continues to experience change – technologically and behaviorally.

Tell us more about your company and what’s keeping you busy these days.

“I am currently the head of digital marketing and omnichannel at Metrobank, the second-largest bank in the country. Aside from work, what keeps me busy is spending quality time with my family, finding time for my hobby – which is to improve my tactical shooting skills, and some side projects with industry colleagues in the artificial intelligence and fintech (financial technology) space.”

You've had over 20 years of marketing experience in the finance and tech space. How do you stay updated? How has your approach evolved over the years?

“My career has always been in the intersection of technology and the customer, which is constantly evolving. This means there is a constant need to know and understand changing technologies, business landscapes, and consumer behaviors.

“I stay updated with industry trends through engagement of content from select publishers and industry leaders/influencers. I find time to attend industry events to listen to and network with other professionals. I’ve also had the privilege to be invited to speak in events. Preparing for these and interacting with attendees keep me sharp and allow me to understand different points of view.

“Over the years, my approach to learning has evolved. It began with self-help only via what’s online – because at that time, it was the early days of the internet and digital marketing – to learning by doing through mentorship of key bosses in the industry. Then I became a subject matter expert, teaching and giving talks, which leads me to present day where, aside from self-learning, mentorship, and teaching, I now have regular catchups with industry friends and colleagues in which we talk about all things related to fintech, marketing technology, and customer-centric strategies.

What have you observed are the key elements that make a marketing campaign truly stand out in today’s competitive landscape where everyone’s attention span is so short?

“First, personalization is becoming increasingly important. Customers expect tailored messages and experiences that reflect their individual needs and preferences by leveraging data and behavioral insights to deliver personalized interactions.

“Secondly, omnichannel engagement is critical. Customers want a seamless campaign experience across all channels, whether they’re seeing your messaging online via mobile or laptop, or offline through a branch or a billboard. This requires a cohesive strategy that integrates digital and physical touchpoints.

“Lastly, creative storytelling: Crafting a narrative based on insight that connects emotionally with the audience while delivering the brand’s unique value proposition – this remains a strategic imperative, especially today.

“I believe a marketing campaign that integrates these elements while being authentic and visually compelling can stand out in today’s cluttered and attention-challenged landscape.”

With the rapid rise of platforms like TikTok, how should marketers adapt their content strategies to engage younger audiences, particularly Gen Z?

“The rise and eventual ubiquity of the internet has challenged marketers to adapt content strategies that are native to the new platform that is most engaging to the current generation. It happened in the early days of Friendster and later with Facebook and Twitter, and we still see it with Instagram and Tiktok. What has helped me adapt is this simple outline that I learned from my boss in Yahoo:

• P for People. Before diving into any platform, it's crucial to understand who your audience is, in this case the younger generation. Know how they think, what motivates them, what influences them, what captures their attention, etc.

• O for Objective. Clearly define what you want your marketing efforts to accomplish. Are you looking to build brand awareness, drive traffic, generate leads, or improve customer loyalty? Your objective will guide the type of content and campaigns you create.

• S for Strategy. Your strategy should outline the type of content to create, the tone and style to use, and the key activities for success. It’s also important to decide how you’ll measure success (KPIs).

• T for Technology. Technology comes last. Identify and understand the platform. Like Instagram or TikTok, each platform has unique features, content formats, algorithms, and audience expectations.

What advice would you give to marketing professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve and continuously improve their skills?

“First, always be curious. Stay updated on industry trends, emerging platforms, and customer behavior shifts. Invest in continuous learning since information is generally free. Don’t be afraid to test innovative ideas or explore new channels.

“Second, be data-driven. Learn to understand and utilize data analytics. The ability to interpret data is essential for crafting insightful, effective, and measurable marketing campaigns.

“Third, connect with a community. Build your personal network and surround yourself with like-minded professionals who can teach and inspire you, challenge your thinking, and motivate you to always improve, learn and adapt.”

Remember, folks, social media success requires a depth of understanding – of your audience, your goals, your approach, and your platforms. This is the only way you can make campaigns that are both personal and personalized to your target market.

Dive deeper into the 2025 shift towards personalization by downloading Near’s newest e-book here. Interested to work with us? Message us via sales@nearcreative.co!

Near is back with episode two of our very own Convos with Marketing Pros series, in which we speak with the most respected names in the marketing biz to learn the the best practices for relevant and exceptional campaigns in today’s ever-changing world.

Today’s expert is Roj Tirona, head of marketing at foodpanda Philippines. His longtime experience in the tech and e-commerce industries gives us insightful knowledge into how creativity can turn curiosity into loyalty.