How Can Brands Approach Socially Conscious Marketing for Today’s Consumers?

One thing constant in life and digital marketing is that everything is always evolving. But something that has been brewing for a while is the rise of social responsibility on social media.

Audiences are more socially conscious than ever before, and this bleeds into the brands they support. People want brands that care: about the environment and sustainability, about ethical practices, and, really, about other people. If brands want to build trust, loyalty, and lasting relationships with consumers, they need to adapt their marketing strategies to reflect their values and the causes they support.

Social media strategies for socially responsible brands

A 2023 survey revealed that 57% of Filipinos scrutinize how products and services are marketed, valuing authenticity and transparency. The same survey also found that 44% said that they were willing to buy from brands that align with their values and advocate for social justice, with 51% saying that a brand’s integrity and identity play a bigger factor than the product itself in getting them to choose a brand.

So how can brands then turn these consumer sentiments into marketing practices?

1. Tell people what you’re all about.

Consumers won’t know what matters to your brand unless you tell them. This doesn’t just mean revamping your marketing slogans (although if it helps you make a statement, then by all means, get that revamp)! It means signal boosting campaigns and events that highlight causes that your brand supports.

L’Oreal Paris launched its “Lessons of Worth” campaign to celebrate and empower women and recognize their self-worth. This campaign seamlessly calls back to their tagline “Because I’m worth it,” while effectively expanding its message of self-worth from oneself to every kind of woman everywhere. This statement was made even more concrete through testimonials featuring brand ambassadors like Viola Davis, Elle Fanning, and Simone Ashley. 

2. But be true to who you say you are.

Clever marketing campaigns can only take your brand so far. Whatever your brand claims to stand for, make sure you follow through. Be transparent about your sustainability practices and social initiatives. If your efforts are still a work in progress, let your audience know anyway. Consumers feel more confident in a brand that is honest about their imperfect journey than a brand that leaves them in the dark to guess what it cares about.

One brand that did this well is Patagonia for its “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign that urged consumers to rethink overconsumption. Since it is a brand that promotes sustainability, Patagonia substantiated its message with repair programs, recycling initiatives, and a commitment to donating 1% of sales to environmental causes. This even led to a 30% revenue increase, which is simple proof that genuine social responsibility brings about consumer trust and loyalty.

3. Let your audience in.

To state the obvious, your audience is vital to your brand’s success. Aside from the fact that these are the people who invest time and money into using your product, these are also the people who care about the very same causes your brand is advocating for.

So what can you do as a brand? Partner with them. Invite them to sign petitions, make donations, and join challenges alongside your brand to build a sense of community and empowerment that invites real action.

If you’ve been to a UNIQLO recently, you may have noticed RE.UNIQLO bins inside the stores. Here people can leave their secondhand UNIQLO items, which are then sorted into clothes fit for donations and clothes for recycling into new materials for new clothes.

The pursuit of sustainability in marketing

The task of becoming a socially responsible brand that walks its talk may seem daunting, but it helps to start with these three steps: tell people what you are, stay true to your statements, and involve your audience in your sustainability efforts. Easy as one, two, three, right?

Want to engage audiences authentically and turn them into customers? Join our upcoming webinar through this link!

We’re back for more with episode four!

On this edition of Convos with Marketing Pros, we are featuring John Soriano, head of marketing at PayMongo. He goes in depth into the wonderful world of B2B marketing in the fintech space and offers his expert knowledge about the tried-and-true secrets to building trust and loyalty with small businesses and corporations alike.

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

“We're a financial OS that enables businesses of all sizes to accept payments, manage transactions, and borrow capital. Our platform serves everyone from small local shops to some of the largest enterprises in the Philippines. Outside of work, I keep active with regular basketball games, online chess, and figuring out this whole 'staying healthy in your 30s' thing.”

What do you believe is the most overlooked aspect of marketing today that brands should be paying more attention to?

“I think the most overlooked aspect of marketing today is customer retention analytics, especially in fintech. Everyone gets caught up in acquisition numbers, but there's gold in understanding why customers stick around.

“I’ve found that small businesses stay for completely different reasons than larger companies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) don't care about complex enterprise features. They want simplicity, ease of use, and features that directly improve their conversion rates. They need solutions that work right out of the box and help them turn more browsers into buyers.

“By tracking what keeps these smaller merchants happy, we've prioritized things like our recent Click to Pay feature powered by Mastercard—the first of its kind in the Philippines. We saw that cart abandonment during checkout was killing conversions for small businesses, so we focused on eliminating manual card entry to speed up checkout by up to 40%. For small merchants, these conversion improvements directly impact their bottom line, which builds incredible loyalty. Understanding these retention drivers isn't the flashy work that gets a lot of attention, but it’s an underutilized growth lever.”

Can you share a campaign or initiative that you're particularly proud of, and what made it successful?

“Right now, I'm pretty excited about our brand launch and website revamp (stay tuned for this!). We're taking a product-led growth approach to our self-serve funnel—learned a lot from Reforge (a career development platform) on this one.

“A key component we're implementing is our sector-based approach to content. Rather than one-size-fits-all messaging, we're building what we call 'content-market fit'—personalizing everything from landing pages to case studies for specific industry verticals. Retail merchants get completely different suggested solutions than educational institutions or food businesses. Each sector sees messaging, features, and examples tailored specifically to their unique challenges.

“For example, our education vertical landing page focuses on managing seasonal enrollment payments and minimizing drop-offs during tuition processing, while retail pages highlight inventory-friendly payment reconciliation and omnichannel solutions. Every sector gets copy that feels like it was written specifically for them because it was.

“Doing content right is my big bet. When we’re speaking to the right customers, I expect higher conversion rates when prospects land on these industry-specific pages versus our generic content. We're also using the rebrand to build out deeper content collaborations with some of our more interesting customers in each vertical. Nothing sells the product better than seeing how a business just like yours is already using it successfully.”

In your experience, what role does influencer marketing play in building long-term brand loyalty, and how can brands measure its true impact beyond just engagement metrics?

“I think influencer marketing looks pretty different in B2B fintech. Our 'influencers' are basically just happy customers who are willing to talk about us.

“We've had good success highlighting stories from small business owners who've used our platform to grow, specifically with PayMongo Capital. There's something powerful about seeing brands like Curva Shapewear explain how accessing working capital helped them expand their women's clothing line, or TinapaIsLife describing how they used financing to scale up production of their specialty food products without cash flow constraints.

“It's almost always an expansion or inventory challenge where PayMongo Capital comes in handy. South Locker, an online sneaker retailer, used Capital to stock up on inventory ahead of high-demand drops—something that would have been impossible with their regular cash flow. These are universal pain points that instantly resonate with other SMEs facing the same growth hurdles.

“We watch how these Capital success stories affect specific behaviors: how many merchant inquiries do we get for Capital? Are they applying for financing at higher rates? Are they coming back for additional rounds of funding? What matters is whether these stories drive actual business outcomes for us and our merchants.”

What’s one marketing trend you believe is overhyped, and why?

“I think the whole growth hacking obsession is pretty overhyped. There's this endless search for a silver bullet that will deliver explosive growth without doing the fundamental work. This creates real problems when marketing to small businesses, who get bombarded with promises about digital solutions that will transform their business overnight.

“The trend gained momentum because everyone loves a shortcut. We constantly see headlines about how some company grew 3x with one simple tactic, and suddenly everyone is chasing that same approach. But these stories miss the foundation that made those tactics work in the first place—the product-market fit, the customer experience fundamentals, the operational excellence. Without those elements, no hack will save you.

“We focus on growth loops instead, not hacks. Hacks are just tactics—they're short-term, might build some initial hype, but can never sustain. Loops, on the other hand, are repeatable playbooks that scale and actually pay better over time. For example, when we help a merchant improve their checkout experience, their customers have a better experience, which leads to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, which brings more merchants to our platform.

“It's not as exciting as promising to 10x their business with some secret growth hack, but it builds trust. And in payments, trust is everything.”

What is one common mistake marketers make when trying to scale their efforts, and how can they avoid it?

“The biggest mistake I see marketers make when scaling is treating SMEs as an afterthought. PayMongo has a great growth team that has helped us grow in recent years. The high-touch approach can definitely win, but it's hard to scale. There's a natural pull toward enterprise clients with their bigger budgets, but the SME segment has completely different needs that get ignored.

“That's why I chose to focus on improving our self-serve funnel. We need a scalable means of acquisition, and we're laser-focused on optimizing the entire funnel.

“Our vision is to create a seamless experience where a small business owner can discover us, understand our value proposition for their specific industry, sign up, and start accepting payments—all without needing to talk to anyone on our team. We're rebuilding our onboarding to be more intuitive, creating sector-specific content that speaks directly to different merchant categories, and streamlining our documentation with contextual guidance throughout the product.

“If we get this right, we'll unlock a completely new growth vector for the business. Our growth team can focus their high-touch efforts on larger accounts where that approach makes more economic sense, while smaller merchants who prefer self-service get an experience that's actually better tailored to their needs. The result should be a more balanced acquisition strategy that scales efficiently across all segments, rather than just focusing on the largest clients.”

Sometimes, brands forget that their most eager and effective ‘influencers’ are really just their satisfied customers. So remember, if you want to successfully market your product to your audience, you have to first work on offering a seamless experience that makes a customer want to keep coming back. Good marketing is an extension of excellent service!

Get into the latest trends in marketing in our 2025 trend guide here. Interested to work with us? Message us via sales@nearcreative.co!

We don’t interact with brands like we used to. Back then, marketing and advertising were heavily reliant on the huge following of celebrities to put more eyes on a brand. Today, however, we are seeing a greater focus on community and authenticity through intentional content creation.

Follower counts and impressions no longer paint an accurate picture of a campaign’s success. Now, engagement helps us understand if consumers gave more than a passing glance at a product. This noticeable shift from aspirational content into community-driven influence is why, as mentioned in our previous blog, micro-influencers are growing in prominence on social media.

Near Creative held our recent webinar entitled, “Level Up Your Brand Strategy: The Power of Community-Driven Influence” this February, with content creator (also midnight snacker and professional yapper) Alonzo “Cru” Cruel as our special guest. Here are our 4 key points to help you harness the power of community-driven influence:

4 Ways for Brands to Create Engaged Online Communities

1. Know your brand's value.

Every brand has a unique flavor. If your brand feels like it doesn’t have one, then it’s time to go back to basics and discover who your brand is.

On this, Cru suggests, “You need to understand your product and who exactly will benefit from your product.” These are great starting points in developing your brand identity because a clear and solid brand identity is the foundation for the community you will be building. After all, if you don’t have an identity, how will you discover who your audience is?

2. Foster authentic and relatable content.

Today, consumers are partial to brands that feel real—that is, brands with distinct personalities. So when you build your brand identity, the next step is to further flesh it out through content that tells people who your brand is in a way that only it can.

This also means daring to think outside the box with content that is original, but still rooted in a cultural reality that your audience will understand at its core. Think RC Cola’s viral 2020 ad. It was bizarre, but the humor was so Filipino that it clicked!

https://youtu.be/hXWj5BK7evM?feature=shared (embed)

3. Empower user-generated content.

Viktor Kapunan, senior brand manager at Near, says, “Your audience is your best advocate.”

In this era of personalization and community, audiences are just as interested in seeing content made by other “normal” people—that is, user-generated content (UGC). Brands can take cues from the likes of Cebu Pacific and how they share real travel moments through the hashtag #JuanForFun. This approach makes travel feel accessible to viewers because they are able to see themselves in the content and therefore find a personal connection with it.

4. Leverage storytelling to create emotional connections.

“People nowadays don’t just buy products; they buy into stories,” shares Viktor. Sure, people still take a look at popular brands endorsed by the hottest celebrities, but that’s hardly ever enough anymore to get people to truly care about what you’re selling. The people want a good story that reels them in and makes them feel something.

Jollibee is a great example of this. The brand has plenty of “Kwentong Jollibee” videos that showcase their expertise in storytelling. Jollibee’s videos blend strong narratives with Filipino culture and values that are emotionally affecting and inspiring for audiences.

https://youtu.be/2Gcx-QT9k0s?feature=shared (embed)

Bonus: partner with content creators who match your brand’s vibe.

Sometimes, although brands understand that they need to build a unique identity and reinforce it through UGC and great storytelling, they still make the mistake of just choosing the most well-known influencers to promote their brand without first considering who the influencer’s audience is and their style of content.

Cru has this to say, “You have to know [that a] creator is going to be someone who effectively communicates to the people you want to communicate with.” He adds, “Know exactly who these creators are entertaining. If your product aligns with those people, then go for [that content creator].”

Master the marketing trends of 2025. Watch a replay of our webinar here and download our trends guide here!

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.

Marketing is an industry that requires constant adjustment and innovation, which makes it an endlessly exciting but occasionally confuzzling space to navigate. When you’re stuck, sometimes all you need is a helping hand. Sometimes, you can get it from the best people in the biz – like today!

Near is introducing our very own Convos with the Pros, an exciting series where we speak with the most sought-after marketing leaders in the Philippines. For our first episode, we had a conversation with Wanda Pascua, head of marketing at Tonik Digital Bank. She oversees the digital bank’s marketing campaigns, but it’s apparent that to get to her level of expertise, the work entails much more.

Can you tell us more about what you do at Tonik?

“At Tonik, marketing is not just limited to branding. We are taught to look at things holistically, meaning: how our campaigns will directly drive business growth. I oversee the marketing campaigns of the bank, but more than brand communication, I am also in charge of customer acquisition costs across our different products and the customer experience. I work across different functions, such as product, customer care, and IT, to understand customer issues and have clear plans around them.

“Digital banking is a new challenger industry, so I’ve been busy cracking different campaigns, learning new product and customer insights, and acquiring customers at a cost complementing the rest of the business numbers – all that to build Tonik as a brand that Filipinos will love, at its core.”

You’ve had broad experience in marketing from agency work to brands. What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? How has your approach evolved over the years?

“For the past 15 years, I’ve loved building brands. I’ve always enjoyed helping my clients tell stories to sell their products during my ad agency days. I loved the energy in advertising – all the creativity and openness to ideas! When I was faced with an opportunity to cross over to the client side and marketing, I jumped on it right away. Being on this side enabled me to understand the business more and to see things end to end.

“My approach has changed throughout the years. From once being so focused on storytelling and communication, I now look at things from an end-to-end business perspective. By this, I don’t just mean sales. It entails really looking at the product, customer experience, and other business metrics. I am grateful that my boss closely guides and pushes me to understand these and reminds me that my role goes far beyond brand communication. It’s definitely outside my comfort zone, but it’s made me a better marketer.”

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

“A strong consumer insight hinged on a clear product insight + a unique creative execution = a standout campaign.

“I do not doubt this formula. Most of the time we just need to keep things simple in terms of insights. There’s so much competition out there, so the way to cut through the clutter is to hit on the consumer with no frills.”

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

“Consumers are smarter now when dealing with influencers. They can tell right away if the content is genuine or too hard-sell. Transparency is always key – as simple as, if the content is sponsored, tagging it as sponsored content is a must. Influencers are there to help brands tell their stories. They must have a genuine interest in what the brand does and how it can help them on a personal level.

“Brands, be open to how the influencers attack the brief. Your role should end with fact-checking. All room for creativity must be left with the influencers.”

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

“Always learn the trends. Know which trends are out there and filter which ones your brand can use. The best strategy is to make sure you resonate with your audience – Gen Z in this case. The best way to do this is to immerse yourself in what they are up to.”

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

“Never stop being curious. There is no excuse not to learn new things because there are so many places where you can learn, whether it’s from different teams in your company, social media, visiting stores, talking to customers, or even conferences and webinars. Constantly challenge what you have.

“Also, ask for feedback. My boss always tells me, ‘Keep asking questions!’ Don’t even pretend you understand things when you really don’t.”

2024 is ending soon. Looking ahead to 2025, what marketing trends are you most excited about, and how are you planning to leverage them more?

“Generative AI. There’s so much already out there, but I cannot wait to see how brands will crack this to get sales from their creative campaigns.”

Brands and fellow marketers, let’s take it from the pros. For your campaign to make an impact, you must understand your brand from all sides, have a unique creative execution hinged on solid consumer and product insights, and be well-versed in today’s trends!

Contact Near Creative today to kickstart your brand’s marketing campaign!

Convos with the Pros, Episode 1: Wanda Pascua of Tonik Digital Bank talks marketing trends, influencers, and the formula for a winning campaign

Marketing is an industry that requires constant adjustment and innovation, which makes it an endlessly exciting but occasionally confuzzling space to navigate. When you’re stuck, sometimes all you need is a helping hand. Sometimes, you can get it from the best people in the biz – like today!

Near is introducing our very own Convos with the Pros, an exciting series where we speak with the most sought-after marketing leaders in the Philippines. For our first episode, we had a conversation with Wanda Pascua, head of marketing at Tonik Digital Bank. She oversees the digital bank’s marketing campaigns, but it’s apparent that to get to her level of expertise, the work entails much more.

Can you tell us more about what you do at Tonik?

“At Tonik, marketing is not just limited to branding. We are taught to look at things holistically, meaning: how our campaigns will directly drive business growth. I oversee the marketing campaigns of the bank, but more than brand communication, I am also in charge of customer acquisition costs across our different products and the customer experience. I work across different functions, such as product, customer care, and IT, to understand customer issues and have clear plans around them.

“Digital banking is a new challenger industry, so I’ve been busy cracking different campaigns, learning new product and customer insights, and acquiring customers at a cost complementing the rest of the business numbers – all that to build Tonik as a brand that Filipinos will love, at its core.”

You’ve had broad experience in marketing from agency work to brands. What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? How has your approach evolved over the years?

“For the past 15 years, I’ve loved building brands. I’ve always enjoyed helping my clients tell stories to sell their products during my ad agency days. I loved the energy in advertising – all the creativity and openness to ideas! When I was faced with an opportunity to cross over to the client side and marketing, I jumped on it right away. Being on this side enabled me to understand the business more and to see things end to end.

“My approach has changed throughout the years. From once being so focused on storytelling and communication, I now look at things from an end-to-end business perspective. By this, I don’t just mean sales. It entails really looking at the product, customer experience, and other business metrics. I am grateful that my boss closely guides and pushes me to understand these and reminds me that my role goes far beyond brand communication. It’s definitely outside my comfort zone, but it’s made me a better marketer.”

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

“A strong consumer insight hinged on a clear product insight + a unique creative execution = a standout campaign.

“I do not doubt this formula. Most of the time we just need to keep things simple in terms of insights. There’s so much competition out there, so the way to cut through the clutter is to hit on the consumer with no frills.”

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

“Consumers are smarter now when dealing with influencers. They can tell right away if the content is genuine or too hard-sell. Transparency is always key – as simple as, if the content is sponsored, tagging it as sponsored content is a must. Influencers are there to help brands tell their stories. They must have a genuine interest in what the brand does and how it can help them on a personal level.

“Brands, be open to how the influencers attack the brief. Your role should end with fact-checking. All room for creativity must be left with the influencers.”

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

“Always learn the trends. Know which trends are out there and filter which ones your brand can use. The best strategy is to make sure you resonate with your audience – Gen Z in this case. The best way to do this is to immerse yourself in what they are up to.”

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

“Never stop being curious. There is no excuse not to learn new things because there are so many places where you can learn, whether it’s from different teams in your company, social media, visiting stores, talking to customers, or even conferences and webinars. Constantly challenge what you have.

“Also, ask for feedback. My boss always tells me, ‘Keep asking questions!’ Don’t even pretend you understand things when you really don’t.”

2024 is ending soon. Looking ahead to 2025, what marketing trends are you most excited about, and how are you planning to leverage them more?

“Generative AI. There’s so much already out there, but I cannot wait to see how brands will crack this to get sales from their creative campaigns.”

Brands and fellow marketers, let’s take it from the pros. For your campaign to make an impact, you must understand your brand from all sides, have a unique creative execution hinged on solid consumer and product insights, and be well-versed in today’s trends!

Contact Near Creative today to kickstart your brand’s marketing campaign!

Turning TikTok users into engaged followers can be confusing, but the Near team has several hacks to help your brand achieve its TikTok growth goals steadily

With 2024 birthing a new face to authenticity, it has also put the spotlight on different kinds of influencers – those who capture audiences with their distinct personalities. Here are five Filipino influencers keeping your timelines fresh with their content!

Authenticity in 2024 isn’t just about being real! It’s also all about flaunting it and telling people exactly what makes you who you are.

The future of commerce is content-driven, and it is called shoppertainment.

Succeeding on TikTok Shop requires consistent effort to reach your customers. Here’s how you can succeed on the e-commerce platform this 2024, brought to you by Near Creative!