Mansmith Hails Top Young Professional in Philippine Marketing

The 7^th YMMA Awardees (left to right): Ilustre M. Estrada, Procter & Gamble Philippines; Neil Trinidad, Unilever Asia Private Ltd.; Jonathan Yabut, GlaxoSmithKline Philippines; Kristine Tang, Procter & Gamble; Julie Lee, Collins International Trading Corp.; Christian Lim, PLDT and Giovanni Bogasan, GQWEST Inc./Aquabest

Mansmith and Fielders, Inc., the leading training and consultancy firm for marketing and sales, strategy and innovation courses in Asia, once again honored young achievers who exemplify excellence in marketing and entrepreneurship during the 7th Young Market Masters Awards (YMMA) 2012 held recently in Makati City.

For the past 6 years, Mansmith and Fielders, Inc. have honored dozens of individuals 35 years old and below for their exemplary achievements in the field of marketing through the YMMA. This year is no different as Mansmith and Fielders, Inc. marches on with its advocacy to encourage and inspire young individuals of today to be innovative entrepreneurs and outstanding brand builders. 

According to Chiqui Escareal-Go, President and Chief Service Strategist of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc., this year’s awardees were chosen based on specific cases and results of activities, projects and efforts they personally directed during the last 2 years under the award category they were nominated.

“Out of the 60 nominations we received, seven were selected because they were able to showcase their talents and competencies in creating value, which boosted their managed brands and leveraged industry’s standards,” shares Escareal-Go.

Kristine Joanne Tang, Regional Brand Manager of Procter & Gamble, Neil Trinidad, Senior Global Brand Manager of Pond’s-Unilever Asia Private Limited and Jonathan Allen Yabut, Senior Product Manager, Urology Division of GlaxoSmithKline Philippines, all  lived up to expectations as they were declared winners under the Brand Management category.

“One should always believe in what the products stand and worth for,” 25-year old Tang said, adding that “when working in other countries, knowledge-based data is the key to an effective marketing and brand campaign.”

Meanwhile, Ilustre Estrada II, Country Marketing Manager of Procter & Gamble, and Christian Lim, Internet Solutions Category Head of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), shared the honors under the Marketing Management category.

Estrada created various channels and touchpoints to reach consumers instead of following a competitive price cut for their brands “Pampers” and “Whisper.” In addition, he infused investment programs for P&G Philippines’ non-core brands that resulted to 20-30 percent growth. Lim’s strategy and innovation techniques for all Internet Solutions of PLDT for the small-and-medium-enterprise (SME) market, on the other hand, recorded a revenue increase of P1.44 billion from 2008 to 2011 for PLDT’s myDSL Biz portfolio.

Lastly, Julie Lee, Senior Brand Marketing Manager of Collins International Trading Corp., and Giovanni Bogasan, Business Development Manager of GQWEST Inc./Aquabest, were chosen under the Business Development category. Lee worked an awareness campaign that OMRON Healthcare’s digital blood pressure monitor is one of the best alternatives compared to mercury-based devices. Bogasan, on the other hand, developed a 3-in-1 franchise concept called Combostore, a combination of structured water station, laundromat franchise and oxygenated alkaline water brand.

Bogasan explains, “To be a successful marketer, one should take the active role in shaping the market. If the company is not innovating, it’s dying.”

Escareal-Go cites more important values to being a YMMA winner, which include earning the respect of peers in the marketing industry. “Through the accomplishments of our awardees, we expect more nominations for the 2013 search, which is now open, to find out our 8th batch of YMMA awardees,” continues Escareal-Go.

The nominees are thoroughly back-checked by research giant TNS with Kantar Worldpanel and are screened by judges who are distinguished in their respective industries which include, Emily Abrera, Chairman of Children’s Hour and Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tennyson Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Bounty Fresh Group and Perry Morgar, President and Managing Director of Tupperware Brands Philippines, Inc.

The YMMA advocacy project is officially endorsed and supported by the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), and the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA); with Businessworld and Philippine Daily Inquirer as print media partners, Microdata as AV partner and Abenson as platinum sponsor.