April 3, 2024
Held at the Winford Hotel and Casino in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) reinforced its commitment to SustAInability Marketing in the country during its 2nd General Membership Meeting on March 20, 2024.
As sustainability marketing is seen as the strategy for businesses to move forward, aligning its environmental and social influence and even its financial bearing to a company’s brand values and promise to its market is critical while involving internal stakeholders, customers, partners and even the communities it serves. And to further amplify PMA’s support on this, building and sustaining good relationships with the community was the core theme of the meeting. This practice shall allow us to forge alliances with other businesses as well as the community, which would significantly help drive success and impact in many years to come.
Coinciding the celebration of Women’s Month last March, two empowered women entrepreneurs opened the event. First was serial entrepreneur, international keynote speaker and Global AI Council Founder, Kate Hancock, who shared about seeing the world with unlimited possibilities. From being an island girl in the Philippines, she explored a foreign land (US) after college with only her determination and guts to propel her to start her entrepreneurial journey from her garage with a mere U$20.00 capital that subsequently grew after only a few years to a whopping U$20,000,000.00! With a skincare empire, a sought-after boutique hotel in the Philippines as some of her business undertakings, Kate is a source of inspiration to many. When asked about her advice on when is best to make millions, she said “it doesn’t matter how old, or where you are, you just have to do it (now)!”
Charmaine Co, President of the Philippine Young Entrepreneurs Association (PYEA), shared how their organization continues to guide young entrepreneurs to wisely assess their resources that include talent, processes and finances together with their network. Having the transparency or trust in your business partners is also pivotal in making their businesses grow. According to Co, “we encourage community investing. We want our young entrepreneurs to involve their community because a community helps entrepreneurs, the same way the entrepreneurs are able to give back to their community.” Through an Affiliation MOA signing, PYEA is now a proud partner of the PMA in providing capacity-building sessions on FinTech and Entrepreneurship.
The Business Matching to open ways to synergize among members and industry professionals followed. The activity was so exciting that time fell short for everyone else to network and connect for potential collaborations.
Next was the Induction of New Members that included: Four Corporate Members: (1)CS-PAC Global BPO represented by Dominic Vincent De Leon; (2)GANO iTouch represented by Maie Plamenco, MBA, CPM Asia; (3)San Beda College Alabang represented by Ma. Luisa Dimaranan; and (4)SpectruMed represented by Eleuterio Rivera, Jr. Four new individual members were also inducted: (1) Dean French Kim Bernales of Uniquecorn Strategies, Inc.; (2)John Carlos Castillo of San Beda College Alabang; (3)Dr. Ivory Malinao of Jose Rizal University; and (4)Dr. Karenina B. Romualdo of Central Luzon State University.
The various Committee Chairs were also instated led by President Kathy Mercado. She also revealed exciting PMA activities up in the coming weeks that include the PMA RAMP Sustainability Fashion Show and the Charity Auction Ball—something to watch out for!
Our hardworking and sustainability advocate President Kathy gave our friends from the Upskills+ Foundation, Inc. of Tondo, Manila an avenue to showcase the handworks of their entrepreneurial moms who put together used soda can tabs and made them into beautiful necklaces, belts purses, sling and hobo bags, among others. Using the reduce, reuse and recycle approach, “the foundation’s working mothers were able to start supporting their respective families by having decent meals, and even sending their children to school,” relayed by Marcel Clado, Livelihood and Community Development Manager of the foundation.
The GMM concluded as everyone was treated with a FREE Download of the Inspire + Empower Viber Sticker Pack from the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE). Here’s the link in case you missed it https://bit.ly/pbcweviberstickers for more meaningful conversations even beyond Women’s Month.
The sponsors and partners that made PMA’s 2nd GMM a success include
Winford Resort and Casino Manila, AQA Advertising, Shoppertainment Live Inc., Olern Inc., Synergy Market Research + Strategic Consultancy and Zoe Broadcasting Network Inc.
Until the next GMM!