Crisis to impel businesses to boost marketing efforts

CEBU, Philippines - As the widely talked about crisis cripples down the confidence level of most business operations in the country, major advertisers are also starting to be keen on their marketing promotions as spending is now being monitored to ensure sufficient cash flows.

Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) - Cebu Chapter president and Alcordo Advertising CEO and general manager Mary Anne Alcordo Solomon said that at these times of economic turmoil, companies all the more need to further boost up their marketing promotions.

She said that although there are cuts in the advertising budgets of most advertisers to caution the impact of the widely-felt economic crisis, they are still confident that their clients know the importance of maintaining their market presence through their regular advertising placements.

Solomon said that with the crisis, they have started to be open to negotiations with their clientele on advertising rates and they have done packages which could be adjusted based on the budget of potential advertisers.

“We know times are hard now but amidst the crisis, we believe that advertisers know the relevance of advertising their products and services. Because during crisis, it’s the best time that one needs to advertise more so that people will continue to have confidence in their brand or company,” she said.

Eyeing the huge potential in Cebu’s advertising market; Solomon’s firm recently launched a partnership with Greenworld LED Solutions Inc. and mounted the first web-based electronic billboard in Cebu located at the San Jose de la Montaña area.

She said that in line with the crisis felt by the country these days, they are looking at this new project as a way to provide a new avenue for exposing their client’s products and services.

Solomon said that they have looked at this particular endeavor as a long term investment for the future and they look at the return of investment (ROI) only after the electronic billboard is established after three to four years of operations.

She said that after their test broadcast which lasted for weeks, they gathered positive reactions from their major clients considering the good rates they gave for each spot and the amount of exposure.

After the launching of the billboard, Solomon is hoping that similar ventures will be undertaken by other OAAP members because new technology is now the call of the times.

“There will always be pros and cons in doing something. With the technology of the electronic billboard, an advertiser can enhance their visuals but static billboard ads also have advantage because of its retentiveness since it is stationary. But definitely electronic billboards will become the trend and the direction of the industry and we are glad to have started on this path,” said Solomon.

She said that the evolution of outdoor advertising does not happen overtime because it goes in along period of transition.

“The evolution of the industry took a while from using wood boards to utilizing plastic and alternative materials and we are now taking the first step to embracing another trend but hopefully other members will follow suit because sooner electronic billboards will become the trend,” she said.

The Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) - Cebu Chapter is a registered member of the Advertising Board of the Philippines (Adboard) and it now has 15 advertising practitioner members operating in Cebu.