ASAP at 18

CEBU, Philippines - Maturity, independence and the ability to make bolder decisions are just some of what is expected when one enters another phase in life. There isn’t much difference when a company like ASAP Cebu turns 18, too. For this local agency, it’s time to live up to the expectations. Armed with 18 years of experience, ASAP is definitely up for the challenge.

Owners Meyrick and Perl Jacalan, together with their head staff shared with The FREEMAN, that throughout the 18 years of being in the industry, they can truly say that they have grown as an advertising company. ASAP Cebu or Advertising Services and Promotions Cebu is one of the leading full-service advertising companies in the Visayas and Mindanao today, handling small, medium and multinational companies. A bulk of their clientele are MNCs coming from various industries like leading companies for telecommunications, real estate, logistics, transportation, retail, the academe and many more. “One of the things that separate us from the rest is that our partners are industry leaders. Our clients have been invaluable to our company’s reputation and position,” said Perl Jacalan.

ASAP’s anniversary theme “Ahead with even bolder ideas” was inspired by the company’s tagline. According to C.I.O (Chief Ideas Officer) Carla Adlawan, “We can say that our ideas will definitely be bolder because of the 18 years that we’ve been in the industry. That’s 18 years of advertising and publicity campaigns, events, research and a whole lot of marketing activities.”

Perl shared that they owe their increasing number of customers to the power of word-of-mouth. One very satisfied client recommends the agency to other potential customers, and boom, the result is a steadily growing client base that spans various industries.

“Our vision is to really tap the local market because of our Cebuano roots,” explained Perl. “We want to see Cebu’s advertising industry become at par with Manila but the growth is slow. Cebu-based companies continue to be very conservative compared to the national market.” ASAP Cebu has been very patient with the gradual growth of the local advertising industry and while doing so, they have been making a name for themselves in the national and international scene.

“In the 18 years, ASAP has been able to build a network of solid relationships with our partners, suppliers and clients,” said C.E.O (Chief Events Officer) Kate Uy. “We try to take more risks by offering our clients with creative solutions that go beyond what they’re used to. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to really exceed our clients’ expectations and level of satisfaction.”

ASAP’s experience of working with premier companies in different industries helped them a lot. Through the course of doing market research, competitive landscaping, creative conceptualization as well as event organization, the company has greatly learned from each industry. The best practices and ideas they gain from each experience are applied and carried over to the next project while the mistakes and problems are noted, improved on and considered part of the learning process.

Eighteen years ago, ASAP Cebu started with just three employees and a handful of clients. President and head honcho Meyrick “Jacs” Jacalan remembers how challenging it was to do everything manually. “At that time we did not have the luxury of digital technology, so you can imagine how tedious and difficult the process was,” he shared. “We were one of the first agencies that ventured into computerization. At that time our counterparts were still doing things manually. The idea was to create a niche in the market and lure clients to hire us through our technological capabilities.”

ASAP Cebu definitely had the foresight at that time and now they continue to prove that the company has been doing something right. What was originally a production house doing flyers, calendars and brochures has now become a full-service advertising agency with international events and national campaigns under their belt.

Today, local competition has caught up with the technology and creative skills but ASAP Cebu continues to stay ahead thanks to their experience, track record, quality of work and the relationships they have built with their clients.

ASAP ensures that their clients not only get what they want but more importantly what they need - effective media placements, customized events and tailor-made campaigns that move products, raise awareness and promote value for their business. As ASAP Cebu turns 18, the company continues to stand firm in their commitment of being more than just suppliers but long-term partners to their clients through bigger and even bolder ideas.