Talk value

One of the great upsides of working in the corporate world is having the opportunity to learn so many things. Most people work for the money. Others work because it gives meaning or a sense of purpose to their lives. A handful of lucky ones work because they love what they do. Me? Well, I work for all those reasons, too. But one other reason I work is because there’s so much to learn. For me, that’s the fun part of working – the learning.

Work provides me with so many experiences to learn from. And because all of us working people experience different things, there’s so much to share. We learn from our own experiences, and then we learn from others’ experiences as well. In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to experience so many things: lawyering, tax consulting, selling, marketing, retailing, event management, corporate communications, fund-raising, newscasting, writing, managing, hosting, strategic planning, financial planning, accounting, research, etc. The more I experienced, the more I learned.

And then there’s what I learned from the stories of others. In my business, I set meetings with a lot of people. Almost always, the agenda for such meetings is to either gain a client or maintain an existing business relationship. However, when I do set meetings, I don’t do it purely for the business aspect. I also do it in order to build friendships, and to learn. So even if I don’t win the business, I don’t take it too hard. To me, the learning experience is already enough gain.

I particularly like meeting people who have excelled in their respective fields. There’s so much to learn from these achievers. One such guy is Noel Lorenzana, managing director for home and personal care of Unilever. We worked very closely last year on the MTV-backed Rexona campaign "First Day Funk." But even prior to that, he had invited me to grace a Unilever event, and during that occasion, we had chance to chat. From that one conversation, I knew I was talking to someone special. I learned a lot of things from Noel in that first meeting. And I knew that this man was someone I’d like to continue meeting up with, whether it was business-related or not.

Recently, I was jogging in a nearby mall when all of a sudden, a guy came out of a nearby coffee shop and shouted, "Rod!" I looked back... it was Noel. It was a real pleasant surprise because I had actually been trying to set a lunch meeting with Noel, but unfortunately, he’d been really busy. Given his position, it’s hard to imagine him having any free time at all. So for him to run out of the coffee shop and call my attention was a big thing for me. He told me he’d like to sit down and catch up. We didn’t really set a date. But one day, he just texted me and said, "Rod, I’m free this lunchtime. Would you like to meet up?" Fortunately I was free when he texted, so we were able to meet up.

In the world of brand management and marketing, Noel’s a giant. But the compelling thing about him is not so much what he is now, but what he was before. Noel’s educational background has nothing to do with marketing. He took up Chemical Engineering in college. And by the way, he was also a darn good tennis player. In fact, he was good enough to be part of the national team and represent the country in international meets. When he graduated, he was able to land a job at Unilever and he’s been there ever since. His work at Unilever has brought him all over the world and because of that, he has so much stock knowledge and so many things to share. In the 17 years that he’s been in Unilever, he’s held numerous positions, including brand director for oral care for Asia and Africa. He’s been assigned to other countries like Shanghai (three years) and Indonesia (three years).

One of the things I learned from Noel when we were planning the "First Day Funk" campaign was the marketing principle of "talk value." To him, the field of marketing is all about creating "that buzz." He said to me, "You know, in this business of marketing, if you’re going to do something, you have to make sure that you create enough impact so as to make your campaign good enough to be front-page news. If it doesn’t get reported in the news, the effort is not worth it." He said that an effective marketing campaign is one that becomes the "talk of the town" or the new "uso." While most marketers would probably say, "I knew that,"or "That’s nothing new," the difference with Noel is that he actually does it. He walks the talk. The recent campaigns of his brands have become headline news, from the "Close-Up Lovapalooza," (which is always headline news the day after Valentine’s), to the "First Day Funk" dance craze, to the Close-Up-sponsored and produced movie Close To You (which, incidentally, was a monster hit), and the recent Rexona Live Extreme billboard event. All of these campaigns caused a stir in the Pinoy consciousness. More importantly, they generated sales for Unilever. When it comes to creating "talk value," Noel Lorenzana is the Zen Master, the guru. He is not just a talker, he is a doer. And when he does something, people talk. And people buy. And that has made him a pillar in Unilever.

After all these years and all the experiences that he’s had, Noel has gone beyond being just a top executive in a multinational company. He’s already considered a "torch bearer" – a leader not only in his company but in society as well. And Unilever, duly acknowledging his accomplishments, is sending Noel to M.I.T. to participate in a unique leadership program.

"In the program," said Noel, "leaders from all over the world, and from all sectors of society – economics, politics, business, social welfare, etc. – get together to discuss and tackle world trends and changes. The idea is to have a network of leaders who have a grasp of all that’s happening in the world: the changes that are happening, and where the world is headed. These happenings and changes have an effect on all aspects of our lives and as leaders, we should be aware. Because really, these changes will not just affect business, they will affect all aspects of our lives. And if we, the leaders, are not able to anticipate these changes and formulate policies to effectively meet these changes, things could get pretty rough for everyone."

In this leadership program, Noel is proudly representing not just Unilever but the Philippines as well. Again, he is promoting the principle of "talk value." But this time, it’s not about causing a stir and making people want to buy. The "talk value" he will be espousing in this program is all about the value of dialogue. It’s all about the importance of discussing and tackling the ongoing changes in the world and how we can harness these changes to make the world a better place. Change is neither a bad nor a good thing. Sometimes, change is bad, and sometimes change is good. But the important thing to remember is this: we’re always better off if we can effectively and efficiently anticipate change.

We can all learn a lot from Noel. One major lesson is this: Let’s walk our talk. We want the government to change? Let’s begin by changing our own ways and being more productive. We want the Philippines to be clean? Pick up the garbage in front of your house. You want to eradicate poverty and provide homes for the homeless? Do something about it. Some people say it can’t be done. But it can. "Gawad Kalinga" is clear proof of that.

If you can "talk" it, you can walk it.

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Thanks for all your letters! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com