Mang Inasal's ‘National Halo-Halo Sarap Day’ bags a PANAta Award

MANILA, Philippines — Mang Inasal was recently recognized by the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) for “championing responsible brand building” through the Mang Inasal “National Halo-Halo Sarap Day.”

The 2017 activation was adjudged bronze in the Excellence in Marketing Innovation category of the annual recognition program. The one-day promotional initiative engaged Mang Inasal stores nationwide to sell the flagship product, the So Creamy! So Sarap! Mang Inasal Pinoy Halo-Halo.

Key to the success of the campaign was the build up to the event to help generate excitement in the market. The brand used its digital platforms to create hype on the promo. It also leveraged its store network by placing in-store posters that caught the customers’ interest. Brand ambassadors Angel Locsin and Coco Martin helped generate buzz through their respective online posts. A parallel PR effort tapped prominent chefs as influencers.

“The results were encouraging, with actual sales during the one-day activation exceeding expectations. More importantly, it further reinforced Mang Inasal Halo-Halo’s positioning as a much sought-after merienda fare,” said Aileen Natividad, marketing head for Mang Inasal.

Mang Inasal also emerged among the finalists in the brand positioning category for two of its marketing communication programs: the Mang Inasal Oks na Oks Chicken Inasal and the Mang Inasal Sizzling Meaty Sarap Pork Sisig.

The Mang Inasal Oks na Oks campaign was the brand’s effort to assure customers of the quality, safety, and taste of its Chicken Inasal. Martin once more lent his celebrity appeal to vouch for this.

To further intensify the grilled taste component and communicate “Nuot sa Ihaw Sarap,” the process of basting or the seeping in of the delicious marinade into the chicken, was hyped in the TV ad and the cinemagraph in the digital initiatives. The campaign also made use of in-store posters showing the Seal of Guarantee to certify that the Mang Inasal Chicken Inasal has passed the world-class standard of quality before it gets to the consumers.

Meanwhile, the Mang Inasal Sizzling Meaty Sarap campaign reintroduced the much-improved Mang Inasal Pork Sisig. Apart from increasing the serving size, further refinements were made on the ingredients to enhance product appeal. Comedian Empoy Marquez endorsed the product.

“We are truly grateful for these three new citations from PANA,” said Natividad. “They serve as validation for our hard work and inspiration to further push the envelop in our brand-building efforts.”   

PANA reported getting a total of 98 entries this year, of which only 74 qualified as finalists. Entries were judged on four criteria: challenge, strategy, execution and results.

These PANA-winning campaigns were developed in tandem with full-service communications group, DDB and its PR arm, Ripple 8. In 2016, Mang Inasal bagged a silver PANAta Award for its Chicken Inasal campaign.