Media - TV, Radio, Newspaper

[Mr.Yos0]

lilipat na daw tv5 si karen? andun din daw mister niya e.

[mang juan]

From 'Wow' to 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda'

MANILA, Philippines—From the generic "Wow" to the hard-sell "Kay Ganda."

The Philippines, known the world over for its tropical charm, spectacular beaches and smiling people, has a new brand coined in the native tongue: "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (So beautiful)!

"The brand that you are about to see is relevant, distinctive and believable ... It is something that we can distinctly claim and every foreigner who has visited our shores will attest to," Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim told stakeholders, VIPs, diplomats, government officials and other guests on Monday night.

Lim led the Department of Tourism in unveiling the new Philippine label in a flashy ceremony that also marked the retirement of the 8-year-old brand "Wow Philippines."

He said that the new campaign was "still a work in progress" and "not yet final," and that it would be rolled out to the public early in January. By then, he said, it would have undergone market testing and focus group discussions.

The new brand carries a logo featuring a sun, the ubiquitous coconut tree, and a tarsier (a primate endemic to the forests of Bohol) to portray the Philippines' distinctive tropical destinations and its people's sunny disposition, according to Lim.

Speaking later with the Inquirer, Lim said the smiling coconut tree and the tarsier cuddling the first "i" in "Pilipinas" were inputs by President Benigno Aquino III himself when the idea was presented to him.

Best qualities

"The brand ... extols the innermost beauty not just of our destinations but also of our people and everything else that we do," Lim said in a speech at the launch.

And it was not as if the tourism department fell short of imagination or inspiration in coming up with the new brand. Tourism executives said the brand harped on the Philippines' best qualities that made it stand out among its glossy neighbors.

From its modest 2011 budget, the tourism department has allotted P200 million for the brand campaign out of the P500 million earmarked for promotions next year, according to Undersecretary Vicente Romano III.

To drive home the point, Romano, who handles tourism planning and promotions, engaged the guests in a guessing exercise: From flashing photos of breath-taking beaches, rustic edifices, and giant shopping malls, which were in the Philippines?

The photos showed beaches in Bali, Phuket, Vietnam, New Zealand, Spain, Maldives, Malaysia, and Boracay and Palawan in the Philippines; shopping malls in Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia and Metro Manila; and historic structures in Indonesia and Thailand, and the Philippines' Bacolod and Ilocos.

The guests, including, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Leyte Rep. Imelda Marcos, laughed when they found out that they had scored poorly.

Said Romano: "Our destinations [and] malls, they all look the same. What we need aside from fixing infrastructure is good marketing, and it starts with a new brand."

"Pilipinas Kay Ganda" was conceived following a study that concluded that "it is as much the beauty of the people as it is the beauty of our scenery" that drew foreign tourists, according to Romano.

Hospitality top drawer

The study showed that Filipino hospitality was among the top drawers of tourists from North America, Europe and Asian countries (except for South Korea).

The tourism department also considered the results of the CNN Consumer Connect and the Global Travel and Tourism Survey for Asia Pacific conducted by Synovate in May-June.

In the survey, 3,500 respondents were asked what holiday activities would interest them in their next vacation. Sightseeing scored 67 percent; arts and culture and beaches also scored high.

Romano said that while other Asian countries used English words such as "incredible," "amazing" and "cool" in their promotions, the Philippine brand was a way of expressing renewed pride in and hope for the country.

"We are using our native name and the vernacular to tell our story in our own way, to make it rise above the competition," Romano said.

He said the phrase "Kay Ganda" was also the best way to express appreciation for the Philippines' scenery, food and music, as well as its people and its attitude.

Using Filipino will also help set off a connection between locals and foreign visitors, Romano later told the Inquirer.

"It will help us engage with foreign visitors because they will be prompted to ask. And when they ask more questions, they will get more interested," he said.

Ricky Reyes

But social networking sites show that not everyone is happy with the new Philippine brand.

"Why do I expect Ricky Reyes to suddenly appear in the new [tourism] website?" Arnold Romero said in his Twitter account, referring to the noted beautician who uses "Ang Ganda" in promoting his chain of salons and services.

Said another Twitter user, Hazel Hung: "The slogan makes me want to go to a salon and have my hair permed."

In his Facebook account, Dexter Baldon said the new brand sounded like a Sibika at Kultura textbook for grade school students.

"How about something catchier for foreign tourists?" he said.

Others wondered why the tourism department had to overhaul the brand "Wow Philippines."

Concerned netizens also warned that one wrong punch on the keyboard could direct Internet users to a porn site rather than the new website www.beautifulpilipinas.com.

Resistance expected

Lim admitted at the launch that the new trademark was "radical and risky."

He said he expected the tourism department to be met with the same "stiff resistance" that tested Singapore's complete overhaul of its own campaign early this year.

"But we need to be more daring in expressing our brand, if we are to rise above the clutter," Lim said, adding:

"Going back to the question, Why not just build on the 'Wow Philippines' brand? ... The answer is quite simple.

"At a time when every nation, big or small, is either creating a new brand or repackaging its current one, would you rather rehash an 8-year-old brand? Besides, a new brand always generates a buzz that translates to more media mileage for the same promotional budget."

Lim said a new brand always took time to be accepted.

"In the end, it is the faith and trust in the brand of the various stakeholders that can make or break a brand ... That's why I'd like to invite all of you to join hands and rally behind the brand ... Together let's make [it] not only believable, but also real," he said.



http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101117-303659/From-Wow-to-Pilipinas-Kay-Ganda

[hypebeast]

sana ibalik ang WOW Philippines.

[angelo]

panget.
tapos nasa balita pa na may pinagkunan ng idea.

[hypebeast]

onga. ginaya yung sa Poland

[judE_Law]

sabi ni DOT Sec. Alberto Lim, testing lang daw iyon...
ginagago niyo ba kami?? ni-launch niyo na't lahat-lahat, ginawan ng website, at ginawan na rin ng 3d AD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1e5Hi2hc-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1e5Hi2hc-0

sasabihin niyo testing lang?


dapat.. "Pilipinas, me Ganun?"

[Mr.Yos0]

inabot na ng two threads yang "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" na yan a.

[angelo]

sayang naman kasi ang buwis sa sobrang hindi pinag-isipang marketing campaign.

sabi may statement na yung campaigns, pero hindi ko pa nakikita/nababasa

[judE_Law]

lilipat na daw tv5 si karen? andun din daw mister niya e.

nasa Bandila na po si Karen at Julius.

[pinoybrusko]

good for them, sayang pag pinayagan ng ABS lumipat ng channel 5 yung dalawa.

[Mr.Yos0]

san mapupunta si Henry Omaga-Diaz? Magiging correspondent na lang?

[judE_Law]

san mapupunta si Henry Omaga-Diaz? Magiging correspondent na lang?

wala pa akong balita kung saan..
pero as far as i know.. senioor correspondent pari siya sa tv patrol.. like what happen to korina nung mawala siya sa tvp.

[Mr.Yos0]

^ Buti naman. He's been with Bandila since its inception.

Sana ibalik yung MGB tuwing Sabado.

[ctan]

I agree, sana nga ibalik nila yung MGB.

[judE_Law]

^^sana wag na MGB kasi recycle na naman. gumawa na lang sila ng new show ni kabayan.. pero yung holloween special sana ang iretain hehe

ang daming may paborito sa halooween special ng mgb.. hehehe..

OT jun... kaw ba yang nasa pix?