Monday, August 31, 2015

The leading telecoms and multi-media service provider PLDT, through its business unit PLDT SME Nation has launched together with global IT giant Microsft Philippines a new service package called Digital Campus Suite. It will enable students and academes to have access to online learning programs and earn IT certifications for critical IT skills that are now in demand.

Through Digital Campus Suite, schools can now have high-speed connectivity with PLDT myDSL Biz or iGate and can have online access to training courses of the Microsoft IT Academy Program.

Microsoft's digital curriculum can be accessible to educators and students and can earn IT certifications in the Microsoft IT Academy Program for the fundamental technology skills as well as other courses that enables students to become more competitive for employment.


School can also receive licenses to Microsoft Office 360 to help their students and teachers interact and teach using Cloud tools and platforms. The suite also includes laptops, tablets, and WiFi access in the campus.

International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed that increased spending in IT cloud service will open up an estimated 14 million new jobs worldwide based on their studies. 


PLDT SME Nation has been partnering to schoolsand learning institutions to build their technology and connectivity resources in support of the education sector's need to improve ICT learning among the students and academe.

This partnership is seen to bridge the windering skills and education gap by empowering Filipino students the tools and knowledge to be able to compete and gain advantage in today's job market.

To learn more about Digital Campus Suite, visit www.pldtsme-nation.com.ph or call 101-888.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

PLDT, Voyager had launched concierge service of social commerce platform called TackThis! 

Now, Filipino businesses can create their online store using concierge services. Large and small who recognize the potential of eCommerce can be ready to sell online.

That is why Voyager Innovations (voyager), the digital unit of PLDT and Smart, together with PLD Alpha and PLDT SME Nation has introduced its online store creator TackThis! to over a thousand partner businesses so they can quickly and efficiently build their own branded digital commerce footprint that can incorporate a seamless social shopping experience for customers.


TackThis! as a platform enables businesses to set up their online shops in just a matter of 60 minutes. They can then "tack" their store to Facebook and other websites and the platform facilitates the customer's entire digital commerce journey. From the point of order up tp the management inventory and ending with fulfillment and payment.

It also have its advanced features that come as a part of the concierge service including the professional services for an effortless online store creation as well as hassle-free store management of logistics, payments and customer service via a team of TackThis! Ambassadors.


The concierge service also includes store marketing via placement on Takatack, the sister site of TackThis! which is now the largest online shopping discovery platform that aggregates and promotes not only offerings from the thousands of merchants who have established their online shops through TackThis!, but also products from other online stores and retailers in the country including the Rocket Internet-backed Zalora and Lazada.

TackThis! has over 30,000 merchants in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines with more than 400 merchants already part of the premium TackThis!

It is indeed an end to end solution tailored to get retailers selling online quickly.

To know more about TackThis!, please visit  www.tackthis.com.ph/ and to know more about Takatack, please visit www.takatack.com

Friday, August 21, 2015

Marketing is a dynamic and continuously evolving field. Every year, Filipino companies come up with innovative and effective marketing campaigns that change the mindsets of consumers and build brands. These are campaigns that embed themselves in the minds of people, creating results and bringing success. 

In the Philippines, one award recognizes these marketing breakthroughs. An award with a long history of recognizing the best of the best in Philippine marketing. It’s an award that’s highly regarded and most prestigious that it’s known as “The Oscars of Philippine Marketing.” It’s better known in the Philippines as The Agora Award.

“The Agora Awards are a testament to the passion, dedication, brilliance and commitment of excellent individuals and companies in the marketing industry,” says The Agora Director-in-Charge, Alpha Allanigui.

The Agora Awards started in 1979 to recognize outstanding efforts in marketing by individuals and companies in the industry. This was a project of the Philippine Marketing Association or PMA, and was one of the highlights of their silver anniversary that year. It was the brainchild of Guillermo T. Garcia, and was introduced under the leadership of  then president Agustin Bengzon.

Now on its 36th year, The Agora Awards continues this legacy of marketing excellence, and celebrates the programs and people who have created an indelible mark in marketing. People who are an inspiration to their peers as well as the younger generation. As Allanigui explains: 

“We wish to highlight that we have more professionals and companies to recognize in this field, and that the younger generation can have professionals to emulate and Filipino companies to be proud of. The Agora Awards honor the best creative and strategic minds in the marketing industry. We hope that as we honor we can also build on the aspiration to be an Agora while thinking of having to give back to the Philippines. ” she adds.

The first Agora Awards had three categories, namely Marketing Management, Marketing Education and Entrepreneurship. Through the years, additional categories were added to include Marketing Company, Advocacy Marketing, Overseas Marketing, Export Marketing, and, last year’s new category, Marketing Communication. 



Recognizing the roles of entrepreneurship in innovating the marketing field, a category on Entrepreneurship was also introduced in The Agora Awards. Divided into 3 categories according to the size of business: Small-, Medium-, and Large-Scale, this category has been well received by Filipino entrepreneurs. A fact that can be seen in the number of entrants and nominees in the category these past years.

The PMA also recognizes the work of public figures who have marketed and advocated the beauty of the country and its people. With this as inspiration, the Honorary Agora Award will now be presented to individuals who have made great contributions in Nation-building. This Honorary Award is recommended by The Agora Committee and is only awarded upon the consensus and unanimous vote of The Agora Board and Awards Committee. This year, a distinguished personality will receive The Honorary Agora for Nation-Building.

The 36th Agora will also be the venue for one of PMA’s programs, the Agora Circle Conference. 

Presided over by former Agora Awards winners, attendees of the conference will learn first hand the personal stories of the awardees on what inspired them to create their winning marketing campaigns. Their insights and talks are designed to inspire participants to apply these same lessons and strategies in their own businesses. Here, they will also discuss latest developments and trends in 
marketing. 

The Agora Circle Conference is one of the initiatives that the PMA has brought back for The 36th Agora. “This year, we decided to revive it, because we saw that people are really looking for avenues to learn more about marketing, its trends and innovations,” says Donald Lim, member of The Agora Awards board of advisers. “We saw that in the conference last July when a lot of people attended. 

They really wanted to get in touch with new marketing tips.”

This year’s Agora Circle Conference follows the theme “Fifty Shades of Marketing Darker.” Aside from former Agora winners, it will also feature some of the country’s best speakers, members of the academe, industry professionals and students discussing topics that are of interest to the local marketing industry. These include topics on branding, entrepreneurship, social responsibility, and technology. All talks shall be made available online to serve as a resource for marketing professionals and students.

“Marketing is all about being first, in any way and in any form,” Lim says. “Our challenge is to always innovate one’s self. Since the needs of consumers change, so should the products and services you’re offering.” 

In its totality, The 36th Agora – through its awards and the Agora Circle Conference – will serve as a beacon of marketing excellence. This is part of the PMA’s commitment to continuously uplift the country’s marketing industry and discipline.

Nominations for The 36th Agora Awards are being accepted until September 8. 2015. For details and nomination requirement, visit www.theagora.ph.

For details about the 36th Agora Awards, visit www.theagora.ph. For information about the Philippine Marketing Association, visit philippinemarketing.net.ph.

Press Release

Thursday, August 13, 2015

LG Mobile has a treat for those wanting to have the chance to get their hands on their own LG G4 this weekend. For three days, consumers can enjoy a big Php
4,000 slash off LG G4’s original price! 

This three-day-only promo lets consumers get the genuine vegetable-tanned leather-backed powerhouse smartphone in tan, black, and red from Php 32,990 down to Php 28,990 only. Or if they’re after the sleeker version of the most ambitious smartphone to date, they can get the metallic back with diamond-cut detailing in titan gray, shiny gold, or ceramic white from Php 31,990 down to Php 27,990 at this weekend’s sale.

The LG G4 is equipped with impressive camera features: 16-megapixel laser autofocus rear camera with f/1.8 aperture level perfect for low light photography, 8-megapixel front camera, RAW file format capability, and the Manual Mode which enables the user to adjust ISO levels, brightness, aperture level, shutter speed, and white balance similar to a professional DSLR camera. The mobile technology leader is letting users enjoy this by including a FREE 32 GB microSD Card valued at Php 1,000. If that’s not enough, LG is also including an additional 100 GB worth of Google Drive storage with a two-year period extension valued at Php, 2,200. 
The LG G4 is one of the remaining smartphones to retain its removable back plate that exposes its removable battery and expandable memory with microSD Card slot. And for those who are anxious to know the feel of genuine leather on their hands, LG’s including one leather-back case for free valued at Php 1,500 in different limited edition colors—light blue, yellow, pink, and orange—when they purchase the leather back variant.

For those who will be purchasing the metallic LG G4, they can also get a Quick Circle Case free in gray, gold, and white, also valued at Php 1,500.

“We are happy that the LG G4 has been welcomed in the Philippines with positivity since we launched it here. Through this sale, we want to express our gratitude to our customers who have been loyal to our brand and our products,” Vice President for Mobile Communications, Jay Won So on top of the Php 4,000 price slash off, consumers can enjoy up to a total of Php 4,700 worth of freebies when they get their LG G4 this weekend at a steal.

The big LG G4 sale will be running from August 14 to August 16, 2015 only. For more details about the “LG 3-Day Big Sale,” visit http://www.lg.com/ph/inside-lg/3-day-big-sale.

To learn more about LG G4, visit www.lg.com/ph; like LG Philippines’ Facebook page; or follow @LGPhilippines on Twitter and Instagram.

Press Releases

Monday, August 10, 2015

Smart Enterprise, under PLDT SME Nation has unveiled its latest initiative to empower the new bread of Filipino Entrepreneurs.

Thus, the Bozz Awards is a social media crowd sourcing search for the new generation of entrepreneurs who are harnessing digital tools to grow their business.

In partnership with Rappler, the Bozz Awards is hoping to inspire more entrepreneurs with their success stories of those who have boldly embraced the challenges and opportunities of digital age.

Rapple will be te main house as the site of the Bozz Awards and will facilitate the crowd sourcing aaspect of the campaign which  will carry the online handle #BeTheBoss.

How to join the Bozz Awards?

To qualify for Bozz Awards, entrepreneurs must be 45 years old and below, based in the Philippines, and must be business owners for at least two years.

Nomination will starts on August 10 and must be done online via micro-site on Rappler. You can also Tweet-pitch a 140 character nomination on Twitter using the hashtag #BeTheBoss. More details will also be announced on August 10 via official Bozz awards site.

There will be 15 nominees will be chosen by a panel of judges with three each under five categories;

The Boss for Mobile Readiness
The Boss for E-Commerce
The Boss for Social Media
The Boss for Customer Service
The Boss for Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship

The public will then have a chance to cast their votes and these votes together with the results of the panel deliberation will determine the final five Bozz Awardees. The Finalist will be honored in a grand celebration and post-forwards culmination party to mark the end of the first ever run of the Bozz Awards.
 

The first batch of Bozz Awardees will each receive a full-powered Smart Enterprise Biz Kit which consist of business-enhancing tools and gadgets, including year-long data subscription to help keep them always connected to their customers and updated with their operations even while on the go.

As a fitting tribute to game-changing entrepreneurs who are leading the digital revolution in business, the final five Bozz awardees will also given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the world's melting pot of technology via an exclusive Silicon Valley tour.

For more information on how to #BeTheBoss, visit rappler.com/betheboss.
Getting a chance to attend another Google event is awesome, this time in Manila. They have new campaign which also in time for the celebration of "Buwan ng Wika".

Now, if you are thinking what is this "Love Your Language Campaign"? Let me tell you something about it.


It is Google's way of empowering the communities to build high quality translations online for their languages using Google translate Community Tool so that native and non-native speakers can appreciate the language better.


I participate to the translate-a-thon after the program on the event and it was fun. I enjoy translating from English to Filipino and to be sure I only translate those I know 100% the rest... I just skip it, for sure there is someone out there who will do it.

You can actually participate by signing in your Google account and visit the https://sites.google.com/site/loveyourlanguagephilippines/ or https://goo.gl/HPwl3Z to register and get more information on how you can help translate as part of Love Your Language in the Philippines.




You can even translate in both Filipino or Cebuano if you are both knowledgeable of them. Your total umber of contributions will be counts coming from the Gmail account that you are using.

It is actually a whole month celebration and translation. However, after August, you can still continue translating to improve Filipino and Cebuano on the web. But Google will only be measure the contributions and individuals until August 31, 2015 as part of the month-long program.
 


Google is holding a series of Love Your Language translate-a-thons across the country through several community-led and campus-led events in Bacolod, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, General Santos, Guimaras, Halsema, Iligan, Iloilo, La Union, Los Banos, MakatiCity, Pangasinan, Quezon City, and Zamboanga.

Also, Google calls on Pinoys for lyrics for new OFW song.  It was set to launch a special song with five well-known local bands and musicians for Filipino modern-day heroes (OFWs).  It was meant to recognize and celebrate close to 12 million OFWs and aims to reconnect them with things they miss back home through music.

Google is working with Sponge Cola, ItchyWorms and Kjwan, band vocalist Ebe Dancel and YouTube Star Mikey Bustos, who will be putting melody to the lyrics and will be recording the song together. The song will be release on September 1 exclusively on YouTube.

To submit your lyrics, simply go to https://goo.gl/vRkjUK or post using #GoogleMissKoNa on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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