Digital is the way of the future—especially for brands. This was the essence of a free and exclusive seminar for Araneta City’s lessees held last May 25 at the Gateway Gallery.
The learning event was organized by the City of Firsts in partnership with the J. Amado Araneta Foundation (JAAF) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Invited as main speaker was Amrei Dizon, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Vitalstrats Creative Solutions, who delivered a comprehensive course into the basic concepts of marketing and how digital tools can help propel their brands to new heights.
Dizon gave the participants an overview of marketing and explained that more than anything, the discipline focuses on creating and delivering value to its intended target audience. She explained that digital marketing is supercharging traditional marketing strategies and tactics and enabling it to reach an audience that would find immense value in the products and services delivered by a brand.
She also discussed the goals of digital marketing. Mainly, digital marketing aims to reach and engage a target market identified by the brand, increase awareness of said audience about the brand, generate leads, drive sales, and build loyalty.
She provided an in-depth discussion of the various tools available to brands interested in venturing into digital marketing. Some of these are search engine optimization, email marketing, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, and of course social media marketing. With 84.45 million Filipinos using some form of social media, its relevance for marketers and brands cannot be overstated. As such, Dizon also gave the attendees the potential use cases for various social media platforms and how they can best suit their needs.
Dizon also delved into one of the most significant topics in today’s marketing landscape—artificial intelligence or AI. She recognizes the power of large language models such as those offered by Microsoft-backed OpenAI in ChatGPT and that of Google in Bard.
According to Dizon, the power of AI when applied specifically to the use case of digital marketing is its ability to democratize various aspects of planning, ideation, and content development and make it more manageable for any brand, whatever its size.
“Now [AI] levels the playing field when it comes to the competition between [micro, small, and medium enterprises] and big businesses who have the budget. Now, MSMEs have access to these resources. If they know how to use these AI tools properly and understand its inherent limitations, they can produce content that is effective and resonates well with their target market,” Dizon said.
Meanwhile, Dizon has a simple advice for brands especially now that more consumers are giving more value to user-generated feedback—be authentic and deliver on your promise
“The main thing they need to focus on is to give value and relevance to your target market. Whatever you promise to your audience on digital, it’s imperative that you deliver it through your service. Whatever your customers experience—whether it’s good or bad—that can spell the future of your business,” Dizon said.
When asked about the disinformation and misinformation present online and how it can impact brands who market using digital tools, Dizon stressed the value of media literacy.
“First and foremost, our MSMEs need to know if the content they’re encountering is ‘fake news’ or not. They, as business owners, should also be a source of truth online. We have an obligation to our consumers to provide them with the necessary and complete information they need so that they can make decisions that benefit them,” Dizon concluded.
Aside from the informative discussion, Araneta City’s Marketing team walked the lessees through the upcoming events and activities that they can take advantage of at the City of Firsts, including the much-anticipated opening of Gateway Mall 2, the latest shopping, entertainment, and dining hub in Araneta City.
