����ý and brands: Partnerships built on trust and high regard

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By Bjorn Biel M. Beltran, Special Features and Content Assistant Editor

Having a reliable business partner is crucial in today’s dynamic business environment. In this sense, ����ý, as the most trusted business newspaper and multimedia company in the Philippines, offers much to partner brands and prospective advertisers.

����ý has evolved alongside the business community and the general public, cultivating its reputation for 36 years as the “public trust” that its founder Raul L. Locsin sought to create.

As a result of its wide readership, broad coverage, and consistent dedication to professionalism, ����ý has earned the respect of companies who want to increase their brand recognition and customer base.

����ý’s Executive Vice-President Lucien C. Dy Tioco had previously noted that the company’s continuously growing brand synergy can be directly attributed to the long-standing trust the media and content provider has earned for its superior economic reporting.

“It boils down to three factors: our credibility that we have established over the years, our clout and influence over the business community, and the quality of content that we produce which is very attuned to the needs of the business community,” said Mr. Dy Tioco.

Jay R. Sarmiento, ����ý’s sales and marketing director, said that ����ý’s credibility and reputation are unmatched in the industry, with this trustworthiness extending to its advertising and brand partnership services, and making it an obvious choice for businesses looking to enhance their reputation through association with a reputable platform.

“I think ����ý is able to maintain its reputation as the most credible and most trusted business paper in the country especially in the Philippine business community,” she said.

“Despite the many challenges it has faced through the years, it has remained well-respected owing to the quality of business reporting and presentation the paper has always been known for. I think that that respect has been the most important factor for brands and advertisers alike to consider in supporting the paper through the years.”

Even at a time of great disruption during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, ����ý has not only effectively made the transition to the digital arena, but has become a valuable resource for other companies seeking advice and insight amid the economic downturn.

Ms. Sarmiento noted that because of this, the company has been able to engage with brands and corporations to create and distribute original content.

“And while we give utmost importance to our advertising partners and sponsors to keep ����ý financially afloat, our respect for our editorial policy has also been of paramount consideration. To be able to balance this, we always keep the communication lines open between the editorial and marketing departments. You can say that most of our projects involving content or business information are products of constant collaboration and consultation between editorial and marketing. We have mutual respect for each other.”

Mr. Dy Tioco also stressed how important this mutual respect is to the company and to all its partners. “With the kind of content that ����ý provides, it gives a good image to brands that partner with us,” he said.

He added, “I think there’s a common denominator between what brands and ����ý have been doing. It’s trying to provide what the customers need. In our case, it’s the content that our readers are looking for.”

����ý has partnered with leading corporations and government organizations in the Philippines, including, among many others, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Embassy of India, Aboitiz Group, Globe Philippines, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, and PayMaya.

Notably, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority partnered with ����ý this year for the latest edition of its CLARK magazine. This edition highlighted the beauty of New Clark City, as well as the activities that can be enjoyed in the area, coffee shops to stop by, and spaces worth spending one’s staycation in, among others.

More recently, this list has come to include the Bankers Institute of the Philippines, Inc. (BAIPHIL) for a special feature on the induction of their officers for fiscal year 2023-2024. Racquel B. Mañago, president of BAIPHIL, commended ����ý for its journalism and digital offerings.

“����ý can be relied upon to deliver meaningful, timely and relevant information. In our collaborations with them, the strong work ethic demonstrated by its members is commendable,” she said.

“In this increasing digital age, ����ý’s digital supplement is BAIPHIL’s choice for our events and campaigns. We hope to continue engaging ����ý with the use of its digital offerings. BAIPHIL wishes ����ý continued success and looks forward to a stronger partnership in the coming years.”

Ms. Sarmiento hopes ����ý’s influence and reputation can be leveraged not only for the company’s benefit, but for the promotion of more community and sustainability-focused agendas moving forward.

Mr. Dy Tioco had previously noted ����ý’s role in the PhilStar Media Group’s “Nakakalocal: Love Local, Grow Global” advocacy program, which launched in 2022 to promote and encourage consumers to buy local and support local businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), that produce great products.

“Our newest advocacy is very well-received by brands. They see several areas of collaboration that we can do together. And the wonderful thing about those collaborations is that there’s really a common goal. It’s not just serving one brand or the other, but it’s really about serving a common goal of trying to uplift the economy by helping our SMEs and inspiring people to really start their own business,” Mr. Dy Tioco had said of the program.

Project KaLIKHAsan, another of PhilStar Media Group’s programs, meanwhile, aims to merge print, digital, and on-ground platforms to raise the cause of meaningful, concrete sustainability in industries and communities.

In the years ahead, ����ý is positioned to continue its partnership with brands to effectively communicate their messages across its multimedia channels.

“As the most trusted business paper in the country, advocacy projects like Project KaLIKHAsan and Nakakalocal will complement each other in terms of enhancing each other’s images. ����ý will be able to have more purpose to the business community as it focuses on sustainability and supporting local MSMEs,” Ms. Sarmiento said.

“KaLIKHAsan and Nakakalocal will have more leverage as it aligns with the ����ý brand of quality economic journalism and integrity.”