Titles that inspire mastery, learning to beat hardship

When it comes to lechon in Cebu, Rico’s is one of the most go-to names among locals and travelers. Behind the success of the lechon place is, first, the food itself. Second is its “Da Best Gyud!” campaign.

The company’s sales and marketing manager, 32-year-old Jeff Walter Oyas, was instrumental in the creation of the “Da Best Gyud” campaign for Rico’s Lechon. In February 2016, he and his team positioned Rico’s Lechon as “DaBestGyud” (Indeed the best) lechon and “Atong Paboritong Pasalubong” (Our favorite homecoming gift).

Long before that, Rico’s Lechon began as a backyard business of Enrico Dionson. Oyas, Enrico’s son-in-law, said the presence of many lechon-makers in Cebu and the desire to separate Rico’s from the rest encouraged him and the management to strengthen the brand.

Oyas tapped experts for the creation of its official logo, tag- line, and jingle. The efforts relied heavily on social media with the hashtag “#DaBestGyud.” They complemented this with photos of celebrities and travelers inside airports and terminals, carrying boxes of Rico’s Lechon, as part of the Spotted Pasalubong campaign, as well as online reviews.

This marketing strategy proved effective, as seen in a growing number of diners. Currently, Rico’s Lechon is present in Lapu-Lapu City, and in Mabolo as well as Escario St. in Cebu City. An expansion is being planned.

Last month, Rico’s Lechon also received in Tokyo a Silver Award in the Asia-Pacific Stevies, which recognize innovation in media relations, for its nationwide campaign #DaBestGyud.

Oyas recommended two of his favorite self-development books from Malcolm Gladwell.

“Outliers,” published in 2008, examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success. Throughout the publication, the author repeatedly mentions the “10,000-hour rule” as the key to achieving world-class expertise in any skill. “Gladwell states in ‘Outliers’ that it takes approximately 10,000 hours to master something. It gives me comfort knowing that I just need to put in more hours whenever I encounter a difficult task,” Oyas said.

“David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants” was published in 2013. Gladwell drew inspiration from the biblical characters David and Goliath when he examined how obstacles and disadvantages can be turned around. One of the world’s best-selling authors offers in his work a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability. “It illustrates that some things are not what they seem. Our weakness can be our greatest strength if we learn to think objectively and see the bigger picture in a situation,” said Oyas.