McDonald’s, Nestlé Philippines big winners at the 2017 PANAta Marketing Effectiveness Awards

All the best works of the past year were honored at the 2017 PANAta Marketing Effectiveness Awards. The premier awards body of the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), the PANAta is an annual celebration in recognition of deserving works from organizations that drive the association’s advocacy of “Beyond Truth in Advertising.” In ceremonies held at the Discovery Primea last June 2, the PANAta welcomed this year’s crop of winners, all products of the competition’s steady growth year-on-year. That the Awards body has grown exponentially can

be attributed to how the PANAta is attuned to a changing industry, and how it quickly adapts the demands of change.

Foremost on the PANAta Awards platform is to encourage the Philippine communications industry to go beyond brand awareness, and to actively support the importance of responsible, and forward-thinking work that inspire nationbuilding, and nurturing the future.

There are five major categories under the PANAta, namely: Academe, that pertains to activities done by schools or school organizations; Internal Communications, that pertains to communications targeting employees or trade partners; Advocacy Marketing, that pertains to communications promoting a cause or advocacy for the good of a community; Business-to-Business, that pertains to communications directed to companies promoting products or services for sale or profit; and Brand, that pertains to communications directed to consumers promoting brands, products or services for sale or profit purposes.

The crowning glory of Gold winners, the Grand PANAta is on its third year. This award recognizes that unique marketing campaign with outstanding results, special or unique for offering higher value for features the likes of product re-positioning, new ways of engaging consumers, sparking new ideas and possibilities, or having an insight that simply inspires and makes a difference.

This year’s 127 entries almost doubles that of 2016’s 71 submissions. There’s the growth. Yet, the PANAta’s high standards remain, with 59 qualifying for the finals.

Says Adi Timbol-Hernandez, PANA president, “I am proud to say that this year boasts of the highest number of entries in the history of the PANAta awards. But more than the number of entries, what we are most happy about is the level of excellence showcased in every campaign entered—from solid insights, inspiring creative to thorough execution.” Timbol-Hernandez is senior manager for PR and Communications of McDonald’s.

Having just overseen his first PANAta Awards as the new PANA executive director, Bobby Simborio shares, “Seeing most of the entries submitted this year made me feel emotionally proud. Each and every material has its own unique characteristics. All of the entries are very creative yet value-centric.”

The same brands that consistently deliver effective marketing communications remain. McDonald’s, Nestlé, and Jollibee are up there with the haul of metals, almost a clone of the previous year’s results.

Reprising its performance last year, Golden Arches/McDonald’s Philippines lugged home the treasured Grand PANAta, along with two Gold, three Silver, and three Bronze trophies. It’s total trove for the night totaled 13 awards. This is a testament to how the QSR brand takes effective communications seriously, and is now reaping the rewards for it. McDonald’s Gold awards haul includes Chicken ni Joy under Brand-Integrated Program-Brand Building (Thematic), and The Boy Who Loved to Study under Brand-Single Medium-PR. The latter work also bagged a Silver for Brand-Single Medium-Digital and Mobile.

Moreover, McDonald’s’ The Boy Who Loved to Study bagged for the brand the thrilling three-peat win of the Grand PANAta. This feat bestowed on McDonald’s the PANAta’s first Hall of Fame Awardee. [See story above.]

Its Silver awards include Welcome Change under Brand-Integrated Program-Brand Building (Thematic), and Floating Fork under Brand-Single Medium-PR. McDonald’s shares the award with agency Leo Burnett Manila.

Another brand that continues its winning streak from last year, Nestlé Philippines also brought home a number of trophies totaling eight. Its Gold awards include MILO Champ Moves Featuring Energy Gap for Advocacy Marketing-Integrated Program, and The Wand for Brand-Single Medium-Digital and Mobile.

Nestlé also got two Silver awards for Maggi Sarap Sustansya Caravan-Cooking to Save Dreams for Advocacy Marketing-Single Medium-Activation, and Hugot Trabaho/Breaking Point for Advocacy Marketing-Single Medium-Digital and Mobile.

Other Gold winners are Jollibee Foods Corp.’s Over-theTop Beefy Sarap with Jolly Hotdog for Brand-Integrated Program-Brand Building (Thematic); and Alaska Milk Corp.’s Play PH for Advocacy Marketing-Single Medium-Digital and Mobile.

Nineteen judges, all renowned industry veterans, set stringent ratings for this year’s entries. Of the judges, Simborio said, “That’s primarily the reason why we need to tap the assistance of industry authorities with a vast wealth of experience and wisdom to thoroughly screen all the entries and eventually select the finalists and the winners.”

This year’s entries were undoubtedly steeped from keen insight. And, the judges were just as keen to stress the point. PANAta judge Ken Lerona says, “The campaigns addressed the araw-araw na buhay of the Filipino consumers that’s why they are relevant and effective. I liked the campaigns that empowered the grassroots, the one that promoted micro insurance to ordinary Filipinos, and the campaign featuring the senior sector of our society, one that is often forgotten.”

Finalists are judged on the following criteria: Challenge for 20 points, Strategy for 25 points, Execution for 25 points and Business Results for 30 points. The top three highest scorers will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. Gold awards are given only to finalists that reach a minimum of 90 points. Finalists that earned 85 points are lauded as Awardees, and a total of 35 entries made it to the Awardees’ list.

Continuing in the age of digital, the 2017 PANAta Marketing Effectiveness Awards once again employed online judging incorporating a special feature that automatically addresses any conflict of interest in judging.

PANAta judge Hans Roxas Chua says, “Every year, the quality of the entries we review just keeps on improving. I truly admire the purpose behind the PANAta awards, and pleasantly surprised with the level of creativity behind the various digitally enabled campaigns.”

“Indeed, the PANAta Marketing Effectiveness Awards is the country’s premier annual recognition program for effective communication materials. this year’s outcome will continuously serve as an inspiration for all of us to give the industry not just a better awards night but a more relevant, exciting and significant categories that would fit into the evolving world of advertising.”

“Let’s continue to help each other strive for excellence using our brands not just to achieve outstanding sales but also to communicate and reach out to everyone through campaigns that will benefit and make a difference in the society,” Simborio adds.

Echoing the sentiment, Lerona adds, “I hope to see more empowering advertising and marketing campaigns in the next several years. I always believe that positive impact to the consumers and the community means positive impact to the brands too. Our business is not just about earning profits. Our business as advertisers, communicators, and brand owners, is to help bring positive change to the lives of our customers.”