Belief: a single word that reverberates as the ethos of April Yap and Gladys Basinillo, respectively the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Intersections Communications, Inc. With a mutual can-do attitude, the duo founded the agency in 2020 — the height of the pandemic — from the ground up and quickly built its lauded reputation among clients and peers in the industry in only six short years. “We didn't intend to start during Covid!” April said with a laugh. “When [the pandemic] happened … it was an operation at our size that had an advantage. We were just like five [to] eight of us, so we were able to slip through the cracks during that time.” Gladys revealed that the agency was only in the stages of planning when the pandemic happened. “It was actually a shock,” she said. But even amid the challenges of a global crisis, she and April saw it through. “When we decided to put up the agency, we knew that the industry is not coping with the change in consumer behavior. So we felt, if we put up our own agency, we'll be faster, agile, and creative. But with Covid … we adjusted and really adapted. So, it somehow helped us in how [we] view [the] media agency landscape differently,” she added. Intersections Communications, Inc. CEO Gladys Basinillo and COO April Yap share lessons learned from putting up the agency during the pandemic. Sparking a light in the dark Operating with only a handful of employees all the while navigating a pandemic proved to be a trial by fire to both Gladys and April. Nevertheless, they emerged stronger, unscathed ,and even better for it. “I think a lot of it lies in the fact that Gladys and I were never really just managers. Almost all of the operations of an agency, between the two of us, we've done it all,” April explained. Gladys rose from the ranks, beginning her career as a biller and made her way up to now CEO. On the other hand, April has always been in data and research prior to becoming COO. April continued: “We had to do a lot of the work ourselves, and we just pulled in experts [for things] we really didn't know.” As people who started from square one much like most, the two leaders have had their fair share of experiences that most often involves getting your hands dirty from putting in the work and thinking outside the box. This resourcefulness has proven to be handy during the early stages of the agency’s inception. “[If] we don't have it, let's build it. We didn't have that capital to invest in big, shiny tools, but we were able to find the versions that worked for us,” April added This mindset has eventually allowed them to build an arsenal of tools and systems that work for both the agency and their clients. She went on: “Even if we're at a bigger scale now, that spirit doesn't change. I tell the team, ‘Every client, their biggest need is somebody to listen to them. And really listen [that] this is what their need is, and dissect that.’ And that is why it's solutions-based, because you hear what they really need. If we don't have it, but they're our client, [then] we will find it and we will build it. We were not going to force-fit. ‘Oh, this is your need. But this is all we have.’ That's not our philosophy.” April forges the value of believing in oneself to push against adversity and come out stronger. See what belief can do Resourcefulness has been the foundation of the agency’s internal solutions-based nature. From the success of their projects, they were able to document insights and create a system from there. “If it works, then we have to template it because this is working,” Gladys expounded. But more than the technicality of the process, she mentioned that the other, yet equally important half is innovation via testing and learning, which they instill in every employee and intern who joins the agency. “Because the culture is very important, and I guess with everyone embracing it and supporting it, it has done wonders for us.” Seeing what they could do with the tools at hand and what more they could possibly be capable of, a newfound sense of self-belief has been uncovered, and utilized as a powerful weapon and inspiration. “It's [the] belief that we could do it. I think it's a story of, ‘We're not going to stop here, right? This is not a dead end.’ Because I think, when you start from nothing, everything is incremental growth.” April has explained it as looking back on their achievements from their first years, and comparing it to where they are now in their sixth year, then realizing the trajectory of their journey which was built gradually, all through the sheer belief that they could do it. Gladys also shared that the agency’s independence played a pivotal role in their growth. She pointed out a common industry myth: if you’re independent, you must be small. But in her opinion, that’s just not true. “Because you're independent, you can partner with anyone. So we see ourselves [as] very big. We can collaborate with anyone. … Being independent makes [us] big and makes everything really open for us.” An avalanche of achievements Geared with the agency leaders’ tenacity and know-how in the industry, Intersections Communications, was able to hit the ground running upon its inception. They were able to nab clients such as SMDC, Puma, Tiger Beer, EastWest Bank, Tanduay, and Pokémon. And eventually, they secured two of their biggest and most successful clients yet: leading health and beauty retail brand Watsons, and global streaming giant Netflix. “These are iconic brands trusting a young agency, giving us more confidence. I think we're doing this right,” Gladys said. Along with the agency’s increasing roster of clients, the team has expanded as well — growing from a lean group of five to now being 50 strong. Notably, some team members have recently received recognition from the industry since joining the agency: Joshua John Padolina and Kyra Elisha B. Matela who respectively won Media Director of the Year and Young Achiever of the Year at the MSAP ICE Awards 2025 Gladys Basinillo who won Silver for Female CEO of the Year at Marketech’s Empowered Women Awards 2025 Joyce Nievera who was part of Campaign Asia’s 40 under 40 in 2025 As for the agency itself, Intersections Communications has earned the following titles in the past year alone: Agency of the Year at the Panata Awards for the second year in a row Media Excellence Award: Best in Media Creativity & Effectiveness at the 4As Philippines' 2025 Agency of the Year Awards Digital Agency of the Year at the SMARTIES Awards Philippines 2025 Putting people first Beyond Gladys’ and April’s expertise and years of experience, both leaders humbly recognize the talent and skills of the people who make up the whole crew. “One thing that really worked well for us was when we were able to get a pipeline of young talent to join us. It's a success of an internship program, and of course, people started pulling each other in. But being able to get young talent, they [are] willing to see things with fresh eyes. And that is the same spirit we all have,” April explained. “It was a cultural defining moment that informs many things that we do.” Gladys chimed in, saying, "We have a very young team. While me and April [are] just there to … guide and make sure everything's in place, we let the young team really drive it. But in terms of empowerment, as April said, one of the managers here [was] an intern back then, three to four years ago. So, they feel good about it, even from the start.” Gladys demonstrates strength, agility, and grace under pressure in her willingness to adapt when plans don’t work out. “Once they're done with their internship, the ones who want to pursue a career in advertising, we give them an offer. And right now, they're the ones presenting to our clients. It gives us so much happiness because it's a culture. They know they can thrive. They know they can say their ideas. It's not bureaucratic. Anyone is free to give their ideas; we're just there to guide them. It's really working for us because it's a different world right now,” she added. April shared that the team members treat one another as friends, especially when dealing with tight deadlines. “If somebody's having a hard time, somebody will come to help, whether or not that's their account. It's easy for them to reach out to the person beside them. And everybody will say, ‘Yeah, sure, I'll help you.’” Intersections Communications, Inc. puts people first — imbuing a sense of camaraderie, fun, learning, and bayanihan. “It's like a bayanihan to them,” Gladys added. Seeing its team members as kindred spirits who share the agency’s thirst for learning, Intersections Communications has chosen to pursue initiatives that reflect its investment in its people. These include offering certification programs and further training, as well as bonding activities outside of work. “Everyone gets certified on everything, so they carry that expertise with them,” April explained. “We make sure they have time to learn and get better at what they do. And it sounds cliché, but it really is just doing your job very, very well.” She continued: “But it also is an investment in our team — making sure they enjoy their time here. They enjoy each other's company and they learn. And all of that just contributes to everyone pulling together in the same direction. That energy is hard to quantify, when we're all just pulling for the same thing, and it does lead to magic.” Gladys added that the agency has a comprehensive training program to support the team’s skillset. “You can't just say we're excellent without a solid base of training,” she pressed. The agency even sends its employees to undergo training internationally despite being a smaller agency to meet the demands of the industry. And other times, the training sessions are actually one-on-one mentorships with herself and April. Candidly, April added: “For what it's worth, lunch is free in the office!” Gladys matched this with a laugh, and said that they also sponsor their employees’ running shoes since the agency has its own run club. They also try out different activities together to encourage bonding and to decompress, such as bowling and painting. “That’s just being aware of the well-being of the team,” April said. April underscores the agency’s commitment to its people through training and certifications that help them develop skills to exceed industry standards. Remaining grounded in their roots Being an independent agency means starting everything from scratch. And being a solutions-based agency, it means that you need to be able to think on your feet. Together, they make an intimidating concoction — enough to unnerve most people. But to April, that’s the whole beauty of it. “Change is exactly where a company like us does well, because we don't have legacy apparatus and infrastructure that we have to maintain. … We have no such baggage.” She added that the industry’s rapid evolution is precisely where their agency thrives. Gladys concurred, saying that the key is always to get better. “There's no such thing as a perfect plan. If it's not working … we're the first one to tell the client. Sure, the brilliant basics, it's there; the foundations, all of that. But if it's not working, it's our job to tell the client, ‘Let's adjust.’ That's being solutions-based, because you can't predict what's going to happen tomorrow — the mindset, the agility, and the character of the agency to be able to face all of these changes fast.” Gladys debunks the myth of independent agencies being 'small,' saying “Being independent makes [us] big and makes everything really open for us.” In a highly competitive industry, it’s important to have a unique and strong trait that sets you apart, especially for independent agencies who are trying to make a mark. And to Gladys, what makes Intersections stand out are its ability to be data-driven, its insights, and its creatives. She also added that there’s merit to building good partnerships with their clients, that it’s a healthy mutualistic symbiosis between the agency and the client. “And we love what we do,” April continued. “It's the company itself, the team, especially for Gladys and myself, that really just keeps us going.” Onto new horizons Now celebrating the agency’s sixth year, the duo is setting its sights on the next milestones ahead. A key highlight is continuing to expand their work with clients outside the Philippines. And on the production side, they’re looking to further explore livestreaming and social experiences—an evolved form of social media engagement. April likewise highlighted the agency’s efforts within its own operations, including improving employees’ quality of life and making processes more sustainable. “And maybe one more is us giving back,” Gladys said. “We're actually starting it already — doing our own training programs for the industry — because with that, we're learning, and at the same time, we're giving back to the industry.” With their sights set on a broader horizon and self-assured belief as their wind in the sails, the two formidable leaders of Intersections Communications are poised to chart new territory for the agency and the industry at large.
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