MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines’ (DMAP) Digital Congress (DigiCon) kicked off on October 16, 2025, with the theme “The Age of ‘i’: The Power of Personalization.” Held at The Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, the event’s first day drew marketers eager to gain knowledge from industry experts’ presentations.
Yell Worldwide CEO and Founder Dissara Udomdej delivered a presentation as part of the Integrated Business Transformation session titled “From Local to Global Business.” Udomdej’s talk focused on the success of his company’s rapid international expansion, which branched out from Bangkok to key markets including Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
His core argument was direct: His agency’s global growth was driven mainly by people and culture, strategically supported by market positioning and technology. Dissara stressed that the fundamental thing about people is the key to innovation and sustained success.
People-first culture drives growth
Dissara stressed that in order to sustain growth, leaders must go against the norm and re-evaluate traditional leadership structures. For Yell Worldwide, the company operates with a “no privilege” culture, where there is no reserve parking or dedicated CEO seating. This ensures its employees are focused entirely on solving the client’s problems, rather than being distracted by office politics or treating the CEO as a boss.
In addition, he also believes in talent retention as the company issues scholarships to send employees to international universities. Dissara emphasized that growing people is more sustainable and results in better long-term profits than merely relying on external hiring.
This culture allows for flexibility, which offers perks like on-site medical services, car washes, and office syndrome treatment, and permits employees to work anywhere they like.
AI as an integration tool
In line with the event’s theme, Dissara detailed the necessity of adapting to AI, since the majority of short-form video content in China is made by AI. Yell Worldwide uses AI not just for creation, but also for integrated business solutions.
An AI hub helps conduct in-depth interviews and validate which part of China is the right place for a brand to launch. In addition, AI also solves the challenge of multi-national teams by providing spontaneous translation and ensuring they have the “same thinking” preventing constant script change.
Concluding his talk, Dissara focused on leadership, telling entrepreneurs to be ready for transformation, especially when managing younger employees who may see themselves as media figures. He cautioned that leaders cannot force the new generation to adapt change, but must be prepared for innovation.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of DigiCon 2025.
