MANILA, PHILIPPINES – As digital technologies continue to reshape the way brands connect with audiences, DigiCon 2025 returned with a compelling theme: “The Age of ‘i’: The Power of Personalization.”
Organized by the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City on October 16-17, DigiCon 2025 highlighted the industry’s shift from mass marketing to personalized, AI-driven customer engagement.
The convention brought together global and local experts to explore how personalization and innovation are transforming marketing through simultaneous expert-led sessions.
Among these was the talk by Lego Global Creative Specialist Niño Gupana, who captivated audiences with an insightful discussion on the emotional power of storytelling in branding. This was part of the Immersive Track segment of the convention, where it tackled retail and activations.
Other tracks include Intelligence (Data Science), Immersive (Retail and Activations), Impact (Brand Building), and Integration (Business Transformation), aiming to enable attendees to explore the latest trends and emerging technologies in personalized marketing, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration among industry professionals.
Creating emotional connections through brand experiences
Drawing from his personal journey, Niño shared his experiences growing up in the Philippines and his creative work. He recounted a heartfelt story of proposing to his wife during a Euro trip — a moment filled with uncertainty, emotion, and ultimately, joy. This deeply personal narrative became a metaphor for how brand experiences should be designed not merely to inform, but to evoke emotions that resonate deeply with audiences.
Niño then explained that just as love stories are memorable because they make us feel something — joy, excitement, curiosity — so, too, should brands aim to spark emotional connections with consumers.
“Humans don’t fall in love with your brands because they’re logical. They fall in love with the brand because it makes them feel something. It makes them feel happy. It makes them laugh. It surprises them,” Niño told the crowd.
Through this lens, Niño introduced five “love story arcs” that marketers and creatives can draw inspiration from when shaping brand experiences.
Love at First Sight
“Flip your hair, walk in slow motion, and serve your consumer something irresistible.”
Niño opened by noting that in marketing, first impressions are crucial. The first campaign, product design, or social post must instantly capture attention, mirroring that “electric” first connection in romance.
“People don’t go to a grand experience or a real space because they want to. They go there because it makes them feel something. It makes their heart skip a beat. It’s like a first glance across the street. Wow, that deserves a second look. It’s that moment,” he noted.
Opposites Attract
“A brand experience becomes magnetic when it attracts your missing chaos.”
He explained that brands thrive on contrast. The best experiences come from disrupting expectations and embracing both difference and desire.
“Opposites create the most exciting reactions. What makes a brand experience magnetic isn’t finding your reflection; it’s about finding your missing, beautiful chaos. So both of you could expand each other’s words. So that’s the opposite,” he underscored.
Ghosted
“If your brand is going to be ghosted, better haunt smarter.”
Niño compared disengaged consumers to being “ghosted.” Instead of lamenting, he urged brands to rekindle interest and stay relevant by finding creative ways to rekindle interest — whether through timely reminders, meaningful storytelling, or innovations that reawaken curiosity.
“Destroy [your] past, reappear with wit, reappear timely, reappear with a little charm to remind them why they need to love you again in the first place.”
Love Triangle
“Every great brand experience flirts with tension.”
Every great brand experience, Niño said, embraces tension. Competition sharpens identity, requiring brands to engage deeply and foster loyalty.
“The brands that try not to feel safe, they’re the ones who can turn friction into engagement, allowing a triangle involving something more meaningful, something richer, something deeper,” Niño explained.
He went on to imply that, by maintaining an element of intrigue and emotional depth, brands can keep audiences invested amid competing temptations, affirming that “sometimes, a love triangle isn’t that bad,”
Friends to Lovers
“If your brand experience doesn’t make consumers feel it’s fate, then its just another fling.”
Niño highlighted that strong relationships — personal and brand — are built on trust, like friends becoming lovers.
“It takes patience, curiosity, and courage to move a relationship from just friends to more than friends. It’s about vulnerability, revealing each other’s weaknesses, revealing each other’s worst,” he said, adding that the same situation can be applied to brands.
“Brands have to open up consumers to share values, share their humor, and let consumers into their world.”
He continued, “If your brand experience is hate, and I’m sorry to say it’s just another name because a true romance [from customer and brand] is born from knowing each other.”
Do everything you need to do to be able to capture that consumer you loved
Ultimately, Niño likens brand experience to a love story — one filled with awkward beginnings, unexpected twists, and moments of vulnerability. He also urged the crowd to treat consumers not as targets, but as partners who laugh, cry, and grow with the brand, as he believes that people don’t fall in love with perfect brands; they fall in love with those that feel human — flawed, authentic, and brave enough to show emotion.
“As you build your next brand experience, make your consumers your partners — the kind who laugh at your jokes, the kind who cry at your stories, the kind who save for their feelings,” he said.
“Because people who are consumers don’t fall in love with perfect brands. People fall in love with brands that are willing to be human,” Niño added.
Drawing from his own stories in advertising and life, Niño pointed out that love, whether romantic or brand-driven, is unpredictable and imperfect. Yet it’s in that imperfection where the magic lies. To truly capture a consumer’s heart, a brand must be willing to take risks, stay persistent, and keep showing up with sincerity — because genuine connection, just like love, requires courage.
“It’s weird, and sometimes it will end up beside a trash can. But if you really want something, go for it. Go fight it. Be persistent. Do everything you need to do to be able to capture that consumer you loved,” he concluded.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of DigiCon 2025.
