Over a high-energy two-day gathering at the Enderun Tent, Hakuhodo International Philippines (HIP) hosted the landmark Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living (HILL) ASEAN Forum 2026: UN/IMAGINE THE FUTURE, bringing together industry leaders, marketers, and innovators to explore fresh perspectives on consumers, technology, and how Hakuhodo evolves partnerships to shape business growth.
Drawing over 200 attendees representing 71 premier companies, the forum explored how a deeper understanding of consumers, combined with creativity and connected technology, can help brands respond to an increasingly complex business landscape.
“Before leaping into the future, we need to step back and truly understand what is already around us. Question what we believe we know. Challenge what we take for granted, and discover new possibilities for the future,” said Tatsuro Osuga, HIP Country Director.
The forum opened with a regional-to-local presentation of the HILL ASEAN Study, which examined the often-overlooked economic and cultural influence of the region’s “Prime Generations”—Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
“People choose brands, people create trends, people drive change. That’s why we always start by understanding seikatsusha,” Osuga added.
Led by Ryusuke Mike Aoki, Managing Director of HILL ASEAN, alongside HIP strategic planners from IDEASXMACHINA (IXM) and Hakuhodo BCI Group, the session brought the broader ASEAN research into a distinctly Philippine context, presenting fresh 2025–2026 insights on Filipino prime generations and the overlooked potential they play in business.
The Philippines is not simply getting older—it is entering a new era of consumer maturity, where Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers continue to lead, spend and learn, challenging conventional assumptions about consumers as they age.
The findings reveal that influence doesn’t disappear with age—it evolves. Filipino Boomers, in particular, report significantly stronger influence than their ASEAN counterparts, while Gen X emerges as the country’s household information engine. Prime Generations are also among the country’s most active social media users, with Boomers and Millennials averaging around six hours a day.
They are still spending, too. Filipino Boomers report a 15.9-point advantage over the ASEAN average in having more money available for themselves than ten years ago, while travel remains a strong category across generations. The data challenges the idea that older consumers have closed wallets.
And they are still learning. Three in four Prime Generation Filipinos learned something new in the past year, from new technology and AI tools to everyday skills—showing that curiosity and self-improvement do not have an expiration date.
For brands, the implication is clear: stop marketing to age—and start marketing to appetite. Age can tell us where someone is in life, but it doesn’t necessarily tell us what they want from it. Filipino consumers are continuing to seek influence, experiences, knowledge and fulfilment, regardless of the number on their birth certificate.
The opportunity, therefore, is not simply to market to an aging consumer. It is to recognize a consumer who is still becoming. It means building experiences, products and communications around aspirations, curiosity, relevance and participation—and ensuring that older audiences are represented as active participants in culture, not observers of it.
Building on these consumer insights, the forum explored how media, social, commerce, AI, and Hakuhodo technology can work together to turn consumer understanding into connected brand experiences and measurable business impact.
Reimagining the Future: HIP unveils a new growth engine beyond advertising, powered by connected technology and creativity
In a world where business boundaries blur, what does it take for brands to achieve true growth? In September 2026, the “HIP Forum” in the Philippines provided the answer: the “HIP Connected Advantage.” By combining the distinct capabilities of HIP’s network—IXM, Hakuhodo BCI, NJYN, PRIXM, FART, Unit8, and eNAV—with the deep expertise and cutting-edge technologies of our Tokyo Headquarters (HQ) and the broader ASEAN Hakuhodo network, we transcend the traditional agency model. Blending deep local understanding with formidable global capabilities, we seamlessly connect as your “Client Growth Partner” to co-create the future.
1. Creating Growth Beyond Advertising (Keynote Sessions)
Industry leaders, including Stephen Li, Chief Client Director and Guy Hearn, Head of Product and Innovation of H+,, shared a powerful, unified vision: advertising is just one instrument in the orchestra, and our true business is “creating growth.” While Stephen advocated for turning every consumer touchpoint into a unified brand experience, Guy emphasized the critical need to capture positive “attention” in an era of infinite content. Together, they highlighted how creativity must evolve to fuel growth and solve increasingly complex business challenges.
2. Driving Innovation with Sei-katsu-sha Value Design & Sei-katsu-sha Moment Design
The heart of brand growth lies in our core philosophy, unpacked by Koji Suzuki, Strategic Creative Director of Hakuhodo International: Sei-katsu-sha Value Design, which conceptualizes a WIN-WIN-WIN value for society, brands, and individuals; and Sei-katsu-sha Moment Design, which translates these concepts into dynamic, actionable ideas. Permeating every process, these frameworks treat people not merely as static consumers, but as complex, multidimensional human beings. To elevate this in the generative AI era, we introduced “Virtual Seikatsusha.” Powered by AI personas across 20+ countries, alongside proprietary tools like HILL ASEAN, DIWA A.I, and STARS, this approach uncovers deep insights—such as the influence of Prime Generations—to anticipate cultural shifts and test ideas with unprecedented empathy and precision.
3. Forging Growth Partnerships with Clients
Real-world impact took center stage as leaders from key Hakuhodo clients shared their landmark collaborative experiences with HIP. Whether through empathetic hardworking communications brought to life through groundbreaking executions or witty tactical approaches, these brands successfully translated societal connections into measurable business growth. A passionate panel dialogue among the speakers followed, emphasizing how challenging assumptions and implementing Sei-katsu-sha Value and Moment Design foster resilient, sustainable growth partnerships that shape the future.
4. The Four Quadrants of Growth and a Unified Data Foundation
To turn consumer understanding into business impact, we orchestrate solutions across four key quadrants: Owned Media, Commerce, Advertising, and CRM. The ultimate connector for these disciplines is the power of Data and Hakuhodo’s technology. Acting as an orchestrator, our unified data platform—backed by global AI capabilities—seamlessly integrates the expertise of our specialized agencies. This allows media, social, commerce, and AI to function as a single, connected brand experience, setting the stage for advanced, targeted activations.
5. Navigating Media Complexity with Next-Gen Strategies
Armed with this robust data foundation, we tackle today’s complex media landscape, which has been severely disrupted by AI search behaviors and fragmented attention. The era of chasing superficial “performance” impressions is over; today demands “performative” experiences that drive actual consumer trials. By deploying dynamic, data-driven targeting that drive learning and performance, we help brands cut through the noise, optimize costs, and maximize ROI within a highly complex digital ecosystem.
6. Igniting Communities with Next-Gen KOL Strategies
Evolving beyond traditional Owned Media and one-off influencer campaigns, we are shifting our strategy toward cultivating passionate Key Opinion Consumer (KOC) communities. Leveraging ASEAN-scale knowledge and advanced data platforms, we build an autonomous engagement loop—from discovery and participation to reward and advocacy. By empowering Sei-katsu-sha to become active storytellers for the brand, we create a sustainable growth engine where data, media, and community seamlessly unite.
These sophisticated solutions are only made possible by the “Connected Advantage”—where HIP agencies like IXM, Hakuhodo BCI, NJYN, PRIXM, FART, Unit8, and eNAV break down silos to deliver seamlessly integrated services tailored to each client’s unique needs. Dynamically mobilizing the expertise and technologies of our Tokyo HQ and the ASEAN region, HIP remains steadfastly committed to working alongside you as a true “Client Growth Partner,” reimagining and realizing a future far beyond expectations.
