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When global brands go native

MANILA, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 – It’s no big secret that Filipinos have always had an affinity for foreign brands. Some of these are conscious choices – the crunch of a Doritos chip, the novelty of an oven-toasted Quiznos sandwich, or the joy of a new iPad at your fingertips. But there are some brands that we’ve forgotten are not from the Philippines, those that have become so assimilated into the national consciousness that their origins slip our collective minds.

The Philippines as always been accomodating to foreigners; as a country struggling to further our development, keeping our market open has always been essential. 

With the high number of brands from all over the world fighting it out for consumers’ attention, it’s interesting to note the efforts many of them put into trying to appear Filipino. Like Apocalypse Now‘s Colonel Kurtz, they’ve decided to paint themselves brown and stay inconspicuously in the shadows in an attempt to be the gods of the local tribes.

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In short? They’ve gone native. 

One brand that has come close to being successfully thought of as a Filipino classic is Coke. In 1912, as the first venture of the classic American brand in Asia, Coke planted its flag on Philippine soil. American businessman M.A. Clarke had been selling the beverage from his soda fountain, when he decided to open a plant and start bottling. Complete with the American tagline of ‘Drink Coca-Cola’, the beverage became a treat for our colonized ancestors.

As time passed, the brand would transition from its strictly All-American image into one more in tune with Filipino values. With Middle American ideals of hard work and family forming the roots of Coke’s brand identity, it wasn’t hard to go from wholeseome Americana to family-centric Filipino.

(Words by Joey Herrera)

For the full story, grab a copy of adobo magazine‘s January-February 2013 issue.

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