Business, out of the box at ASAP’s “Business Not The Usual”

PHILIPPINES, NOVEMBER 2010 – At a seminar on "Business Not The Usual" held by ASAP (Advertising Suppliers Association of the Philippines) in cooperation with Ateneo Continuing Education and ACE Center for Entrepreneurship and Management Education, three speakers challenged budding entrepreneurs and managers to shake things up.

First to speak was Dr. Eduardo Morato Jr, president of the ABS-CBN Bayani Foundation. He talked about Enterprise Life Cycle and Life Forces, running through the regular lifespan of a brand, using the history of Nike shoes as an example.

Morato challenges business to look forward, "Look at the teenagers today. They will be the buyers tomorrow." He advises, "Someone who does think three, five, seven years later down the road will fall flat on his face. It’s not a market opportunity."

Professor Francisco "Jay" Bernardo III of JAD Group of Companies talked about making opportunity in crisis, and how the future lies in crazy ideas."Grab opportunity by finding your irritants," he shares. On what makes a good business foundation, he says, "Serve others, make it purposeful. Service to others is the best and strongest foundation of any business."

Professor Tomas B. Lopez Jr. closed the day by "Demystifying Marketing", on the mystery of brands and consumer needs and wants. "Marketing is all about developing fit." He says. "How do you treat different customers? Differently! The greater the fit, the greater the value." Lopez also wishes businessmen were brave enough to know the different between advertising, a marketing investment, and immediate returns. He observes that the face of business today blurs the line between them, and creativity in advertising ends up suffering. There is also a need to do demographics differently, and by empathizing insights into a customer’s Why, How, and Where more.

More than the tools, it’s still the thought behind the business that counts, which should be more business as usual than business not the usual.