The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) underscored the importance of responsible and ethical personalization in the digital marketing industry during the tenth Digital Congress (DigiCon) 2025, held on Oct. 16-17 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
With the theme “The Age of ‘i’: The Power of Personalization,” this year’s event brought together more than 2,000 delegates from the marketing, advertising, business, academic, and media sectors to discuss emerging technologies and trends shaping customer engagement.
Over two days, participants attended sessions across five tracks — Innovation (AI), Intelligence (Data Science), Immersive (Retail and Activations), Impact (Brand Building), and Integration (Business Transformation). Discussions centered on hyper-personalized customer experiences, ethical data practices, AI governance, content development, and strategies to future-proof businesses in an evolving digital landscape.
In his keynote speech, global emerging technologies expert Dex Hunter-Torricke highlighted the fast-evolving digital landscape and how it’s pushing the industry to keep up with exponentially rising customer expectations.
“The next decade is going to be the most challenging moment in history. We’re entering an era now where AI, as it gets more and more intelligent, opens up the possibilities of hyper-personalization, something that is vastly more bespoke and customized to the needs of every single one of our customers, communities, and stakeholders,” Mr. Hunter-Torricke, who served as a communications executive at Facebook and SpaceX, said.
DigiCon 2025 Chair Alan Fontanilla noted the importance of trust and consent as primary currencies in building a respectful, value-driven customer experience.
“Personalization has been democratized. Everyone, from big brands to small businesses and entrepreneurs, now has access to tools once reserved for the few. However, just because we can personalize, doesn’t mean we always should. Consent, privacy, ethics, and trust are the currencies of modern marketing. People don’t just want relevance, but they want respect. Let’s use personalization not just because we can, but because it truly adds value,” Mr. Fontanilla said.
This year, DigiCon 2025 delegates had the opportunity to earn program certifications upon completing the program tracks in partnership with the Certified Digital Marketer (CDM). This initiative aligns with DMAP’s mission to future-proof the industry by providing crucial insights and skills, empowering marketers to stay ahead of the curve in the digital age amid evolving consumer behaviors and rapid technological shifts.
“The future is connected and powered by AI, but its success hinges on our collective commitment to responsible practices. DigiCon 2025 has not only charted the course toward hyper-personalization but has equipped our industry with the ethical compass needed to navigate it. The conversations started here will ensure DMAP and the whole digital marketing ecosystem remain at the forefront of digital excellence,” DMAP President Miko David said.
DigiCon 2025 is sponsored by DoubleVerify, Hit Productions, Petal Ads by Huawei, Unilever Philippines, Dailymotion, GCash for Business: Partner Solutions, m360 and AdSpark, McDonald’s, Meltwater, Near Creative, Pancake, TikTok, UnionBank of the Philippines, Yazle, Gigil Metama, Google, Inquiro Inc., Investing in Women, Pureprofile, Senco Link Technologies Inc., and Rakuten Viber.
Esteemed media outlets AGC Power Holdings Corp., Cignal TV, GMA 7, MBC Media Group, Rappler, The New Channel, Inquirer, Outcomm, The Pod Network, The RJ Ledesma Podcast, ZBNI, adobo Magazine, BusinessMirror, BusinessWorld, CoinGeek, DiscoverMNL, DOOH, The Philippine STAR, and WhenInManila.com served as media partners.
Meanwhile, Certified Digital Marketer, Uniquecorn Strategies, Devant, Eastern Communications, Havas Ortega, IDEASXMACHINA Hakuhodo, Manila Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts, Meta, Plan B, Sinematika, Synergy Market Research + Strategic Consultancy, Creative Collective – Lennon Group, Tony &, and Leron Leron Sinta, a11y media, QR Tiger, Slash by Mineski, Jack ‘n Jill and Granny Goose, APC Events, Arsysmedia, Futech Innovations, Devant, Future Proof PH, Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport World Resorts, One Asia, Chivas Regal, and Enchanted Kingdom served as the event partners with support from L’Oréal Philippines.
To learn more about DigiCon 2025, you may visit https://www.digicon.com.ph or email conference@dmap.com.ph.
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