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Mobile ads more effective in reaching target audience — Nielsen

MOBILE ADVERTISING emerged as the preferred avenue for digital campaigns in the Philippines, with its on-target performance outperforming other digital channels.

The Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings Benchmarks report showed that 91% of digital ad campaigns in the first half of 2017 leveraged mobile, and the medium enjoyed higher on-target rate than total digital and desktop benchmarks for all reported age brackets in the Philippines.

On-target performance refers to the percentage of impressions delivered to the intended audience out of the total impressions served during the entire campaign, thus providing a baseline for measuring digital campaigns.

Digital ads catering to the 18- to 49-year-old age bracket reached their intended audience 81% of the time for mobile, compared to 77% for total digital and 59% for desktop.

For digital ads targeting consumers aged 21-34, those served via mobile devices hit the mark 81% of the time, surpassing the 41% for desktop and 73% for total digital performance.

“The increase in mobile advertising reflects the growing penetration of mobile and the mobile-first habits of consumers in the Philippines,” Ernestine Amper, Nielsen’s head of media client service in the Philippines, was quoted in the statement as saying.

“While historically, ads served on desktops have had great success in reaching intended audiences than mobile; marketers have made considerable progress in rapidly increasing mobile’s on-target performance in the past year.”

Advertisers in the consumer packaged goods, business and consumer services, and computers and electronics sectors reached their desired audience via mobile devices, achieving an on-target success of 83%, 82%, and 81% respectively.

“Mobile is winning today but tomorrow is a different scenario. As consumers’ media habits evolve, marketers need to consider all the screens when trying to reach their target audience. These benchmarks can help media planners/buyers and sellers better evaluate and optimize their reach online,” Ms. Amper added.

The Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings Benchmarks has assessed more than 3,000 digital campaigns since its launch in Southeast Asia in 2015. — Krista Angela M. Montealegre

CCP audience grew in 2017, targets 1M by 2020

DESPITE a small decrease in its onscreen audience when it came to the Cinemalaya Film Festival, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) saw an increase in its overall audience, from 655,000 attendees in 2016 to 678,000 in 2017.

At the sidelines of the CCP’s institutional press conference about its upcoming shows for the rest of the year, CCP’s vice-president and artistic director Chris Millado told BusinessWorld that the decrease in the onscreen audience — to 68,000 in 2017 from 75,000 in 2016 — was caused by the K-12 shift in school calendar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) conference which was held in the area.

“[W]e had to close the CCP for a month for the ASEAN,” Mr. Millado noted.

According to the CCP’s statistics, its biggest audience drawer were the festivals (e.g. Pasinaya), which welcomed 172,000 people in 2017 compared with 158,000 in 2016, while the “on the walls” shows, as in the painting exhibitions, saw foot traffic of 74,000 in 2017 compared with 63,000 in 2016. The audience for onstage performances increased as well, to 262,000 in 2017 from 248,000 in 2016.

The CCP’s target is to reach the one million mark by 2020, which it hopes to achieve as it opens two new buildings that will complement the Main Theater.

The Blackbox Theater — formally called the Tanghalang Ignacio Jimenez — is a 300-seat theater for “out-of-the box performances” which will open in September. The Artist Center, a 40 hall complex for rehearsals, will have its groundbreaking in September as well. (Read: CCP to expand with three new theaters)

Meanwhile, here are highlights in the CCP schedule for the year:

March: The CCP front lawn will be the venue to mark Earth Hour, an annual plea to turn off our lights for one hour to save the earth. The CCP grounds will have a festive night to culminate the celebration.

April: PHILSTAGE’s Gawad Buhay awards will acknowledge all the best shows and artists of 2017.

May: In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Association of Pinoy Printmakers will hold an exhibition that will highlight the history and journey of printmaking in the country.

June: Philippine animators and enthusiasts will converge at the Animahenasyon and Gawad Alternatibo: Pinoy Animated Films at the Tanghalang Manuel Conde. This year’s focus is films on patriotism.

July: The Virgin Labfest, a festival of previously unperformed one-act plays, continues to attract audiences thanks to its fresh concepts by emerging and established Philippine playwrights. The festival is now on its 14th year.

August: The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will run from Aug. 3 to 12, with the awards night held on Aug. 12.

September: For a second year, the Festival of Arts and Ideas will serve as a platform for artistic expressions through flash performances, public conversations, and interactive exhibitions with this year’s theme on gender. The Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts will also be launched in August.

October: Held once every three years, the prestigious 13 Artists Awards will again recognize the best young artists in the country.

November: The CCP Ballet Competition 2018 is expected to attract ballet masters, choreographers, dancers, and enthusiasts as dancers compete in classical solo variations and contemporary pieces.

December: Tanghalang Pilipino’s third play for the season, Manila Notes, is the Philippine version of the Japanese playwright-director Oriza Hirata’s Tokyo Notes, which is a “quiet play” on silence and whispers to dramatize the effect of war and conflict on relationships.

For more information, check www.culturalcenter.gov.ph. — Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

NBA buyout players

What was initially seen as a slow National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline last week turned frenetic after some weighty deals were consummated.

And while some key players landed in new homes heading into the second half of the 2017-2018 NBA Season, some have found themselves already bought out with more expected to follow.

The Houston Rockets so far has emerged as the busiest picking up recently bought out players, reportedly set to sign up veteran Joe Johnson and big man Brandan Wright.

While they are expected to be role players with Houston, both Johnson and Wright should help the Rockets moving forward.

Johnson, who was traded to Sacramento by Utah in a three-way deal with the Cavaliers before being bought out by the Kings, should provide leadership and clutch mentally to, well, “Clutch City.”

His athleticism and consistency may no longer be crisp like those in his younger years but Johnson has shown that when called up he can still deliver here and there, which I think fits a Rockets team that already has dig-deep players like James Harden and Chris Paul.

He just needs to fill in the gaps in the Rockets’ play, something he has no problem doing with the Jazz last season particularly in the playoffs.

Former Memphis player Wright, meanwhile, adds athleticism and ceiling to the Houston front line, which already has Clint Capela, Ryan Anderson and Nene Hilario anchoring.

Bought out by Phoenix, Greg Monroe has been snatched by the Boston Celtics and has been backstopping All-Star Al Horford since.

Obviously he still in the adjustment phase with the Cs but like Johnson he can be counted on once adjusted to the system, particularly on the offensive side where he has shown he is very much capable at with stops in Detroit, Milwaukee and Phoenix previously.

Former NBA most valuable player Derrick Rose was nixed from the Utah roster after going from Cleveland.

It was another sorry turn for Rose who has not found his groove and game back after a series of injuries and personal issues.

Reports have it that Minnesota and Washington are considering signing him up for the rest of the season, locations that present themselves interesting.

The Timberwolves, under former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and feature ex-teammates Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, should make it easy for Rose to transition and maybe inspire him to play better albeit in a limited capacity, and prove critics wrong — that he is not done.

With the Wizards, his potential partnership with All-Star John Wall is intriguing. While with the Cavs early this year, Rose actually did not suck, averaging 9.8 points, and I think he can be of service to the Wizards backcourt off the bench, spelling some of their resident stars.

Shooter Marco Belinelli is now in Philadelphia following his separation from Atlanta while defensive specialist Tony Allen was bought out by Chicago from New Orleans and said to be being considered by Oklahoma City.

Reportedly to be bought out, meanwhile, are Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Joakim Noah (New York), Channing Frye (Los Angeles Lakers) and Shabazz Muhammad (Minnesota).

From the last list, Evans presents much value and I would not be surprised if he finds his way to a new team in the event he does get released.

Teams angling to make it to the playoffs like Miami and Detroit may use his ability to create shots for himself and others while contending teams like San Antonio and Oklahoma City may find a spot for him to help propel their push.

With competition proving to be tight as the NBA hits the homestretch, I would not be surprised if teams turn to the buyout window for some support. And who knows, erstwhile cast-aside players by some may turn out to be gems for others.

 

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@www.bworldonline.com

ATN Holdings seeks ecozone status for property

ATN HOLDINGS, Inc. has cleared a number of resolutions that will allow the company to ride on the government’s ambitious infrastructure program.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Tuesday, ATN Holdings said it authorized the registration of a 2.56 million square meter property as an economic zone under its wholly owned subsidiary Palladian Land Development, Inc.

ATN Holdings said it has prospective international partners and investors that are keen on participating in the “Build, Build, Build” projects of the government and locating their export manufacturing businesses within its property upon government approval of its ecozone status.

The company did not identify the specific property, but it owns 254 hectares of land in Rodriguez, Rizal, located less than 10 kilometers from business districts in Metro Manila.

ATN Holdings also approved a P100-million diesel fuel supply deal with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., a contract with Linetech, Inc. for the integration of the P50-million medium-voltage facility and an agreement with Scanpacific, Inc. for the installation of a P50-million low-voltage facility.

In October, the company gave the signal for a P500-million fund-raising exercise in the form of debt or quasi-equity for expanded rock crusher capacity, heavy equipment acquisitions, and working capital to take part in the government’s infrastructure drive.

ATN invests in real properties and stocks. The company’s investment in real properties includes several units of office condominium at Summit One Tower in Mandaluyong City.

Aside from Palladian Land, its other subsidiaries include ATN Philippines Solar Energy Group, Inc., engaged in implementing the energy business; Advanced Home Concept Development Corp., engaged in residential properties development; and Managed Care Phil., Inc. (MCPI), engaged in the health care services specifically in outpatient clinics.

ATN Holdings widened its losses to P4.17 million in the six months ending September 2017 from P2.07 million a year ago on lower health care revenues and interest income.

ATN Holdings shares added seven centavos or 11.48% to settle at 68 centavos apiece on Tuesday. — Krista Angela M. Montealegre

UCPB posts higher profit on core businesses’ growth

UNITED COCONUT Planters Bank (UCPB) saw higher net earnings in 2017 as income from its businesses grew across the board.

In a statement sent to reporters late Monday, the state-owned bank said it posted a P4.08-billion net income in 2017, higher by 22% from its earnings posted in 2016.

The bank’s interest income grew 7% to P14.2 billion, driven by strong growth in loans, which stood at P171.7 billion, higher than the P156 billion booked in 2016.

Deposits, meanwhile, rose to P279.5 billion from the P265.6 billion posted at end-2016.

UCPB’s non-interest income also climbed 5.2% to P2.7 billion on the back of strong trading and securities gains, as well as revenues from its newly launched bancassurance business.

The bancassurance business of UCPB, in partnership with life insurer Cocolife and non-life insurer UCPB General Insurance Co., Inc. yielded total premiums of P1.05 billion in the nine months after its launch in April last year.

The bank is “eyeing to sustain the double-digit core earnings growth this year, anchored on the continued expansion of our consumer and middle market lending operations and a greater push to increase non-interest revenues from our other fee-based services like bancassurance,” UCPB President and Chief Executive Officer Higinio O. Macadaeg, Jr. was quoted as saying in the statement.

Bancassurance is a partnership between a bank and an insurer wherein the insurance provider can offer its products to the lender’s clientele.

Meanwhile, UCPB expects to double the premium production of its bancassurance business following the central bank’s approval late last year for the bank to offer variable life insurance, a hybrid life insurance with an investment component.

Aside from this, the lender’s newly launched Visa debit card embedded with an EMV (Europay Mastercard Visa) chip also contributed to its fee income business.

At end-September 2017, UCPB was the eleventh biggest commercial bank in asset terms worth P308.3 billion. — KANV

Cleveland Cavaliers presumptive favorites

When the Cavaliers head to the Chesapeake Energy Arena today, they’re be wearing smiles on their faces. More than anything else, hope fuels their disposition. This time last week, they were on a downward spiral that cast a shadow on their competitiveness — or, to be more precise, shed light on their lack thereof. After three victories and three trades, however, they’re decidedly rejuvenated. In the midst of addition by subtraction and the promise of a new season, they’re looking forward to, and not dreading, what lies ahead.

Considering how much the Cavaliers were imploding, any change would have been welcome. But because general manager Koby Altman masterfully made use of the trade deadline to bring in personnel that fit not just the culture but, more importantly, top dog LeBron James’ style of play, he provided the impetus for a 180-degree turn in their outlook. Take the case of the four-time Most Valuable Player, who: 1) after learning that moves would be made, went out and dominated the Timberwolves; 2) after seeing the moves actually made, presided over a clinic against the Hawks, the depleted roster notwithstanding; and 3) after welcoming the newcomers, proceeded to show the supposedly superior Celtics that the path to the Finals would be lined with wine and gold.

There will be more challenges, of course. Today, for instance, the Thunder should prove to be a handful, never mind the loss of defensive anchor Andre Roberson and the possible absence of reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony. If nothing else, the always-solid Paul George has shown in the last two outings that he can hold the fort on his own. Still, the Cavaliers will aim to keep building momentum, and, with James extremely engaged anew, fans should expect excellence.

For the other beasts of the East, the thought of the Cavaliers going through the remainder of the 2017-2018 campaign with purpose is far from comforting. For a while there, the defending conference champions looked down and out. No longer. Instead, they cannot but be viewed as presumptive favorites heading into the playoffs. Forget that they’re reconfiguring themselves on the fly. And forget that they’re not in their usual perch at the top of the standings. They have James, and they have the right pieces around him. Nothing else matters.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.

Valentine’s Day Dining (02/14/18)

THOSE INTERESTED in celebrating Valentine’s Day will find deals, promos, and specials. Here are some of them.

The season of hearts is made special for diners with Mango Tree Restaurant’s Valentine Specials. Available on Feb. 14 and 15, the five-course menu (priced at P2,999++) consists of a choice of soup or salad, two main dishes, dessert, and a glass of wine. There’s Tom Kha soup with prawns, a choice of garden salad in Som Tum sauce with chicken wings or pomelo salad with prawns. For mains, select from two sets: char-grilled rib eye steak or grilled lamb spareribs; or stir-fried seafood with holy basil or the same dish but using soft shell crab. Cap this off with mango cheesecake while being serenaded with romantic music. All couples get to take home a special gift from Clarins. And because Valentine’s Day is not only for couples, there is also a Family Feast for P4,999++, which includes the garden salad in Som Tum sauce with chicken wings, grilled chicken, Homok seafood curry in coconut, vegetable spring rolls and egg fried rice. The meal comes with a round of iced tea and a bottle of wine, capped with Thai taro with fried onions for dessert. Mango Tree is located at High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For details and reservations, call 621-3233.

Treat your beloved to a true fine dining experience at Resort’s World Manila’s Valentine’s Day at Lumina Rose Garden on Feb. 14. Lumina is RWM’s brilliantly lit indoor walkway connecting the all-suite Maxims Hotel with Newport Mall. For this special dinner, it will be transformed into a lush rose garden with thousands of roses set against the walkway’s glowing lights. The strains of classic love songs will fill the hall as lovers dine on a seven-course sit-down dinner designed to follow the stages of romance. The menu features creations by the chefs from Marriott Hotel Manila’s Cru and Man Ho restaurants, and from RWM’s fine dining restaurants Impressions and Ginzadon, along with the RWM pastry team. Resorts World Manila’s Valentine’s Day at Lumina Rose Garden is by reservation only and with limited seating. For bookings and inquiries, call 908-8888.

Dine at any branch of Café Mediterranean on Feb. 14 and receive a complimentary red tzatziki — which is infused with beets — with your order.

Quezon City’s food parks, Fruitas Holdings’ Le Village and 150 Maginhawa, celebrate “All You Need Is Love and A Bit of Luck,” a special Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year treat. On Feb. 14, both food parks will feature performances from top-rated local bands. The Celestial Acoustic Band will perform at Le Village while 150 Maginhawa will feature the music of Project M Acoustic. Meanwhile, to mark the lunar New Year, from Feb. 16-18, guests can bring their dogs the food parks and participate in the Bring Your Dog photo contest. Photo booths will be set up in both food parks and the best photos of guests and their dogs wearing traditional Chinese costumes will win special prizes. Le Village is located at E. Rodriquez Ave. cor. Cordillera, Quezon City and 150 Maginhawa located in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City

For Valentine’s Day at Discovery Primea’s Flame, chef Luis Chikiamco has crafted a five-course, one-night only, Asian-inspired menu which couples can savor along with a string quartet to set the mood and a glass of Möet Chandon Rosé champagne with each order at P3,500 net. Meanwhile, at the newly opened Edge, with its sweeping views of Makati City and Fort Bonifacio, guests can partake of a bottle of Moet Ice Imperial, one round of petite modern bites, and enjoy the soothing house sounds of guest DJ Miko Syquia on Feb. 14. The bar is only taking reservations for couples with an intimate, exclusive table at P5,000++. Restaurant Tapenade will have gifts for the ladies, a live guitar trio, and a premium Tapenade Salad Bar experience for dinner. The salad room gets a major upgrade with added seafood, cheeses, cold cuts, and salads on the evening, for P995++. Special gifts will also be given to diners availing of the 700-gm Bistecca à la Fiorentina, perfect for those looking to indulge in sharing steak night at P2,600++.

Dine at Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay’s Restaurant Verbena for P2,500++ per person with complimentary wine pairing for the main course. For an even more romantic respite, the lush garden setting is available for dinner service on Feb. 14, for P3,500++ per person, or P7,000++ for two persons. Couples availing of the Garden Dinner also get a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine. Promo period is until Feb. 17, for dinner only. Short à la carte menu will be available for lunch service while on Feb. 14, set menu is available for lunch and dinner. For details, visit www.discoveryhotels-resorts.com.

Feel and taste the romance this February at Casa Roces. A special Valentine’s Day feast, “Amor San Valentin,” is available from Feb. 14-18. Dinner starts with a hot chocolate shot, jamon slice, and queso de bola, followed by cream of cauliflower soup and a salad. Main course is a choice between roast salmon fillet with balsamic glaze with a side of whipped potato, or beef tenderloin in Madeira reduction and pure native chocolate, served with truffle mushroom risotto. Top the evening with double strawberry sorbet and poached apple and fresh strawberry with salted caramel ice cream and chocolate mousse in demitasse. This limited Valentines promo is P1,699+ per head. For inquiries and reservations, call 735-5896 or 0905-976-5200 or visit www.casaroces.com. Casa Roces is located at 1153 J. P. Laurel corner Aguado Sts., San Miguel, Manila.

How PSEi member stocks performed — February 13, 2018

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Tuesday, February 13, 2018.

Has Manila’s rebalancing towards Beijing started to bear economic fruit?

BSP eyes ‘enabling’ rules on sustainable finance

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will stick to “enabling” rather than prescriptive rules on sustainable finance, as the regulator eyes to promote “flexible” policies covering banks.

“We learned that the best regulatory approach remains to be one that is enabling, flexible and risk-based,” BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier said in a speech during a forum on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practices for Philippine Banks yesterday.

“(We are) providing guidelines rather than mandates, considering banks’ risk appetites and business models, and applying standards proportionate to the size, structure, and complexity of their operations.”

Authorities want to spur increased lending to “sustainable” initiatives and projects, or those which minimize adverse impacts on the environment.

Ms. Fonacier, who heads the BSP’s bank supervision sector, said the policy thrust also responds to “industry preference” for a more progressive rather than mandatory regime.

“At present, we believe that BSP policies and regulations already enable sustainable finance to flourish,” the BSP official added.

The BSP and the International Finance Corp. (IFC) held the joint forum to engage bank boards and senior executives explore options for increased lending for climate-friendly and socially inclusive projects.

The IFC also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bankers Institute of the Philippines and the Mongolian Bankers Association to push sustainable finance and green banking in the two countries. The World Bank unit will extend capacity-building and knowledge-sharing to industry players from these economies.

The Philippines is one of 20 countries considered most vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters and climate change. The Department of Finance earlier said that more than 1,000 deaths occur yearly in the Philippines due to natural calamities, with typhoons accounting for 74% of lives lost, 62% of damage to properties, and 70% of damage to agriculture.

The Sy-led BDO Unibank, Inc. pioneered a green bond issuance in the country last December. The bank raised $150 million from bonds issued to the IFC, which will fund renewable energy projects, green buildings, and energy-efficient equipment, to name a few.

BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. previously said that regulators should fix physical and logistical barriers to make it easier for banks to lend “on a voluntary basis” rather than to rely on mandated lending. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

Zamboanga City forms public transport planning team

ZAMBOANGA CITY Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has issued an executive order creating the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) team that will take the lead in preparing a management and development guide. The LPTRP is mandated under a 2017 directive from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Interior and Local Government. “Zamboanga City is one of the growing urban centers in Mindanao, and like other highly urbanized areas in the country, it is experiencing a significant increase in population and consequently traffic congestion due to the increase in the volume of road traffic users and limited road capacity,” Ms. Climaco said in a social media post. The LPTRP Team, to be headed by the mayor, is composed of local officials from various departments and the city council, and representatives from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Department of Public Works and Highways, Western Mindanao State University, local police, and transport and business groups. — Mindanao Bureau

Trillanes says ‘truth hurts’ as Davao City declares him persona non grata

SENATOR ANTONIO F. Trillanes IV stood firm on his pronouncements tagging Davao City, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s hometown, as the most dangerous area in the country after the city council declared him persona non grata. “The truth, definitely, hurts. My statement was based on the December 2015 statistics of the PNP (Philippine National Police) that Davao City has the highest incidence of murder and second highest in rape,” Mr. Trillanes said in a statement Tuesday, Feb. 13. Davao Vice-Mayor Bernard E. Al-ag, Jr., who chairs the council and sponsored the declaration, which effectively bans the senator from the city, said: “Declaring that my city is the most dangerous city in the Philippines is not acceptable! This is an insult to the 1.6 million Dabawenyos who are working hard everyday to make our city safe.” — Camille A. Aguinaldo

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