Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 9939

Nationwide round-up

Ombudsman orders suspension of ex-CHED director

THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman has directed the Commission on Education (CHEd) to suspend former executive director Julito D. Vitriolo after finding him guilty of simple misconduct. In its Oct. 11 decision, released yesterday, the Ombudsman ordered a three month suspension without pay against Mr. Vitriolo for the issuance of a memorandum without CHEd’s approval. “Respondent Julito D. Vitriolo is hereby found guilty of Simple Misconduct and is meted the penalty of suspension from the service for three months without pay,” the decision read in part. The case stemmed from a 2017 complaint filed by former CHEd chair Patricia B. Licuanan after Mr. Vitriolo issued a memorandum recommending the issuance of a provincial permit for St. Anthony College of Science and Technology to offer the first and second year levels of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The memo contradicts the CHEd en banc’s disapproval of the school’s application. The Ombudsman order noted that should Mr. Vitriolo be separated from service, he will be slapped with a fine equivalent to his latest salary for three months. This may also be deducted from his retirement benefits or accrued leave credits. CHEd Chairman J. Prospero E. De Vera, in a statement on Tuesday, said Mr. Vitriolo had earlier been dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged irregularities at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

SC affirms decision reinstating case vs Sulpicio Lines official

PHILSTAR

THE SUPREME Court has declared final its December 2018 decision reinstating the reckless imprudence charge against an official of Sulpicio Lines, Inc. (SLI) in connection with the 2008 capsizing of M/V Princess of the Stars where more than 227 passengers died. The entry of judgement dated June 17, a copy of which was released Tuesday, said the Dec. 10, 2018 decision of the court’s third division has become “final and executory.” The decision reverses the resolution of the Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of Edgar S. Go, then first vice-president for administration and team leader of the Crisis Management Committee of SLI. It ordered the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 5 to reinstate the case against Mr. Go. M/V Princess of the Stars capsized in June 2008 in the waters off Sibuyan Islands during a typhoon. The Department of Justice in 2009 indicted Mr. Go, saying he is “unarguably involved in deciding if the ship should be allowed to sail and he allowed the captain and the safety officer to decide among themselves whether should they depart.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nation at a Glance — (10/23/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (10/23/19)

UP Fighting Maroons seek to tighten hold of second spot

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

CURRENTLY second-running University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons seek to fortify their hold of the spot in Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines when they play in league action today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

To take on already-eliminated National University Bulldogs in the 10:30 a.m. opening game, the Maroons (7-4) will try to book the key win that would strengthen their bid to claim the second seed heading into the semifinals and earn a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.

UP gave its push a boost when it came from behind to defeat the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 81-77, on Oct. 20.

Trailing for much of the contest, the Maroons used a key run in the fourth period to swing the tide in their favor to notch the victory, which also allowed them to stave off dropping back-to-back games.

Graduating guard Jun Manzo led UP’s spirited fightback from a 12-point deficit, 72-60, with 7:10 remaining in the payoff period.

Manzo spurred the Maroons’ 16-2 salvo after to grab a 76-74 lead with 2:19 left.

The Falcons tried to hold off the charge back of the Maroons but the latter were just not to be denied of the comeback win, making the needed plays on both ends of the court to eventually get the better of Adamson.

Kobe Paras top-scored for UP in the win with 21 points, which he peppered with five boards, and two assists.

Manzo had 17 points while Juan Gomez de Liano buried three triples on his way to 15 points, four rebounds, two assists.

Reigning most valuable player Bright Akhuetie, meanwhile, registered a double-double of 12 points, 11 boards, and six assists.

While happy with the win, the Maroons still recognize that their spot in the next round of the competition is anything but secured and that they have to build on their win over Adamson in their remaining games in the elimination round, including today’s game, if they are advance to the semifinals.

“This is a big win for us but it will all be for nothing if we do not win our remaining games,” said UP coach Bo Perasol following their gutsy win over the Falcons.

Out to frustrate UP is NU (2-9), which has had it rough in Season 82 but is still determined to finish its campaign on a high note and take it from there for next season.

The Bulldogs have lost two consecutive games, the last one against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 88-76, on Oct. 19.

Leading the way for NU is Dave Ildefonso with norms of 17.6 points and 6.3 rebounds, followed by his brother Shaun with 10.1 points and 5.6 boards.

Also playing today are the Far Eastern University Tamaraws (6-6) against Adamson (4-7) at 12:30 p.m. and UST (7-5) versus the De La Salle Green Archers (5-6) at 4 p.m.

San Miguel Beermen take on Northport Batang Pier

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE SAN MIGUEL Beermen and Northport Batang Pier, team which recently swapped big men via trade, meet up today in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup scheduled at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Set for 7 p.m., the Beermen (5-1) and the Batang Pier (2-4), who traded former number one picks Christian Standhardinger and Mo Tautuaa for one another in a high-profile deal last week, joust as they look to get the victory to further propel their cause in the season-ending PBA tournament.

Both teams are coming off victories entering the contest.

Mr. Tautuaa made his San Miguel debut in the team’s last game, a 113-107 win over the Columbian Dyip on Oct. 20.

The 2015 top rookie pick scored 10 points, all coming in the opening quarter, giving the Beermen a boost amid a tough challenge from the Dyip. He also had five rebounds in 19 minutes on the floor.

After the game, San Miguel coach Leo Austria said he liked what he saw from their new acquisition, saying as Mr. Tautuaa gets accustomed to their system he will be a steady contributing presence in their Grand Slam quest.

Turning his attention to his first game against his former team, Mr. Tautuaa said he is excited and looking forward to it.

“I’m just going to play hard. It’s gonna be a fun game. I get to see my former teammates who are still my friends even if I’m no longer with them,” said Mr. Tautuaa.

“It’s going to be a good game because Northport is capable of winning so we cannot count them out. We must play hard against them,” he added.

For Northport, Mr. Standhardinger, the first pick in the 2017 draft, looks to be of help right away to his struggling new team albeit his debut is still not a hundred percent certain as he deals with knee issues.

He made known that he was surprised to have been traded by the Beermen but has accepted it and moving on even as he said that he will do everything he can to help the Batang Pier.

In the ongoing tournament, the Fil-German has been averaging 3.5 points and four rebounds in 13 limited minutes with San Miguel.

Northport stopped a four-game losing streak in its previous game, defeating the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters, 80-70, on Oct. 12.

Mr. Tautuaa led the Batang Pier in the win with 16 points and nine boards with import Mychal Ammons adding 12 markers and six rebounds.

Incidentally, Mr. Ammons joined Mr. Tautuaa out of Northport as the team had decided to replace him with Michael Qualls.

Mr. Qualls, who played in the G-League and in Israel, debuts against the Beermen.

Meanwhile, playing in the 4:30 p.m. opener are the Blackwater Elite (2-4) and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (1-5).

The Elite lost in their previous game while the Elasto Painters are in a four-game slump, prompting them to tap another replacement import in Kwame Alexander.

Veteran Catalan delighted and excited over opportunity for a title shot

TOOK a while to finally get his shot at the world strawweight title in ONE Championship, veteran Rene “D’ Challenger” Catalan is grateful for the opportunity just as he vowed to give his best to fulfill his goal of being a champion in Asia’s largest mixed martial arts promotion.

Facing off with compatriot and reigning champ Joshua “The Passion” Pacio in the headlining fight for “ONE: Masters of Fate” on Nov. 8 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Mr. Catalan, 40, hopes to seize the strawweight title to add to his successful MMA career.

“I’m one hundred percent focused on getting this belt. It’s every fighter’s dream to become a world champion. I’m hungry and determined to win the title,” said Mr. Catalan (6-2) of his mindset heading into the title fight.

The Catalan Fighting System top man is currently riding a six-fight winning streak in ONE, enough to be given a shot at the Mr. Pacio’s gold.

Mr. Catalan most recently defeated Yoshitaka Naito of Japan by technical knockout in the first round (punches) in March in Malaysia.

Against the younger Pacio (14-3), Mr. Catalan recognizes that the odds are against him but is not getting down on himself knowing that he has what it takes to fight and deliver.

“Joshua Pacio is only human. Just like every other fighter, he has his strengths and weaknesses. We’re going to try and deal with that in the fight. It all comes down to the game plan we have heading into this. It’s going to be an exciting contest,” said Mr. Catalan.

Adding that he sees the match not going the distance but nonetheless is ready to go all the way.

“Given our styles, it’s not hard to predict this fight will end within the distance. But I’m training and preparing to go all five rounds to win a decision if necessary. As a fighter, you have to be prepared for all scenarios.”

ONE: Masters of Fate is the fourth live event of ONE Championship in the Philippines for this year.

It will also feature the return to the ONE Circle of former Filipino world champions Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Michel rushes for three TDs as Patriots rout Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sony Michel recorded a regular-season-career-high three rushing touchdowns, and the New England defense forced six turnovers as the Patriots remained unbeaten with a resounding 33-0 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

Tom Brady completed 31 of 45 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown (TD) with one interception as New England (7-0) beat the Jets for the eighth consecutive time.

Phillip Dorsett II caught a touchdown pass, and the Patriots totaled 323 yards while limiting New York to 154 yards. New England kept pace with the San Francisco 49ers (6-0) as the NFL’s only undefeated squads.

Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Stephon Gilmore and Terrence Brooks all notched interceptions to increase New England’s NFL-leading count to 18. John Simon contributed a strip-sack that led to a fumble recovery by Kyle Van Noy.

Sam Darnold threw for 86 yards on 11-of-32 passing and committed five turnovers, matching a career worst with the four interceptions for the Jets (1-5). Darnold also threw four picks against the Miami Dolphins as a rookie last November.

The shutout was the second of the season for the Patriots, who have outscored their opponents 223-48.

New England opened the game with a dominating, 16-play, 78-yard drive that took 8 minutes, 47 seconds. Michel capped it off by taking a pitch from Brady and scampering around left end for a 3-yard scoring run.

McCourty’s interception led to a 34-yard field goal by Mike Nugent that made it 10-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter. The Patriots stretched the advantage to 17 on Brady’s 26-yard scoring pass to Dorsett with nine seconds remaining in the quarter.

Simon’s sack of Darnold led to Van Noy’s fumble recovery and set up Michel’s 1-yard run to make it 24-0 with 9:18 left in the second quarter.

Darnold threw his second interception — grabbed by Harmon — with 5:25 left in the half, and he began the third quarter by being picked off by Gilmore.

The issues became worse when the Jets were backed up on their own 6-yard line near the midway point of the third quarter. Center Ryan Kalil’s shotgun snap was high and tipped off Darnold’s hands and rolled into the end zone. Darnold slapped the ball with his left hand as New England’s J.C. Jackson approached, and it rolled out of the end zone for a safety.

Darnold tossed his fourth interception with 6:08 left in the third quarter when Brooks picked off the pass in the end zone.

Michel scored from 1 yard out to make it 33-0 with 12:32 remaining in the contest. — Reuters

UTP president confident of WTA Future Stars Finals netters’ chances in China

UNIFIED TENNIS Philippines (UTP) founder and president Jean Henri Lhuillier has high hopes for top-rank Filipino junior netters Alexa Joy Milliam and Justine Hannah Maneja as they compete against some of the best of the Under-14 (U14) and Under-16 (U16) players in the 6th Women’s Tennis Association Future Stars Finals at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, China on Oct. 20 to 28.

Milliam and Maneja dominated the finals of the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge last September at the Makati Sports Club, which serves as the qualifying tournament of the WTA Futures Stars Finals, sanctioned by UTP.

Earlier this year, UTP rolled out its plans to stage a total of 104 tournaments including the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge as part of its mission to produce world-class Filipino tennis players and to popularize the sport at all levels in the country.

Top-seed Milliam will represent the country in the 14-under category. Last year, Bacolod native Milliam ruled the singles and doubles division of the 13th Asian Tennis Federation tournament in Sarawak, Malaysia. In April, Milliam won the World Juniors Tennis Championships Asia-Oceania Final Qualifying tournament in Malaysia beating Japan ace junior tennis player Sakaya Ishii. The teen tennis sensation along with rising stars Alexandra Eala and Jenaila Prulla is also part of the national team that earned the Philippines’ historic 5th place finish in the 2019 World Juniors Tennis Championships in Czech Republic last August.

Meanwhile, it will be the first international stint for the up and coming Arellano University junior Maneja, who will be representing the country under the 16-and-under category. The ace of Quezon City started making a name for herself four years ago, consistently as a finals contender year after year in various national age-group tennis tournaments.

The final rounds of the tournament will be held on Oct. 27. This year, the program will feature 56 players in the Asia-Pacific region with participants from Canada, Great Britain, and the USA. As a bonus, this year’s winner of the U14 WTA Future Stars competition will earn direct entry into the Les Petits As tournament in Tarbes, France.

NBA games available on social media, NBA League Pass in the PHL

NBA logo

THE NATIONAL Basketball Association (NBA) on Tuesday announced that select 2019–20 NBA regular-season games will be livestreamed in the Philippines for free on Facebook Watch and Twitter. Games will also continue to be available on NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service.

Starting today, select games will be available to fans in the Philippines for the first time across the league’s accounts on Facebook (NBA Philippines) and Twitter (@NBA_Philippines), providing live and on-demand access to one game per day during NBA Tip-Off Week from Oct. 23–29, and one game every Monday and Thursday from Oct. 31 onwards.

“We are excited to celebrate the start of the new season by streaming games on social media for the first time in the country,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson. “The Philippines is one of the world’s leaders in social media penetration and usage with over 17 million followers of the league’s social media accounts, making it an ideal platform to livestream NBA content. With NBA games on Facebook Watch and Twitter, we are empowering the digital lifestyle of our fans with the ability to enjoy the NBA anytime, anywhere. As the media landscape evolves, we look forward to introducing more ways to bring NBA games to a nationwide audience this season.”

At 10:30 a.m. today, the featured game will be the “Battle of Los Angeles” between the Lakers and Clippers.

The Lakers are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis while the Clippers is headed by 2018 NBA champion and former Toronto Raptors All-Star Kawhi Leonard, supported by Paul Cliftonantho George.

The other featured livestream games on opening week are: Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 24, Milwaukee Bucks versus Houston Rockets (Oct. 25), Utah Jazz against the Lakers (Oct. 26), New Orleans Pelicans against Houston Rockets (Oct. 27), Portland Trail Blazers versus Dallas Mavericks (Oct. 28), and Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Rockets (Oct. 29).

NBA League Pass, meanwhile, will once again provide fans with the most comprehensive live and on-demand access to a complete season of NBA games in high-definition with live stats and multiple viewing options, including the NBA Mobile View, which delivers a closer shot of the action optimized for viewing on mobile phones, tablets and connected devices. Exclusive NBA TV programming headlined by flagship show NBA Gametime will also be featured in the League Pass package.

The NBA offers the League Pass, Team Choice and 3-Game Choice packages in annual and monthly pricing options for fans starting as low as Php 100, while weekly pricing is offered for the League Pass package. New users will be provided with a seven-day rolling free trial valid from tip-off until the end of the regular season.

Team Choice is available for all 30 teams, giving fans the option to follow one team and watch their favorite players throughout the season, while the new 3-Game Choice enables users to watch up to three games of their choice per month.

NBA Fantasy League bid

The 2019-2020 season of the National Basketball Association rolls out today and for fans engaging in NBA Fantasy League tournaments it marks start of another stretch of pitting one’s “managerial skills” and enjoying the new NBA year in added light.

As has been the case in seasons past, I have decided to engage in NBA Fantasy League competition, signing up for three tournaments.

The two teams I am participating in, both 20-team tournaments, are with friends and brothers in sportswriting, with teams “Nacho’s BW Posse” and “BW Skychurch,” in reference to one my favorite Jack Black movies (Nacho Libre) and the latter in homage to local metal band Skychurch, another favorite of mine.

The last one is with colleagues in the office, a 10-team field and the longest I have been part of and the one that got me in Fantasy League play. I play there under the team name “Roadblock” after my favorite GI Joe character.

All three are head-to-head and nine-category competitions.

For this season, the strategy in picking up the players was to have different looks for my teams, as opposed to last year where I anchored them on then Golden State All-Star Kevin Durant, and see where it would take me.

For Nacho’s BW Posse, I have James Harden of the Houston Rockets leading. I just had to after getting the first overall pick in our live draft. It helped as well in the decision making that he had a pretty explosive preseason across the board.

Joining him there are Jamal Murray (Denver), Dennis Smith Jr. (New York), Taurean Prince (Brooklyn), Zion Williamson (New Orleans), Serge Ibaka (Toronto), Wendell Carter Jr. (Chicago), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland), Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers), and DeMarre Carroll (San Antonio).

The knee injury and subsequent surgery of top overall rookie Williamson was a big blow on my cause as he is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.

I was having second thoughts of drafting him after going through notes of his injury but just had the urge to pick him up nonetheless for the potential “beast mode” he would bring.

Not still losing hope though and I am expecting him to contribute as expected when he comes back.

Ibaka, Carter, Thompson and Howard hopefully step up their game while Williamson is out for me not to lag too behind in the race.

Guard play I am confident enough with Harden, Murray and Smith but on the wings I have some concerns and may have to check out free agents as the tournament moves along.

For BW Skychurch, anchoring it is Golden State All-Star guard Stephen Curry.

The Warriors have retooled and missing key pieces because of injury and I am expecting Curry to be in playoff mode at the get-go.

With him are Lou Williams (LA Clippers), Joe Harris (Brooklyn), Prince (Brooklyn), LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio), Clint Capela (Houston), Meyers Leonard (Miami), Taj Gibson (New York), Collin Sexton (Cleveland), Dion Waiters (Miami), Ersan Ilyasova (Milwaukee), Evan Turner (Atlanta) and Jeff Green (Utah).

I have high hopes for this team, feeling I covered all the bases position-wise.

But one thing I learned from playing Fantasy League for more than a decade now is that nothing is certain and anything can happen.

Still have some issues below the roster and may revisit some options.

Finally, Roadblock, which is led by Kawhi Leonard, now of the Los Angeles Clippers. He is not my first choice admittedly but fell into my lap after our automatic draft. Not bad still though for his two-way play.

Joining him are rookie Ja Morant (Memphis), Jimmy Butler (Miami), Jonathan Isaac (Orlando), Blake Griffin (Detroit), Aldridge (San Antonio), Mitchell Robinson (New York), Thomas Bryant (Washington), Marc Gasol (Toronto), Caris Levert (Brooklyn), Deion Wright (Dallas), Terrence Ross (Orlando) and Paul Millsap (Denver),

It is just too bad that we slid as a league to 10 teams from 12 this year but it has however left much room to maneuver with player selection, presenting a challenge all its own.

A brand-new NBA season is upon us and another go at NBA Fantasy League. Hope you are satisfied with your selections. All the best, Fantasy freaks!

 

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

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Rivals

Nope, Brooks Koepka wasn’t showing up Rory McIlroy when he told Agence France Press on the eve of the CJ Cup in South Korea that he doesn’t have a rival. True, he’s World Number One, with his buddy right next to him in the rankings. True, they both won three events in the 2018–19 season. And, true, they split the sport’s Player of the Year awards. Nonetheless, he’s in good position to contend that he’s really competing against, well, himself when he has a club in his hand. “I’m not looking at anybody behind me,” he noted. “I’ve got open road in front of me. I’m not looking in the rearview mirror, so I don’t see … a rivalry.”

Perhaps Koepka did tinge his statements with pride, which, given his stoic demeanor, could have been construed as an exercise in conceit. He certainly has the right to harp on his accomplishments, among them four major titles in the last three years. And while he may have bragged, however subtly, he did add context to his perspective. “You know, if the fans do [consider it a rivalry], then that’s on them and it could be fun,” he said. “Look, I love Rory. He’s a great player and he’s fun to watch, but it’s just hard to believe there’s a rivalry in golf. I just don’t see it.”

Creditably, McIlroy chose to look at the bright side and take Koepka’s pronouncements in stride. “What Brooks said wasn’t wrong,” he argued on the occasion of The Challenge: Japan Skins yesterday. “He’s been the best player in the world for the last couple of years. Four majors … I see where he’s coming from.” And, no doubt, his perspective stems from their friendship. “I love Brooks. He’s a great guy. He’s super competitive like we all are,” he said, although he did acknowledge not needing to be reminded “that I haven’t won one [major] in a while.”

To be sure, both Koepka and McIlroy will view the inevitable public scrutiny as fuel for success. In this regard, they’re bound to push each other to greater heights. Greatness, after all, begets greatness. And whether they admit it or not, they’re rivals.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

New FB study shows how Filipinos will be shopping for Christmas

Christmas time is one of the busiest seasons of the year for Filipinos. Schedules are booked not only with reunions and trips, but also with hours of shopping dedicated to discovering the perfect gifts for loved ones.

With the e-commerce boom of the last few years, buyers can access tons of information about a product before making a purchase. But how exactly does the average Filipino’s shop during the holidays? To what extent does digital play a role in this journey? And how can businesses capitalize on this?

A very mobile Christmas

According to Facebook’s 2019 Holiday Study, a majority of Filipinos do their Christmas shopping in November and December. But there are some outliers who push the task to as late as January, citing additional sale dates and more relaxed in-store ambiences as some of their reasons.

Regardless of the month, however, the role of mobile in shopping is increasing among consumers. There was a seven percent drop in the number of shoppers who made purchases in-store compared to last year. And for those who still prefer to go to physical shops, there’s still a touch of digital in their journey.

For instance, 73 percent of surveyed Filipinos said that they use their smartphones while shopping in-store, up 10 percent from 2018. Majority used them to access more information, comparing prices and alternatives and reading product reviews. There were those who browsed for coupons or discounts; some even ended up purchasing a product online from a different retailer.

John Rubio, country director for Facebook Philippines, says this all points to how tech-savvy Filipino shoppers have become. “The big thing I take away is significant growth year-on-year, which for me is interesting because… the Philippines from an Asia-Pacific perspective was always lagging for e-commerce.”

Keeping it personal

While more and more Filipinos may be turning to online shopping, they don’t expect it to be any less personal than the in-store experience. Buyers still expect retailers to be hands-on, with nine out of 10 saying that they’re more likely to buy from a business if they can reach out to them through online messaging.

The top reason for buyers for messaging is to get more details about a product. Actual product purchase comes in second, with order tracking and specifics naturally following.

In that sense, the online shopping experience is expected to be as holistic as its offline counterpart. “What we’re seeing is almost a bifurcation of usage. One is your town hall where you shout to everybody that you’re connected to… you do that in a public square format, which is feed,” said Rubio.

But beyond product discovery, the mobile experiences takes on a more intimate role as well. Consumers take to messaging platforms to engage with retailers, much in the same way they reach out to trusted friends for advice.

“What we’re seeing as almost equal, and from a velocity perspective maybe even more, is a more personal, living room-type conversation, [like the ones that] we have with our loved ones… Because we’re so used to messaging, this halo moves over to businesses that know how to message well.”

A core part of the new retail strategy

While in-store shopping may never completely disappear, the online component has certainly become more and more important over the years. Therefore, businesses of any size need to evaluate their purchase journey for their customers. 

“Digital is not just becoming a larger portion to the question of the actual spend, but it’s becoming an intrinsic part of the journey from step one,” said Rubio. “I think businesses need to get prepared, and it needs to be a core part of their strategy, not just an exciting experiment.”

Just a number: Four ways marketers can tackle the concept of age

Age is a difficult concept for marketers to build strategies on. Several studies have shown that age can very much be an issue of perception, and that it’s often viewed differently across different generations.

As the idea of age becomes more and more complex, businesses need to look into what their consumers are thinking in order to forge a strong connection with them. Here’s what your brand can consider when tackling age in messaging, according to McCann Worldgroup’s study, “The Truth About Age”.

1. Start young.

McCann’s study found that people in their 20s and 30s thought about aging more often than those aged 40 and above. On a slightly grimmer note, they also found that this group is also very anxious about dying alone, moreso than their older counterparts.

With most of the messaging targeted towards the younger demographic not discussing this prevalent worry, marketers would do good to bridge the gap through their messaging. McCann’s study suggests opening up and normalizing these discussions, doing so in a realistic but optimistic manner.

2. Celebrate the gains.

Messaging tends to emphasize the “losses” that the older demographic are experiencing, such as reduced physical abilities and the onset of retirement. But this demographic actually attests to their lives getting richer and happier over time, even saying that they’ve become more liberal, spiritual, and idealistic. They’ve also found a way to “hack” retirement, enjoying both leisure and work instead of focusing on stagnancy.

“I don’t think of retirement [as] stopping to work completely, because we like what we do,” said a Filipino study respondent in her 50s. “We will continue to work because we want to feel we are still completely useful.”

Thus, the challenge is for marketers to develop a new lexicon and imagery that emphasizes other gains for each age group. Keywords like “retirement” and “empty nest” must be reconsidered.

3. Go beyond the number.

Since every age group was found to think about aging in some way, it’s safe to say that traditional age segmentation isn’t as reliable as it used to be. Therefore, it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to the demographics that your brand chooses to target.

For instance, McCann devised a new segmentation that clusters according to attitude rather than numerical age:

  • Ageless adventurers: “Aging is a journey of limitless opportunities and personal growth.”
  • Communal caretakers: “Aging is a time of engaging with community and enriching personal relationships.”
  • Actualizing adults: “Aging is a process of maturity and acquisition of adult responsibilities.”
  • Future fearers: “Aging is a time of anxiety and uncertainty due to risks associated with old age.”
  • Youth chasers: “Aging is a decline and loss of their youth and vitality.”

4. Promote intergenerational connections.

The idea of “healthy aging” is defined differently in various cultures. Chileans see it as staying happy and positive, while the Japanese put a premium on getting enough sleep.

But the study found that the importance of connecting with different generations is consistent across the surveyed market. When asked to envision how they see a world where people age positively, the theme of intergenerational connection was prevalent as well.

Marketers can utilize this by launching efforts that will encourage generations to interact and connect with each other, helping foster a positive culture whose effects will permeate through the years.

1...9,9389,9399,940...13,852Page 9,939 of 13,852
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube