Yell Adworks expands to RP

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is getting closer to its goal of surpassing India as the world’s top destination for offshore business process outsourcing (BPO).

The objective to overtake India is part of a five-year (2011-2016) road map for the country’s information technology and BPO sector. Part of the plan is to grow the sector to a $25-billion industry, employing 1.3 million people.

Recently, one of the leading international providers of multimedia advertising services has established its operations in the country. Yell Adworks, which is part of the international directories business Yell, has its Philippine offices at the E-Commerce Plaza in the bustling business district of East Wood City in Quezon City.

“We design digital content for multimedia advertising, in print and online. These services are provided from our operations in the United Kingdom, United States, Spain, India, Philippines and Latin America,” explained Rick Lumby, Yell Adworks Chief Executive Officer.

According to their website, the company’s core business is to “support Yell and its aim to be the best business information bridge between buyers and sellers, regardless of channel, time or location.”

For instance, a furniture shop owner who wishes to purchase advertising places its order for advertising with Yell. Yell Adworks then take responsibility for the design, production and fulfilment of the print ad for a directory or a website or any other services associated with multimedia advertising.

As further explained in their website: “Our global platform ensures that at any given time, over 3,000 Yell Adworks people are working to help Yell in the UK, Yellowbook in the US and Yell Publicidad in Spain and Latin America meet the requirements of its customers.”

John Tooher, Yell Adworks’ president and general manager for the US, India and the Philippines, explains further “Here in Manila, we design and create multimedia advertising ads for customers on line, in print and mobile media.”

Both Rick Lumby and John Tooher were here in the country for the company launch and to welcome employees in Manila, led by Sherwin Que the General Manager for the Philippines, into the Yell Adworks family. The event was attended by over 20 Yell Adworks executives worldwide and 600 Filipino employees.

Rick Lumby, who has a solid 30-year experience in the industry, cited the Filipino’s creativity and web savvy as among the considerations for establishing the business here. The Philippine office will play a crucial role in the fulfilment of advertising for their worldwide operations.

Lumby and Tooher’s views coincided with the general opinions stated in the paper titled, “The Great Call Center Debate: India vs the Philippines”, where foreign executives cited the following reasons behind the unprecedented rise of the Philippine BPO industry: Filipinos speak idiomatic American English; they have a neutral accent; and the country provides higher tax incentives, among others.

The expansion of companies such as Yell Adworks to the Philippines is a big boost to the industry’s target of registering some $6.15 billion in revenues and generating 64,000 new jobs this year. Similarly, it is a major addition to the annual projection of a 20-percent growth for the industry in the next 10 years.

Talent would continue to be the key to making the country the world’s contact center destination of choice. In this case, for companies such as Yell Adworks to be lured to establish a business here, more emphasis should be placed on improving the quality of the Filipino talent pool, particularly in the areas of communication, critical thinking, creative design, ability to innovate, thought leadership and leadership and management capabilities.