Ninja Van Philippines kicks off DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp Series

MANILA, Philippines — Tech-enabled express logistics company, Ninja Van Philippines, continues to push its customer-first agenda to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the country.

With the launch of the DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp Series, business owners can learn valuable insights and first-hand knowledge from industry experts to help them overcome the challenges of transitioning towards digitalization and maximize opportunities in the digital space.

“The Philippines is the fastest growing market in the region and this has been driven by strict lockdowns caused by the pandemic, which led to businesses having to adapt and shift their transactions online,” Sabina Lopez-Vergara, chief commercial officer of Ninja Van Philippines, said.

“Here at Ninja Van Philippines, it is our mission to supercharge MSME growth in the digital space. We believe that Filipino businesses can further reach their potential with the help of these advancements and technology,” she added.

Through multiple legs, the DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp Series will follow the digital transformation journey of SMEs and MSMEs—from building and growing their brand online to maintaining brand affinity among customers.

Last March 22, the first leg of the series already began with a learning session that centered on developing a customer-centric brand for MSMEs and its importance, as well as the available tools and solutions they can utilize to stay competitive in the digital market.

It featured Nelly Nita Dillera, CESO III, Executive Director of the Department of Trade and Industry-Philippine Trade Training Center (DTI-PTTC); Kim Sabala, founder and managing owner of Cold Gold; and Edward Cruz, CEO of ATOZ, as the speakers.

Government support

Venturing into e-commerce is more than just presenting and selling products online. DTI-PTTC’s Dillera ran through the end to end e-commerce management services that MSMEs have to know. From marketing management to data analytics and customer service, all of which are important for their businesses to be successful.

DTI has also compiled a list of TechTools that MSMEs can use to boost their businesses including e-commerce platforms/resources, e-payment channels, digital marketing solutions, and logistics providers like Ninja Van Philippines.

Branding essentials

The next thing to focus on is branding. Sabala shared how she grew her businesses to what they are today by maintaining consistent branding across all channels using three essentials: brand guide, social media strategy and content calendar.

A brand guide helps define the essence of what makes you stand out from your competitors. It involves identifying target audience, mission and vision statements, unique selling proposition, core values and brand stylistics.

On the other hand, having a social media strategy is important in knowing what works for the business goals and what doesn’t through social listening and setting key performance indicators (KPIs).

“From there, we can test, refine and evolve our practices to better work for our goals. Not having a strategy is like shooting in the dark. When you aim for nothing, you hit nothing,” she said.

Customer journey

According to the CEO of ATOZ and long-time Ninja Van shipper, one of the most neglected processes when it comes to e-commerce is mapping the customer journey.

Customer journey begins with awareness of the product, which is a customer’s first engagement with the brand. From there, deepen the customer’s understanding of the brand through influencer marketing and more advertisements that will drive consideration and finally, turn customers to buyers.

After purchase comes retention. “After the customer purchases from you, you have to re-engage them because at the end of the day, the first purchase they make on your platform will not really result in big profits. But if you have good retention, it’s very easy to re-engage those customers through email, SMS and social media content,” Cruz said.

The customer journey ends with loyalty where businesses get to deepen their relationship with their customers and really drive home the message.

Watch out for the next DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp Series learning session for this leg happening in May.

Visit facebook.com/ninjavanph for updates and more information.