Just like every Filipino across the world, I was thrilled when Efren Peñaflorida was declared CNN Hero of the Year. It means a lot more to me because I wrote about Efren a few weeks ago, when he was just one of the nominees. To me, he was already a hero then. And now that he’s won, I feel even more proud. The thing with Efren is that he’s not the usual celebrity we know. He’s not a sportsman, a teen idol, actor, or singer. He’s an advocate for education, and he is committed to spreading the gospel of education, even if it means pushing a kariton every day.
I know it’s been said before (in fact, it’s almost a cliché now in political speeches), but personally, I think that the one thing that can take the Philippines to the next level is education. Education is really the key. For me, life is one big classroom experience. I am an eternal student … of anything! Every day, I try to learn something new and this will continue on until the day I die. Our world is so fascinating. There’s always something to learn. One of the things I really enjoy about my job is I learn a lot, especially when I get together with people who are experts in the fields of marketing, advertising, and communication. I really like hanging out with brilliant people in these fields, not only because I generally enjoy animated conversations with friends, but more importantly, at the end of the session, I become richer in terms of wisdom.
Such was the case when I met up recently with my good friend, Blen Fernando, who is vice president for marketing for Alaska Milk. Recently, Blen and her Alaska team won the Agora Award for Marketing Management. As most everyone in the industry knows, an Agora Award for Marketing is the ultimate honor that anyone in the field of marketing can receive. It is the Grammys, the Oscars, and the Emmys of Philippine marketing. When I learned that Blen and Alaska won, I told myself, “Wow, truly, wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska!” I immediately texted Blen and offered to treat her to a congratulatory lunch. She gladly obliged.
When we met up, Blen told me that the award had a very special meaning for her. The Agora Awards (which is organized by the Philippine Marketing Association) is the beacon of Filipino marketing excellence that spotlights admirable qualities of versatility, innovativeness and ingenuity. Through the Agora, the Filipino is hailed as a world-class marketer endowed with the proven flair of out-of-the-box thinking and trailblazing achievements. Because of the Agora, marketing excellence shines through with a distinctively Filipino touch. The Agora Awards represent all that is best and brightest about the marketing profession — and about the Philippines.
I told Blen that I was really proud of her, and asked her if winning the award made her feel complete. Surprisingly, Blen had a different take on the whole thing.
“You know, Rod,” Blen said, “if anything, winning the award is a humbling experience. For one, we were selected by previous winners of the award. And let me tell you, the list of previous winners is a virtual who’s who (note: some of the winners of the award for Excellence in Marketing Management are: Jose Luis U. Yulo Jr., JJ Calero, Cora Doloroso, Manny Villar Jr., Tom Banguis Jr., Freddie Garcia, Yoly Ong, Boy Martirez, and Menardo G. Jimenez, just to name a few). I was awed by the fact that I was now joining their ranks. It’s mind-blowing. Secondly, I sometimes feel I don’t deserve it, because I know I have made mistakes along the way, and believe me, Rod, there were many. But I guess it was because of those mistakes that I learned to improve myself. And thirdly, while I feel happy and proud of the award, I am more overwhelmed by the feeling of responsibility that I have on my shoulders. I feel that by winning the award, more is expected of me and, of course, Alaska. So, in a way, I don’t feel complete. I feel like my journey has just begun. My feeling is that I should use this recognition as motivation to go on to the next level.”
I was quite impressed with Blen’s response. I wasn’t surprised, though. Blen has always struck me as one of those unique individuals who goes beyond the call of duty. Of course, we all know what she’s done with the Alaska brand. Under the dynamic leadership of Alaska CEO Fred Uytengsu (who, by the way, I admire very much), Blen and her go-get-’em marketing team has brought brand Alaska to greater heights. The Alaska brand has become a staple in every Filipino consumer’s mind. But over and beyond that, Blen has been quite active in the industry. For so many years now, she’s been an active member of PANA, and has always been heavily involved with various industry initiatives and activities, including the Ad Congress. So I wasn’t surprised when she told me that the Agora Award only made her more committed to work harder.
I asked Blen, “So you’ve won the award. What’s next for Blen Fernando?”
“To me,” Blen replied, “there are two things I’d like to focus on: marketing education and nation-building. I know those are big words. But really, I think that’s what each marketer should consider, in terms of the bigger picture. I felt a little disappointed that this year there was no winner for the category Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Education. This award is usually given to a faculty member teaching marketing in a formal educational institution duly accredited or recognized by the Philippine government. It recognizes outstanding achievement in marketing education as evidenced by relevant research work, published work in widely circulated print vehicles, speaking engagements, and similar undertakings. The winner must have contributed to the development of marketing as a discipline. This year, no one won because the PMA selection committee felt no one made the cut. And to me, that’s too bad.
“Personally,” Blen continued,“I think marketing is a key growth driver for the nation. And if we don’t have marketing practitioners who will devote themselves in sharing their knowledge, our development as a nation might get stalled. And so for this reason, I feel that what’s next for me is that I will focus my attention on marketing education and nation-building. Marketing must play a key role in nation-building, and it starts with marketing our country which has, unfortunately, suffered a lot in terms of image. I will also be spending more time on CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities. Of course, not at the expense of profit. At the end of the day, we can only do nation-building, education, and CSR activities if the company makes money. I will still concentrate on making Alaska bigger. But certainly, we’re looking beyond the bottom line. Eventually, it all boils down to how Alaska can help in nation-building and education.”
I learned a lot from my lunch with Blen. What was supposed to be a celebratory lunch turned out to be a learning lunch for me. For one, I learned that accolades and awards are not supposed to make your ego fat. An award should never be a goal in itself. Awards should just be a byproduct of your hard work and dedication. They’re supposed to remind you of your God-given gifts — and that you must continue maximizing them. And that’s why, ultimately, the reward of success is more work. The job never really ends. Second, we all have to do our share in education. We don’t have to be a marketing professor or an Efren Peñaflorida to contribute. All we have to do is learn more skills and not be selfish. Share what you know. And there are so many ways to do it. You can start a blog, a forum, or write for industry journals and papers. Or you can teach in your spare time. The key is to have the desire to share. When you have that, everything will follow.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just all about you. It’s about all of us — one country, one vision.
* * *
Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.