The Philippine Association of National Advertisers Foundation, in partnership with Advertising Foundation of the Philippines and Procter and Gamble, held the 4^th PANAF IMC Youth Congress at the Unilab Bayanihan Center last November 21, 2013. More than 30 CKS College delegates from different business courses participated in this year’s youth congress, which had the theme “The Creative You.”

Ms. Charmaine Canillas, Chairman of Philippine Association of National Advertisers Foundation delivered the opening remarks. The event was hosted by ABS-CBN’s stars Robi Domingo and Bianca Gonzales. The 4^th PANAF IMC Youth Congress invited eight top-rated professionals when it comes to integrated marketing communications, namely: Mr. Michael Carandang, Mr. Ricky Lee, Mr. Russel Molina, Mr. Jonathan Yabut, Ms. Nicole Bulatao, Mr. Joji Azurin, Mr. Raffy Fajardo and Ms. Reese Fernandez-Ruiz.

As the TV Head of One Mega Group, Inc., Mr. Michael Carandang focused his talk on how he started in the fashion industry and on having the “Filiphenomenal” attitude. He discussed how creative Filipinos are when seeking solutions to problems- despite restrictions. Furthermore, Mr. Carandang reminded the audience to stay humble and be dedicated to nonstop learning, to know their value and worth so that they will continue to grow and be better people. Knowing one’s purpose and touching other people’s lives are also crucial.

The second speaker, Mr. Ricky Lee, Writer and Creative Manager of ABS-CBN, is considered a pillar of creativity. He shared stories of being a writer. He said that if you are a writer, you should not run out of creative ideas because the world is full of stories.

In his talk, “One sentence explosion,” Mr. Russel Molina, the Executive Creative Director of Seven A.D., imparted useful insights to PANAF delegates. As an author, he understood that telling and selling a product’s story are essential. He broke down his talk to three main points: (1) Tell, Don’t Sell; (2) Sell Stories; and (3) Don’t Forget to Play. He reminded the delegates that as advertisers, they should know the audience, and really know them… make them curious, and make them care.

Mr. Jonathan Yabut, Season 1 winner of the Apprentice Asia shared his knowledge and experiences from the hit reality TV show. He focused on 4 main points: First, don’t just follow your passion, cultivate it. Second, it’s not about working hard, but being smart. Third, leadership is pullership and not pushership. Lastly, the unexplainable secret to success is out there, grit.

Ms. Nicole Bulatao, Digital Champion of Nestle Philippines, focused her talk on creativity and technology. She said that, sometimes, it is okay to share media mileage with another company. To illustrate her point, Ms. Nicole also shared some creative videos of KitKat.

Mr. Joji Azurin, Freelancer.com’s Regional Head, shared about creative ways to go into the e-commerce business. He mainly stressed how by year 2050, things would change... and by that time, the business and the industry must have also changed.

Mr. Raffy Fajardo, Marketing Director of Procter and Gamble Distributing Philippines, shared 5 creative tips: love your consumer, be a product expert, respect your competition, be agile and elevate beyond category.

The last speaker, Ms. Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, Founder, Partner and CEO of Rags to Riches shared how social enterprises like Rags to Riches has a big impact in the lives of underprivileged Filipinos.. Rags to Riches is now on their 6^th year and is still continuing to inspire people.

Each speaker’s talk was followed by a question and answer segment. Interested audiences asked and probed to gain even more insights from the distinguished speakers. Booths were also situated around the area, featuring sponsors and partner companies. Delegates were treated to loot bags and exciting freebies.

(Article by Heidi Beatriz Cheung)