Tech

Shoppers can now support a family in need with every SMAC card purchase and every checkout.

The Hapag Movement, a technology-driven initiative by Globe to fight involuntary hunger, and SM Advantage Card (SMAC), the loyalty card of retail giant SM, have partnered to assist put food on the tables of people in need.

“We are excited to partner with SMAC at the most joyful time of the year so we can bring cheer to our fellow Filipinos who continue to suffer due to involuntary hunger. Now, it’s easier for shoppers to share their blessings to the needy, bring food to the table, and get assistance for decent livelihood as we mark this Christmas season post-pandemic,” said Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto.

“Our collaboration with Globe for the Hapag Movement is a pioneering partnership for us as it aligns with the SM brand’s goal of providing support to Filipinos every way we can. This is the time for us to rally behind this cause to help those who continue to reel from the impact of the pandemic and challenges due to rising living costs. Ibalik natin ang sarap ng Pasko,” said Jay Beltran, SMAC SAVP Head of Sales and Marketing.

Through the partnership, P50.00 will be donated to the Hapag Movement and other SM Foundation programs for every purchase of a new SMAC card.

On top of this, SMAC members who will shop select items at the SM Store, SM Beauty, SM Appliance, Kultura, Surplus, Our Home, Baby Company, Crate and Barrel, Levi’s, The Body Shop, Forever21, Ecco, and Miniso will earn up to 1,000 EXTRA SMAC Points, and half of the EXTRA points they earn will be donated to the movement starting December 15, 2022 until January 15, 2023, in time for this season of giving.

“We celebrate the season of giving with our SMAC members with the gift of giving— letting them share blessings with our most vulnerable kababayans,” Beltran said.

Through supplemental meals and livelihood support, Globe’s Hapag Movement works with 100,000 households that are enduring involuntary hunger.

The program was started by Globe to aid Filipinos who had been severely impacted by the pandemic, the repercussions of which are still being felt today. According to a Social Weather Stations Survey, 2.9 million people reported having involuntary hunger as of October this year, essentially constant from the previous quarter.

Visit the Hapag Movement’s official page to learn more. For further information, you can also go to smac.ph or download the SMAC app.

Caption: PopStar Influencer Marketing platform launched its Web 3 integration this year

The influencer marketing platform, PopStar, from YOYO Holdings Pte Ltd (CEO: Yosuke Fukada), the marketing technology company, has launched new features and functionalities that give users a better user experience, help marketers find influential nano- and micro-influencers with high engagement, and make it easier to track and monitor influence performance. It now features a built-in Web 3 wallet that enables users to access digital assets inside its app, such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and an ERC20 Token (SPARKLES) that can be earned by completing tasks.

Caption: PopStar celebrated its 4th year anniversary with partner influencers and brands

PopStar is an influencer marketing platform that connects content creators to brands and vice versa. It has the largest network of nano and micro-influencers with over 250,000 registered users and more than 500 million followers in the Philippines and Indonesia. It automates and simplifies every part of a brand’s influencer marketing workflow, from acquiring the right influencers fit for their campaign to monitoring content quality and performance results within its app. It aims to help brands achieve business metrics, such as brand awareness, community engagement, and sales conversion, minus the long hours of manually selecting influencers with a high engagement rate at an affordable rate. It caters to all segments and demographics: young and experienced markets, regional and local, key-opinion leaders, and decision-makers.

PopStar has partnered with local and international brands, such as Glico, Kirin Ichiban, Traveloka, JCB, Ysera Skin, Geely, Brother Indonesia, Max Fashion, MAP Subway, Kewpie, Idemitsu, Shiseido, and Phapros, to name a few.

PopStar aims to help content creators have a more convenient and accessible way to earn additional income by joining its campaigns, now with a better, easier, and more enjoyable experience on its mobile app that is available to both iOS and Android users. It is owned by YOYO, a marketing technology startup in Southeast Asia with the goal to empower the next billion.

PopStar website:

https://pop-star.me/

Download the PopStar app on:

Google Playstore

App Store

To learn more about YOYO, visit:

https://yoyo-holdings.com/

Caption: PopStar Philippines team at the Poppin at 4: “Free to be Me” anniversary celebration

Influencer platform with exclusive integration to web 3 wallets to store and earn fungible and non-fungible tokens

We have moved towards a future where everything will be even more connected and virtual. This is what web 3 is all about – the next phase of the Internet where it becomes an entire universe of its own. It is the era of blockchain technology and decentralized applications where the rise of blockchain-based platforms will be evident in most aspects of our lives.

With the vision of: “Empower the Next Billion”, YOYO aims to provide diverse opportunities to people in emerging countries that could help them build their own brands and businesses which align with what the future holds. One of its solutions, the nano and micro-influencer platform, “PopStar” has more than 250,000 registered influencers and more than 500 million followers, maximizing profit opportunities using social media for local content creators.

Influencers on PopStar can now connect their preferred cryptocurrency or any digital wallet to the PopStar app’s web 3 integration to begin collecting and viewing fungible and non-fungible tokens as of this year. For PopStar influencers, this is the first step in using blockchain technology to interact with the app and earn bitcoin in the future.

PopStar will promote special NFT initiatives where brands in Southeast Asia will be able to promote their businesses through influencer marketing in the next years. This will provide them more options to profit.

Get in touch with us for additional details and/or partnership

PopStar Philippines: [email protected]

PopStar Indonesia:  [email protected]

The Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAPDigiCon )’s is the event to attend if you’re interested in marketing, advertising, or the digital sector. The event, which took place online on the conference platform ViVYD from October 10 to October 14, had DigiCon Valley as its topic this year.

The key topics of interest in the discussions were creativity, problem-solving, and the entrepreneurial spirit. There is expected to be a turning point in the Philippine start-up landscape with a rise in investments for Philippine companies in the next three years (a significantly greater pace when compared to the previous five years combined).

When asked about the focus on start-ups for this year’s theme (DigiCon Valley being, of course, reminiscent of Silicon Valley), QAIROS CEO and DigiCon co-chair Denise Haak said “We realized there is a perception of start-ups that is very pigeonholed. People seem to think that start-ups are separate things from enterprises or institutionalized organizations. But a start-up is a mindset, it’s a practice.”

The goal was to “Break down the walls of ‘we are not a start-up’ vs. ‘we are an institution,’ and show them that it’s a practice, a methodology, it’s attitude and it’s not merely a place. That’s why we have DigiCon Valley, which is not a place. It is a state of mind,” said Haak,

The idea of start-ups being a state of mind resonated with both actual start-ups and stable companies, said fellow co-chair and General Manager of FutureProof PH Trish Elamparo-Esteban. “From 2020 onwards, we all had to be agile and apply these problem-solving skills that start-ups do. We all had to be a start-up in one way or another.”

THE KEY MOMENT

The opening keynote for DigiCon Valley went to Jake Knapp, New York Times Bestselling Author and inventor of Design Sprint, a process that uses design when bringing new products to market in five days. Credits to his name include Google Meets, Gmail, and Microsoft.

Knapp discussed Design Sprint, which is centered on the belief that solution planning can be condensed into one week, rather than a drawn-out timetable. “Focus on the key moment,” he said.

THE DETERMINATION TO FIGHT

This was followed by Angkas CEO George Royeca, who discussed his company’s method of disruptive innovation. According to Royeca, there was an obvious problem of traffic and congestion and their effects, and an even more obvious opportunity to solve them. “Think of how to identify a real problem and the steps needed to solve it,” he said.

Disruptive innovation, said Royeca, is nothing more than disrupting the status quo. There can be pushback, which Royeca illustrated using the example of Elvis Presley, and which he then compared with the early days of Angkas. “I felt like Elvis,” he said, especially when they experienced market acceptance.

Like Elvis, he also experienced the naysayers from the establishment. “We were shut down, and our office was raided. Our bikes were impounded,” he said. At the government hearings, Royeca heard the testimonials of those helped by Angkas. “I never realized you could be an OFW in your city,” he said. It made him more determined to fight.

FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION

Over the next couple of days, other keynote speakers shared their tidbits of advice. Arianna Huffington, CEO of Thrive and founder of the Huffington Post talked about what she termed “collective delusion”: that to succeed, we must burn out and power through exhaustion.

For Huffington, her moment of realization happened after what could be called a series of unfortunate events. She hit her head on her desk and broke her cheekbone after a tiring day. “It helped me realize that burnout was not just my problem but a global epidemic.”

Rather than resting on her laurels and promoting her new mantra of rest and restoration through her eponymous media company, Huffington decided that the way to go was to build a “behavior change technology company.” The aim was to help people adopt healthier practices and to make them believe it was possible to go from awareness to action.

She also cautioned against completely leaving your chosen field, as it could lead to giving up on jobs or goals you truly want for yourself. “It’s not necessary,” she said. “It’s a choice between burnout and having a job with great boundaries where you do great work but where you are not defined by your job.”

Rather than work-life balance, Huffington proposed that “work-life integration” is the better prospect, due to its flexible nature. “There will be days when you need to work extra hard because you have a deadline to meet, you have a client presentation and there will be days when you may have a sick child or when you may have something at home that requires your full attention.”

BELIEVING IN GOOD

Meanwhile, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa cautioned that misinformation is damaging to humanity. Social media’s power in influencing credibility is a double-edged sword that has repercussions in both personal and public life.

She named an MIT study that said that lies spread six times faster than truth. “When you hear the lie from so many different places and you hear it repeatedly, it’s kind of like Pavlov’s dogs, you become conditioned,” she said. “So, social media became a behavior modification system and we have seen this in many countries around the world. If you don’t have the integrity of facts, we don’t have the integrity of elections.”

How do we combat this? Ressa called on laws to protect, among others, free speech, online content moderation, user safety, and data privacy. She also believes that data privacy must be protected from those trying to profit from it.

Above all, being courageous and believing in the intrinsic good of people is needed, despite the current climate. “To be good, you have to believe it is good in the world,” she said. “Ask yourself: what will you sacrifice for the truth because your courage determines the fate of humanity?”

IMMAP DigiCon VALLEY 2022 would like to thank its Co-Presenter Angkas. Platinum sponsors Manulife Philippines, Share Treats, and TikTok. Gold sponsors GrabAds, Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government, Kroma Entertainment, Maya Philippines, McDonald’s, Meta, MetaverseGo!, and Smart. Silver Sponsors Digital Turbine, Hepmil Philippines, and Metrobank.

The Platinum Media Partners GMA New Media, Inc., Manila Broadcasting Company, and Rappler are also acknowledged by IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022. The Asian Parent, The New Channel, Podcast Network Asia, Manila Bulletin, CNN Philippines, and ABS-CBN are among the Gold Media Partners. Adobo magazine, BusinessWorld, Inquirer.net, Kroma Entertainment, Manila Times, and Philippine Star are all part of Silver Media Partners.

Finally, Event Partners CICP, Endeavor, Eventscape Manila, and Kickstart Ventures are acknowledged on behalf of IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022.

Globe announced exciting offers and upcoming events at the Globe Innovation Fest, held for the first time on ground at The Globe Tower in BGC on Thursday, November 3, 2022.

The most dependable mobile network in the Philippines, Globe, continues to introduce numerous firsts that assist improve every Filipino’s day. Through the Globe Innovation Fest (GIF) 2022, the company gathered a number of exciting announcements and sneak peeks from its various businesses and partner brands to illustrate the various ways that Globe uplifts lives.

GIF presents narratives and resources that give Globe customers access to compassion, life-improving activities, random acts of charity, and initiatives that enable people to develop, learn, and thrive. I for one is so excited with what is about to come as Globe unveils its many plans, events and so much more. There are a lot to see and wait for, and I’m so happy as Globe really initiated to experience it all for us. I am also amazed and really looking forward to their future plans.

“Globe is dedicated to improving the lives of Filipinos by giving them the latest innovations, products, and solutions to address their pain points. Our customers have access to a rich ecosystem of services across health, finance, education, e-commerce, and entertainment, among others.  Through all of these digital solutions, we aim to deliver the kind of service and care that our customers can count on,” said Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu.

During the hybrid event held via Globe Virtual Hangouts Metaverse, Globe introduced upcoming events and offers that customers will surely enjoy in the coming months.

World-class entertainment

At the GIF, Globe shared news on several events that will bring exciting entertainment experiences to Filipinos.

Globe is thrilled to be the first telco operator to offer special packages for customers in the Philippines to enjoy the popular streaming service, Disney+. Finally, Filipinos can enjoy the incredible collection of general entertainment content on Disney+ from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Star, starting November 17, 2022. Download the GlobeOne app to learn more and avail.

Also on the streaming front, Erben Pilapil-Tuazon, Portfolio Director at Globe’s Get Entertained Tribe, announced Globe’s partnership with Tap Digital Media Ventures Corp (TapDMV) for the Philippine broadcast of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on TapGO TV Pay Per View, happening this November and December. TapDMV is the Exclusive Philippine Licensee of FIFA to stream the event.

With the partnership, Globe customers and GCash users can get an All-Access pass to the World Cup via TapGo TV pay-per-view at P1,999, with a P100 rebate.

Globe also prepared an exciting lineup of concerts and activities that customers will surely enjoy as on-ground events see a comeback.

Denisse Arao, Globe’s Strategic Sponsorships and Partnerships Manager, announced the highly-anticipated return of Korean pop supergroup BLACKPINK, who will be here on March 25 and 26, 2023 for the Manila leg of their Born Pink World Tour. Globe users should stay tuned for exclusive offers, early access, merch giveaways, and unique on-ground experiences.

Also coming to thrill their Filipino fans are Thailand’s biggest stars Bright (Vachirawit Chivaaree), Win (Metawin Opas-iamkajorn), Dew Jirawat, and Nani Harunkit. The boys will hold a November 19 concert and also appear in an exclusive event for Globe customers on November 20, said Globe Prepaid Brand Manager Jam Ng.

Tuazon, meanwhile, drummed up excitement for the Head in the Clouds Festival— the largest Asian-centric festival in America— which will be held for the first time in the Philippines on December 9 and 10, 2022, focusing on the brightest Filipino talents. Globe customers stand to win tickets through various raffle promos.

And for the Bonifacio Global City’s annual Holiday Celebration, Globe will be holding activities for its customers at the Serenade Concert at the 5th Ave., BGC every Saturday from November 26 until December 17.  The concert will feature artists Zack Tabudlo, Unique, Adie and OPM icon Jose Mari Chan, the voice behind the country’s most popular holiday music staples.

Aside from the concerts, Globe recently held the search for Kmmunity Kreator where Globe Kmmunity members showcased their talents inspired by their favorite K-stars. The winners will be announced on December 3 and 4 at KmmunityPH K’tizens Choice Awards 2022. All four (4) winners will receive P25,000 worth of GCash credits and P2,000 worth of Shopee vouchers. They will also officially become #HallyuTalkPH content creators for TikTok and official KmmunityPH Ambassadors.

Meanwhile, 0917 Lifestyle was relaunched as a gadgets and apparel brand focusing on bridging everyone’s online and offline life. With their new pop up store along High Street in BGC, everything on 0917’s online platforms can now be seen and experienced firsthand, according to Gladys Rojas, 0917 Lifestyle Head.

Product offers and innovations

Globe also provides hope, growth, and enjoyment with new innovations that keep life moving forward.

Anne David, Globe Business Integrated Marketing Head, talked about Globe for Education’s search for Heroes of Learning, an initiative to honor those who have championed learning despite the everyday challenges they have faced through the use of technology.

Globe also partnered with Google Philippines to upskill Filipinos by providing scholarships through Google Career Certificates, a program where Globe Prepaid and TM customers may receive access to IT certificate courses.

On connectivity, Globe has various pioneering and affordable offers for customers to enjoy.

Moriah Ganzon, Globe At Home Postpaid Marketing Lead for Online Channel, meanwhile, shared Globe’s pioneering avenue for connectivity, TMBayan Fiber WiFi, a prepaid WiFi service that aims to deliver reliable and affordable fiber connectivity in communities across the country for as low as P50 unlimited for 3 days.

Globe At Home has also made access to fiber connectivity fast and instant via the new GFiber online channel, which provides end-to-end digital support, from easy application to a 24-hour installation guarantee and real-time technician tracking. Disney+ Premium Plan will soon be made available on us, to new and existing customers who upgrade to GFiber Unli Plans 2499 and up.

Globe At Home is also set to become among the first in Southeast Asia to offer Fiber-To-The-Room (FTTR) technology, providing extremely fast and ultra seamless WiFi connection with a speed and coverage 10 times the traditional WiFi network and capacity to handle up to 128 device connections. Existing Globe At Home customers may simply add this to their bill. With GFiber Unli plans boosted by FTTR, the digital experience at home will reach a whole new level.

On the other hand, Anna Baldos, Globe Prepaid Portfolio Head, shared how the new Go+ promos further help Gen Zs own their future with its freebie offerings. Go+ enables customers to pursue their passions with an additional 8GB for their favorite apps and sites. Plus, it also allows them to get their new essentials online with exclusive lifestyle vouchers from e-commerce apps.

As Globe continues to make industry-leading ventures, Globe Prepaid talked about Virtual Hangouts Metaverse. The platform offers first-in-the-country metaverse and hybrid experiences for passion-driven Gen Zs to enhance their tech engagement and give them valuable learning opportunities to turn their passions into professions.

At the same time, Globe again paves the way for Filipinos to live a life without boundaries with immersive experiences through innovations in Web3 and the metaverse. It has partnered with MetaverseGo for exclusive access to Metaverse and redemption of GUDI squad NFTs with Globe Rewards points so the community can experience the new virtual space first.

Globe also strives to make every day a win for gamers.

Gaming for Globe ranges from casual to committed. Globe GoGAMES is a fun and simple way for customers to earn rewards points by playing hyper-casual games on the GlobeOne App.

During a Fireside Chat with Jed Reyes-Cuerva, Portfolio Manager for Games and Esports, Globe also recently participated as the main presenter of the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS), the country’s premier gaming convention which made a comeback as an in-person event this year.

As it constantly aspires to uplift the lives of Filipinos, Globe makes every day easier, simpler, more rewarding, and more fulfilling.

The Globe of Good ecosystem offers those in need access to food, training, employment, and education while also giving customers a chance to lend a hand. Customers can donate Rewards points or GCash through the Hapag Movement, for instance, to help individuals who are facing involuntary hunger by providing them with food and other necessities of life.

With the GlobeOne App, customers can also open up exciting opportunities that will enable them to maximize every day.

Globe Chief Commercial Officer Issa Guevarra-Cabreira opens this year’s Globe Innovation Fest, where Globe announced exciting offers and upcoming events to uplift Filipinos’ digital lifestyle.

“To improve the lives of many, we always strive to do better for our customers and stakeholders. We want our customers to feel that we are here with them to make life easier and exciting every day,” said Globe Chief Commercial Officer Issa Guevarra-Cabreira.

To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.