University of the Philippines Diliman students William Alonzo, Samantha Ching, Hanna Laurel, and Nathan Oranga are not new to joining marketing competitions. So when Toyota Motor Philippines announced its inaugural Toyota Young Marketeers Challenge , the quartet from the state university's College of Business Administration gave it a shot despite automotive not being their forte.
"We prepared for TYMC by doing a lot of research on the current automobile landscape and even holding Focus Group Discussions on perceptions of different cars," Ching said. The result was a highly charged battle of the most creative ideas from UP Diliman, second placer De La Salle University-Manila, third placer De La Salle College of St. Benilde Antipolo and finalists Centro Escolar University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde Manila, Far Eastern University, Miriam College, University of Makati, and University of Santo Tomas.
"If the consumer insight is not crafted well, then all of these would not turn out to be as effective as intended. A brand may produce the grandest events or the most eye-catching advertisements, but if the message does not resonate with the consumer, then it would never lead to action," Oranga said.