As digital integrates itself in the offline lives of many, the future is increasingly becoming more and more digital-led. This is seen in the #ArtLotto campaign which won Publicis JimenezBasic the Digital Marketer of the Year, Best in Show and Best in Innovation Excellence awards as well as multiple Golds at the recently concluded 2016 Boomerangs, organized by the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP).
The Boomerangs was conceptualized by IMMAP in 2008 to honor Philippine advertisers and agencies whose campaigns and programs exemplified digital marketing effectiveness. This year, the awards show validated the complete integration of the offline and online worlds which prompted IMMAP to renew its commitment to digital marketing excellence in the Philippines.
“What happened in #ArtLotto is proof of the impact of digital in our lives today. We have witnessed the transition of digital from a niche channel to mainstream that it can have an impact on Filipino culture as well as the lifestyles of many. IMMAP’s role must expand to remain relevant in Filipino society,” said Jeff Saez, co-chairperson, 2016 Boomerangs.
#ArtLotto, launched in partnership with the E. Zobel Foundation and the 4As Creative Guild of the Philippines, encouraged Filipinos to be more conscious of the art around them using a concept that most are familiar with, the lottery. It used art as ticket to a fortune to push for the enrichment of both the pocket and the mind.
The campaign received over 18,000 entries on Twitter and Instagram from all over the Philippines and was supported by the country’s most influential artists. Julie Ann Herrera Tilos, a mom and a call center agent, won the P450,000 grand prize for a photo of her daughter showcasing faux arm tattoo designed by Tilos’ husband. But Tilos wasn’t the only big winner at the end of the campaign; #ArtLotto’s effect was seen in the increase of visitors in museums, art galleries and participants in cultural fests.
The success of #ArtLotto as well as other digital campaigns marks a significant change in the digital landscape and it calls for a re-evaluation of the purpose of established vanguards such as IMMAP.
To mark its re-commitment to digital marketing excellence in the country, IMMAP organized the first-ever IMMAP Digital Congress (DigiCon) which saw the fusion of other regular digital marketing conferences such as the Mobile Marketing Summit, Digital Commerce Summit and the IMMAP Summit into one grand event that drew 1,768 attendees from various industries across the country and 161 speakers from all over the world. The DigiCon closed with the Boomerangs which continues to champion excellence in digital.
The DigiCon also validated the widespread influence of digital in society. Because of this societal shift, IMMAP commits to help individuals and companies embrace and build capabilities on digital through the following: 1) continually being at the forefront of the changing digital landscape, 2) introducing advanced technology and digital platforms to make world class digital marketing key to value creation and national progress, and 3) driving excellence in digital marketing by sharing latest research, and establishing and upholding a code of ethics and standards to guide digital marketing in the Philippines.
“We have come a long way since IMMAP’s founding 10 years ago. At that time, ‘digital marketing’ usually meant building and maintaining a website where you can deploy push marketing. Today, however, marketing strategies, particularly in digital, need a pull approach where people are ‘pulled in’ to your brand or product because they get so much value out of your campaign. And we are here to help agencies and companies develop meaningful and effective campaigns on digital,” said Leigh Reyes, co-chairperson, 2016 Boomerangs.
