- The LA trade event was participated in by clients, advertising agencies and business partners
- The trade event focused on different talks, food, travel, news, music, events, etc
- ABS-CBN and its partners aim to reach out to Filipinos abroad through the trade event
If there is one thing that all Filipinos in North America could agree on, it’s that Filipino-language television will never be what it was before. ABS-CBN, the world’s leading and largest Filipino media and entertainment company, has adopted new rules of engagement in its journey of evolution that follows the changing demographics of Filipinos in America: from immigration-based to U.S.-born-based. 
Just recently, ABS-CBN held a trade event at L.A. Banquet before clients, advertising agencies and business partners. The main message: this is the best time to reach out to Filipinos in the U.S. — one of the fastest growing ethnic markets in the U.S., whether to the immigrants or to the U.S.-born and/or -raised. ABS-CBN has exciting opportunities for various customer segments of the market that are thoughtful, research-based, and relevant to their specific needs and interests.
Talks, Food, Travel, News, Music, Events
ABS-CBN Global Head of Content Monetization and Brand Solutions Adrian Whant emphasized that not all campaigns to the Filipino market are created equal.
“We learned from a study we commissioned that those who we identify as 1.5 and second generation Filipinos are a growing segment, representing almost half or about two million of the Filipino diaspora in the U.S. Media and brands can’t afford to ignore that consumer demographic,” said Whant.
“For the last 25 years, ABS-CBN has created and delivered content to Filipinos worldwide, and through that, they’ve stayed connected to their country and culture,” continued Whant. “But with the demographic shift, you now have a huge segment that are mostly millennials and Gen Z, are Filipino in heritage, but experience the world differently from those who live in or are born and raised in the Philippines. In the U.S., they identify as Americans but they still connect to their roots in many different ways. And that’s why ABS-CBN created opportunities that are mindful of what they really want but open pathways for brands to be able to communicate with them.”
Today, ABS-CBN has offerings – content, live experiences, projects, and programs – that allow the various Filipino market segments and brands to engage with each other.
“We have TFCU Talks that connect Filipino Americans in universities because they can share similar life experiences there, relate and be inspired by quality speakers from various areas of expertise who look like them: Filipino Americans who are successful in their fields of endeavor,” said Whant. “We have lifestyle offerings that celebrate the Filipino food culture which Filipinos from every walk of life find comfort in. Another one is travel: millennials and Gen Z discover their roots through travel. We are collaborating with multiple partners to deliver travel content with the layer of heritage discovery. We also have TAYO – uplifting news about the multicultural community we live in that’s in digital, bite-sized and social format.”
Whant added: “We will create content that reflects their tastes, lives and where they can see themselves in. At the same time, we need brands to recognize them as valuable consumers who deserve attention and representation in media.”
ABS-CBN Global Head of Music and Talent Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias also revealed to attendees that ABS-CBN in the U.S. is also now into talent acquisition and music production. “The mainstream music industry is rife with talent with Filipino roots who have become big names on the world stage,” she said. “We know that there are many, many more out there waiting to break out into the mainstream or grow their audience globally if given the opportunity. We are ready to work with such talent & help develop them thru our music ecosystem, featuring them on our TV networks, digital & social platforms, radio stations & live events.”
ABS-CBN North and Latin America Head of Ad Sales Jun Guzman emphasized also the digital advertising opportunities to brands. “Our advertisers can now reach various segments of the target Filipino market across the spectrum of language and cultural nuances using new executions and solutions on various ABS-CBN digital platforms.”
“Filipino media in the U.S. was just seen before as a robust importer of Filipino content and talent from the homeland,” explained ABS-CBN North and Latin America Managing Director Jun Del Rosario. “While bringing these talent and content to U.S. shores is critically important especially to segments of the market that need them, we also want to tell U.S. mainstream society that Filipinos here are fantastic creators and producers of content that cater to those who view the world with the FilAm and multicultural lens. ABS-CBN is willing, ready and able to collaborate with this set of talents.”
