 |  |  |
| Marketing |
| Written by Marjorie Teresa R. Perez / AdMix / joyetteperez@yahoo.com |
| Monday, 09 November 2009 18:53 |
|
De Quiros has learned the ropes of PR by basically discovering and immersing herself in big companies that have become great sources of the necessary knowledge to beat the challenges of the times. These corporations, which have hurdled their own battles and emerged victorious from both their failures and successes, were also some of the best teachers and molders one could ever have. “Apple had to endure the failure of the bulky Macintosh Portable before hitting the jackpot with the iPhones, Macbooks and iMacs of today’s faddish generation. Coca-Cola had to conquer the criticisms of the health-buff sectors because everyone believed that ‘Coke is just sugared water and is in fact one of the biggest contributors to the world’s unhealthy population.’ Coca-Cola, to this day, continues to secure its dominance of the world soft-drink market. And Google, well, who hasn’t heard of Google? If you haven’t used it, chances are, you have just woken up from a deep slumber that started in the 1800s. But before acquiring 84.7 percent of all search requests on the World Wide Web and beating former leaders like Yahoo! and AOL, Google was just a planned research project by Stanford geeks who probably didn’t know how to impress pretty girls on campus. But now, they’re one of the world’s wealthiest people and are happily married to the most beautiful and most intelligent women,” de Quiros said in an interview. This columnist agrees that on the Internet, Google provides superlative search technology, endless e-mail storage, intuitive online calendars, and dozens and dozens of other services at no cost. And while the company sells advertising to more than 300,000 companies, it spends a tiny fraction of its revenues on its own advertising. What unifies these companies is their initiative in delivering a high-quality product that people like, at good value. Successful, enduring brands are either truly innovative and outstanding or a great value. They may have never needed much advertising. They don’t have to reinvigorate their employees with brand-morale building or rely shamelessly on empty company taglines. Their products fulfill the legitimate purpose of the brand. “You see, stories like these—of big companies that became successful due to a little bit of luck and a lot more of determination and hard work—not only inspire you to take advantage of a whole slew of opportunities out there, but also encourage you to take matters into your own hands. They present to you, in full flying colors, that nothing is impossible in this world, given the right training and skills to eventually make it on your own,” de Quiros furthered. The new media has dominated how we think, say or do. De Quiros admitted that the world was definitely taken by the Facebook and Twitter storm. There are even prophecies that traditional media will meet its untimely death sooner than you think. Soon, everything you need to know is right in front of your trusty computer. Internet connection, a very fast one at that, will be as necessary as the air you breathe. By then, is PR going to survive? “Before, we never even thought that e-mail can make things better and faster for us. But look now, unless you’re some deluded Ice Age man who’s stuck making fire by rubbing two stones together, you must accept that these changes in trends and lifestyle happen. And more importantly, that you can make things happen using these advancements, these technologies. We must not see modernity as an adversary, but rather an ally to making things more fantastic, more effective and more helpful in conveying our messages across all demographics,” she stressed. Hailing the dawn of the “Internet economy,” de Quiros describe their work as “making meaning” and “guiding transformations,” ready to take on new challenges and opportunities. “Fortunately, I had my weapons intact. Thanks to my years of service in Landbank and the mentors who have taught me well, I’ve made a lot of progress for Full Circle. We were incorporated in 2005 and my husband Paul joined me to oversee our little family. Seasoned advertising icon Jay Jay Calero also joined us as our chairman. His support and excellent leadership was more than overwhelming. I consider him a blessing. From four employees, we are now 20 hardworking men and women who have our clients’ interests at heart.” De Quiros is one of many well-known professional PR practitioners who increasingly sees partners and clients as the arbiters of meaning in their lives. For a company to be a success, it must capitalize on the organic underpinnings of the human experience—community, relationships and values—in an effort to create meaning. She is large in every sense—in her size, her confidence and her ideas. Ethics in public relations is of the highest importance. Before, the industry has to endure the pressure of having to cope with the public perception that PR practitioners are spin-doctors—that they’re all just a bunch of all-talk professionals who would want to put all their clients on a pedestal. “We have managed to prove that PR is anything but all that. You know why some of the best world leaders were eventually overthrown or, worst, killed? There’s one thing they lack—real friends. Or for that matter, people who could be loyal to them no matter what happens. It’s because they didn’t instill respect from their constituents, only fear. And fear breeds disloyalty, which never brings anything good for anyone. In public relations, especially in having your own PR agency, good relationships are very important. They are the very foundation of why your business is running; they are the integral cogs of your well-oiled PR machine. By maintaining good, loyal and harmonious relationships with clients, the media, the employees and the suppliers, the work is cut out for you,” she explained. Among the wide range of services Full Circle offers its clients are: PR counseling; executive speech training; research and evaluation; diversified communication tools; crisis communication; media analysis; community relations; product promotion; events management; public affairs; employee communications and branding. The agency’s clientele, includes, among others, Philex, Pfizer, Selecta, Bayan, PMA, Go Negosyo, Philippine National Health Research System, Synovate, Philippine Band of Mercy and World of Feng Shui. De Quiros was the president of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP), and director for both the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) and the Philippine Association of National Advertisers. Notwithstanding her highly demanding job, she found time to serve as chairperson of various committees which included the 4th BMAP National Convention, BMAP Special Events Committee, GACPA Committee on Publication and the highly successful 35th Anvil Awards held in February 2000. Currently, she is the immediate past president of the PRSP, after being its president in 2005 and 2006. IN PHOTO -- De Quiros: Proving PR’s real substance |
Facing these challenges, Full Circle Communications Inc. president Ma. Amylyn “Millen” de Quiros has come to understand that in some cases it takes more than a patina of “perceived functionality” to convince consumers to buy brand-name products. To continue to capture our loyalty and demand a premium price, companies must reach beyond the shelf and find new ways to develop and extend their brands. They must control more the logo, the bottle, or the mission statement; they must control the brand experience.