Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has bidded out some P700 million in projects for the marketing and promotion of the Philippines, under its new tourism slogan, “Love the Philippines” (LTP).
In an open forum at the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) meeting on Wednesday, Tourism Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan said, “I’d like to confirm that we’re keeping the ‘Love the Philippines’ slogan—we have launched it already….We have posted several branding and marketing initiatives up for procurement — so I think it’s around P700 million worth of local and international PR (public relations) as well as other marketing initiatives.”
According to the DOT website, among the major projects bidded out were the P30-million Consulting Services for the Strategy, Research, and Overall Direction of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan for “Love the Philippines” Part 1 (DOT-SBAC- REI No. 2023-018), which appears to be a component of an earlier P250-million project in which advertising agencies DDB Philippines Inc. and IPG Mediabrands Philippines Inc. had been shortlisted. (See, “DOT bid out P550-million projects for rebranding campaign,” in the BusinessMirror, July 5, 2023.)
Under the P30-million project, the winning agency has to “conduct in-depth market research that will guide DOT to strategize and realign its branding and marketing efforts for the ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign,” scan online news media and social media “to understand the public’s opinion or sentiment about the initial LTP campaign launch,” and submit a five-year IMC plan, providing strategy on the campaign.
TVCs, photos, branding collaterals
Also bidded out were P60-million Consulting Services for the Production of Creative Assets Part I (DOT-SBAC-REI NO. 2023-027), where the winning bidder is expected to produce “professional photos documenting the four themes of love in the LTP campaign: Biodiversity of Love, Award-winning Destinations & Natural Beauty of Love, Archipelago of Festive Love, [and] Gastronomical Love,” tourism maps, and LTP branding collaterals like brochures/flyers, calendars, corporate jackets, banners, vehicle wraps, etc.
Another project bidded out was P75-million Consulting Services for Video Production Agency (DOT-SBAC-REI NO. 2023-028) in which the winning bidder will produce TV commercials and audio-video presentations centered on the rebranding campaign. Many of these bids were supposed to have been submitted this month, but no winners have yet been announced.
The DOT has had to rebid several components of its Philippine branding project after canceling the contract of DDB, which had produced the LTP launch video that contained foreign scenes.
No impact on arrivals
MEANWHILE, Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Roberto Zozobrado said the recent scandal involving an airport screening officer caught on video trying to swallow a wad of dollar bills she had allegedly filched from the bag of a Chinese traveler, will not affect tourist arrivals in the country. “It irritates me because we in the tourism industry are doing the best that we can to promote the country and here they always want to give it a black eye,” he said on Teleradyo Serbisyo.
“But as far as its effect on the tourism industry, I don’t think there’s going to be any because the attractiveness of the destination and the reason for visiting far outweigh the fears that this petty thievery instills on potential tourists,” he added. The DOT has targeted 4.8 million international tourists this year.
For his part, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said he was frustrated and dismayed at the latest incident of alleged baggage theft by a transport security officer at the Manila international airport.
He ordered the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) to immediately file the necessary charges against said screener and her identified collaborators.
The OTS had recommended to Bautista taking legal and administrative actions against the security screener caught on CCTV apparently swallowing the stolen $300 to hide the evidence.
