Cited as one of the top Philippine e-commerce sites, Cebu Pacific’ s website is often the Pinoy’ s first brush with online transactions, thanks to its seat sales that drive anyone with the slightest twinge of wanderlust to see what destination can be availed on a budget.

“ Personally, I never felt it was difficult to move into the digital space, I’ d like to think we( Cebu Pacific) were the first adapters of digital, or bigger adapters to digital— digital marketing, campaigns, and so on. For an airline( in the Philippines), I think we were first to have a Facebook page, Twitter account, to have a Snapchat … for all marketing intents and purposes, we’ re a digital company, most or a large part of our business is sold online.”

With all that measurable data at their fingertips ― thanks to the web and the culture of shares, likes and engagement--the guesswork is now largely eliminated for results-oriented companies like them, allowing them to focus on what works on the right platform and scale, and act with agility.“ The future for us is in analytics, which allows us to personalize at scale,” Iyog points out.

Acknowledging that“ traditional advertising still has its role, especially for certain geographies and demographics,” as a company that prides itself on being innovative,“ we have to test, learn, iterate, test, learn, iterate— that’ s really how it is nowadays. This whole space is exciting.” Targeted ads and content, even with consumers using the site anonymously, will allow the airline to send suggestions about certain destinations to discreetly nudge them into a sale. That’ s one way of looking at it from the perspective of Candice Iyog, marketer, but what is the experience like from the viewpoint of Candice Iyog, customer?

Recounting a vacation to Sydney and how she booked her own flight, Candice’ s tone changes, becomes warmer like brandy swirled in a glass cupped in a hand, the enthusiasm still there, but it’ s more reflective as pleasant memories come back. The suggestion of certain hotels in the central business district, wine tours or trips to the Blue Mountain to consider later in the day, presenting different possibilities for her to ponder upon.“ It presented to me options that I would never have considered( or looked for)… The hotel room offered to me that was cheaper than the one that I saw,( it) could compel me to click, so it’ s about being served content that‘ s relevant to you at that point in time. To me, as a user, that’ s the value of digital.”

Asked about her other favorite destination, she cites Tokyo, for the food and shopping. Attitudes have changed about travel, in her opinion. Whereas people( or their families) used to save for that annual

big vacation at a far-off destination, today’ s younger market won’ t bat an eyelash at booking a ticket to travel to another country the next day.

“ In this case,( as a consumer) I’ m in full control of the recommendations,” Iyog muses, as she compares how personalization through digital technology has empowered consumers to be their own travel agents.“ What digital is really doing is making the world so much smaller,” she says, pointing out how exotic or far-off destinations have now become within reach financially and physically thanks to the rise of budget carriers.“ It makes travel easier …( and it’ s) easier to plan. Destinations become more accessible.”

But Candice can’ t resist putting on her marketer’ s hat again as she talks about the unlimited creative possibilities digital presents.“ There’ s really so much you can do effectively, and without having to break the bank.” she claims.“ If you think about it, there’ s a way to do it.” If the“ running man challenge” sparks their interest, you can be sure Cebu Pacific will be posting a video within a few days that’ ll generate 800,000 to 900,000 views.“ It’ s an environment that allows us to create fast, deliver fast, fulfill and get feedback very fast.” The quick turnaround allows strategists like her to move on to the next thing that can work, instead of dwelling on what didn’ t.

“ Moving fast enough is important,” she emphasizes.“ You learn from it and do more of it.” When you work in an industry that lives for promptness, beating your competitors to the punch is not only essential, but a way of life.

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July- August 2016 | adobo magazine