DDB Group Philippines - Company of the Year - Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations

Company: DDB Group Philippines, Taguig City. Philippines
Company Description: DDB Group Philippines is a leading integrated marketing communications group in the Philippines composed of creative, digital, media, PR, content and data analytics agencies that provide expertise to a diverse roster of local and multinational clients. We are multi-awarded not only for our creative campaigns but also for people management. We are part of DDB Worldwide globally known as DDB.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations - Medium-size

Nomination Title: DDB Group Philippines

Incorporated in 1992, DDB Group Philippines is a full-service marketing communications group composed of award-winning advertising, digital, media, PR, content, and data analytics agencies.
Its forerunner was the Advertising Marketing Associates (AMA), the biggest Filipino agency of its time founded in 1958 by the “Dean of Philippine Advertising” Antonio de Joya. In 1992, AMA became AMA-DDB Needham Worldwide Philippines after a groundbreaking partnership with US based advertising and marketing network DDB Worldwide Communications (DDB).

When its current Chairman & CEO Gil Chua took over management in 1999, AMA-DDB Needham, which had then become DDB (Group) Philippines, had only 28 employees with US$2 million in billings. Under Chua’s leadership, DDB’s business grew exponentially, strategically forming the first integrated marketing communications and business solutions group in the Philippines.

Its gross billings had reached remarkable levels with over 200 full-time staff plus project-based employees. It has comprehensive nationwide presence with offices in 5 cities and is represented in 7 other locations.

Moreover, DDB Group has been recognized internationally and locally for the groundbreaking campaigns and business results it has achieved for its partner brands and clients, which solidifies its reputation as a leading total business creative solutions agency group in the Philippines.

DDB Group Philippines had a phenomenal 2019 in terms of profitability, new business, employee engagement and awards.

It earned record revenues 24% higher than prior year, resulting in 516% increase in in profits. Contributing one-fourth of total revenues, new business reached unprecedented total contract value due to successful government bidding and corporate pitches. This was complemented by organic growth with clients expanding business with DDB.

It achieved two-peat in the International Association of Business Communicators’ 2019 Philippine Quill Awards as “Agency of the Year” with 15 awards.

The year 2020 continued to be excellent for DDB despite being a difficult one for the industry due to COVID-19. It remained true to its “People First” philosophy while pivoting to Work-From-Home and institutionalizing new safety protocols. It turned a crisis year to one of great opportunities to be more creative, innovative and valuable to brands – producing campaigns that matter and harnessing digital platforms where most customers migrated.

In 2020, DDB was able to sustain its excellent revenues despite the pandemic, and even managed a 25% increase in profits given its prudent financial management and fully internally financed operations. This continued in first-quarter 2021 with 17% revenue growth and 90% quarter-on-quarter increase in profits.

With its high-performance culture as shown by its 91% employee engagement index per last (2019) survey, DDB achieved triple feat in Campaign Asia for PR, Media and Best Culture, as well as in Asia CEO Circle of Excellence for Global CEO, Management Team, and Diversity Company of the Year.

While other industry players retrenched people and mandated salary cuts for executives due to the pandemic, DDB Group Philippines sustained its excellent 2019 performance in 2020 and interim 2021.
One reason for this is the diversity of its client base. Unlike other advertising or marketing communications groups, DDB has a wide array of clients from different industries, and both from private and government sectors. As such, any drop in revenues resulting from the cutting down on ad and marketing spending of some clients from industries hit by the pandemic is offset by higher revenues from clients who performed better being in the utilities, essential and/or government sectors.

Recognizing that during this pandemic is when brands need the agency group the most, DDB Group anticipates clients’ needs, offers creative and out-of-the-box solutions to their business challenges, helps them adapt to the new normal, including providing a well-organized COVID-19 dashboard with related news updates and analysis.

Although physically apart, its business units “work together” to achieve goals – whether it’s coming up with CSR initiative for COVID-19 front liners and affected families, executing groundbreaking campaigns, reaching profit targets, winning awards or new accounts, or bringing forward a high-performance culture that its people can all be proud of.

Its tight-knit ExCom provides strong leadership and direction, and ensures everyone’s objectives are all aligned with the Group’s vision and goals – that is, to become the indispensable creative partners that deliver positive impact to its people, its clients, and the society in general.

DDB Group Philippines’ VOICE Annual Employee Engagement Survey results outperformed DDB Worldwide’s average score, showing how dedicated and invested its employees are in working towards company goals.

News clips are testament to excellent client partnerships as attested to by its two-peat “Agency of the Year” win at the IABC Philippine Quill Awards, the Johnson & Johnson Grand Ripple Award, and the Campaign AOY Awards for Southeast-Asia’s Best Culture and Talent Management Program of the Year.

Recognitions received in 2020 were from Araw Awards, Anvil, Philippine Quill, Campaign Brief Asia’s The Work 2020, Ad Stars Festival in Busan, Asia Destination Film Awards in Bangkok, Campaign Asia’s Women Leading Change Awards, Campaign AOY Awards, and Asia CEO Awards.

In one of his CEO bulletins, Group Chairman and CEO Gil Chua cited some of DDB’s successes in the past year: the works DDB's people did that uplifted and inspired Filipinos during the most uncertain times of the pandemic such as its #AnghelSaLupa and client Johnson Baby’s “To Be Reunited at Last” tribute videos to frontliners; its numerous new business wins from both government and private sectors, and the trust of its long-time clients that has allowed the company to maintain its excellent profitability and healthy financial position. This despite the lockdowns with its people having to work from home.
Through all these, DDB has also been able to give back to the communities – the Taal volcano’s and super-typhoon Rolly’s victims, the COVID-19 frontliners, and the small businesses and families most affected by the pandemic.