PINOY'S CUPCAKE CREATIONS DELIGHT AMERICA

by Roger Pe
Business Mirror

August 27, 2017 issue

 The world must know about Alfred Soriano-Micheau’s story. His is an ingredient for a great book, an inspiring movie to watch, and his creations, so delectable you could hear sweet magical music.

Born and raised in Manila, Alfred was given away when he was a couple of months old because his mom was detained in Philippine Women’s Correctional Institute.

“I graduated with flying colors from Pelaez Elementary School, a public grade school,“ he begins telling his humble beginnings. As a salutatorian, he earned a number of leadership and academic awards from Maceda Integrated School, afterwhich, given a full scholarship to study in De La Salle College of Saint Benilde. He took up Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management and that led him to a bright path.

When he was seven years old, Alfred repacked and sold marshmallows, candies, chocolates and chips. “Growing up from a family with meager income, I knew that I have to help and work to survive while trying to finish my studies,” he relates.

He tutored and helped his classmates with their assignments in return for some money and food. When he was old enough to apply for a professional job, he worked as a call center inbound sales representative for Sprint and Verizon while also finishing his degree in college.

After college, he was given an opportunity to apply for an international internship. “That was a turning point in my life. I flew to the U.S. with a few dollars and loose change given by my family and friends. With full determination to prove my worth and start a better life, I worked at the Grand Hotel, a 5-diamond luxury resort in Mackinac Island, as a front desk agent. I transferred to Ocean Reef Club, a private, luxury and members-only club in Key Largo, Florida after 6 months and got promoted as front desk supervisor and manager on duty. As part of my internship, I transferred to Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C. and worked as a server in Blue Duck Tavern, a Michelin-star casual fine dining restaurant in the nation’s capital.”

On September 2013, Alfred would meet the love of his life and get married. He then decided to move to Charlevoix, Michigan to live with his spouse. A couple of months after, they decided to open a home-based bakery and named it “Cre8tive Cupcake”.

“We initially did small orders from locals and business owners while sponsoring numerous non-profit organizations, clubs and being active in the community.

Alfred and his spouse opened their storefront on April 2017. “I started as a baker and owner. Here, I created a great team to serve locals and thousands of tourists that visit Charlevoix every summer. We then realized the big potential of our business in the wedding industry and started to penetrate the market. After a year and a half, and with over 200 weddings, satisfied couples, clients, customers and blessing from other business owners, chefs, mavericks of the food industry, we decided to take the responsibility and named myself as Executive Pastry Chef.”

Alfred patiently waited because he knew the responsibility that came with it, and the hard work that he had to go through to take the position.

What made him decide to go into cupcake business?Here is a personal interview on how his entrepreneurial streak has given him much excitement and life-changing opportunities.

ASM: “Even when I was young, I always have that love and passion for cakes and desserts. However, I know that I cannot afford to study culinary arts even with my full scholarship because of the trips, projects and exposures that they do. I remember peeping and watching culinary arts students during their “BAKIPA2” classes while making cakes and pastries. I also watched them a couple of times practicing for competitions. I was so amazed by their talents and eye for details.

Growing up, I didn’t experience getting big cakes or even a cupcake on most of my birthdays. It wasn’t a big deal at all. I always look back on those days that I wished I had a chance to blow a candle on top of a cake for my birthday. I believe a cupcake is more affordable than a big cake. Most people can buy it. Stick a candle on top of it and make a celebration extra special.”

“Cupcakes are handy, a finger food that there is no certain rule on how to eat it. With this generation, everyone has his own food preference. Some people like Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Carrot, Peanut Butter, some wants it gluten free, nut free, vegan and organic,” he says.

Cupcakes are also personal. Every single cupcake that I make is made with love, hand-piped to perfection and well presented. It is something that one can personally devour or be shared to the ones they love.”

Did you make a market study before you went into this business?

“I learned in college the importance of market study and its positive effect to any business. We absolutely did it before we decided to open the storefront with a little twist.

Instead of doing a traditional market research, we did it by sponsoring events, organizations, non-profit clubs and donating to the community. We also did some random door-to-door and delivered for the community for their feedbacks. Before we know it, people were ordering every week, asking us to consider opening a storefront and providing us with help and tons of positive comments.

Today, “Cre8tive Cupcake” is a well-known brand in Northern Michigan. Not only serving locals but also hundreds of thousands tourists that visit our amazing town. I believe that it is a successful brand, a great product, amazing business model, and a big part of the wedding industry in this part of the world.

We were featured in numerous locals and US based magazines and newspapers for our products and business. We served over 400 brides to date and extremely thankful for the success and opportunity to have such an amazing support and love from our locals and tourists.”

What kind of cupcakes do you make? What’s so special about them?

“We proudly serve baked-fresh cupcakes everyday. We usually come to the bakeshop at 5am to bake our cupcakes that are made from scratch using the finest quality ingredients.

We use Madagascar Vanilla Bean, fresh and organic eggs, 100% Butter, we do not use shortening on any of our creams, we also use 100% Dark Chocolate from Belgium, our jams and fillings are all made from scratch on our kitchen. We also do not serve frozen cupcakes and cakes. We know how important for our clients to taste nothing but the best on the cupcake that they are eating. In our bakeshop, we all believe that we are only as good as our last performance so we have to give our best on every product that we make.

We have two Signature cupcakes, Death by Chocolate, which is a decadent dark chocolate cupcake with Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Semi Sweet and Sweet Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Sprinkles, Chocolate Malt Ball and Chocolate Ganache (seven different brands and flavors of chocolate).

My personal favorite and one of our best sellers is our Strawberry Shortcake. It is a Madagascar Vanilla Bean Cupcake filled with Home Made Strawberry jam and topped with Light Strawberry Infused Home Made Whipped Cream.

The other special and really a big hit for the kids is our build your own cupcake, wherein we let kids and kids at heart to frost and decorate their cupcakes.

What market segment buys your product?

I would say majority of our clients are women, families with kids and the youth. I honestly think that cupcakes target every one. No matter what your race, gender, age or income. It is for everyone. For someone who is celebrating a birthday, to a person who wants to surprise a loved one, to family who want to treat the kids something sweet and to men who wanted a quick sweet fix.

I have found that our storefront attracts the market and the people we want to come in. When we had a crazier, feminine and bright colored paints, a lot of kids came in as they like the ambience. When we toned it down and added some rustic touch, more cozy and relaxing atmosphere, we attracted even the male clients.

How do you market them and create awareness?

I believe that we have a very unique and creative way of marketing our products. One of which is sponsoring and donating to events, joining non-profit organizations, and providing complimentary cupcakes during special local open houses. On top of which, we are very active with our social media. We have a great and informative website (www.cre8tivecupcake.com). On top of that we also have a really interactive facebook and Instagram where we post our latest creations and update about the business and our community.

Our clients also find us from different venues as a preferred service provider and also being promoted by different restaurant and businesses.

And most importantly we have a really good reputation so the most powerful marketing tool for us is the word of mouth and recommendations from our previous and current clients. We pride ourselves on not only providing great tasting and aesthetically looking products but also exceeding our guest’s expectations with out service and promptness.

What’s your marketing style?

We are very flexible with our style. Varying from loud, colorful and cheery to attract the youth. I even once wore a pink tuxedo and pink top hat to promote our business and once wore a prince suit to an event. We also have a subtle, relax and soft approach to attract men.

And for our brides, we have several sophisticated ways of promoting and advertising to them. With cupcakes and cakes that we serve, we can be quirky, crazy, fun, elegant, classy, refine, high end and extravagant. But what we are always proud about is our sincere service in creating delectable products.

How do you keep up with the best in your own product category?

I practice every day. After decorating cupcakes in the morning, emailing our brides and following up with orders, I always make a time to watch youtube videos. Search the newest trend in cupcakes, cakes and wedding designs and flavors and not settle for less.

Do you follow trends or you make your own product?

I get inspiration for some of the newest trends and use it to better our existing products. Sometimes a lot of change can hurt the business especially with food. I always keep everything simple and at the same time add couple of flavors here and there so our tourists and locals can try them. 

 We have 15-20 flavors that are signature and what we serve daily and we have specials to give a little twist to our foodies and food adventure seekers.

If you are going to advertise your product what would your unique selling proposition be and why do you think your target market should buy them?

The strongest selling point of our products: They are baked fresh on the day of the pick up. No matter how early or late the pick up will be, we guarantee that it is fresh and we only use the freshest and best ingredients available. We do not cut down on our ingredients even if the prices go up and down. We use the same and do not settle for less. Every bite you will feel and taste the difference and the love that we put on our cupcakes. It is absolutely worth every penny.

THE NEXT BIG EXPERIENCE: 'ROMBLOWN' AWAY

by Roger Pe

Business Mirror

August 17, 2017 issue

Enhancements that beautify walls and lobbies of elegantly designed skyscrapers. Hotels, offices and houses that have character because of the kind of stone the interior designers used. Bathrooms that look so clean you want to sleep on them. Balustrades, stairs, monuments, hallways, grave markers, and, tiles that, literally, floor you, what else can you not make beautiful with marble?

Undisputed as marble capital of the Philippines, Romblon has carved a proud name for itself and it is easy to believe. A quick visit to the outskirts of the town reveals mountains sitting on a bed of marble lodes, running through its entire geographical vein.

And it is not just ordinary marble. High-grade Italian quality, a fact that even Michaelangelo, had he found out about it, could have sailed to our shores and built an atelier in the town. Perhaps, he could have also sculpted “Pieta” right here, or maybe, imported tons of boulders from the Philippines to Italy, con amore.

The whole island of Romblon is one giant rock, blessed by nature with infinite supply of marble that comes in shades of white, green, pink, red and black. The Mines and Geosciences office estimates that the province has about 150 million metric tons of marble. “At current rates of extraction, the supply may last for three more centuries,” according to the bureau.

Though the province is comprised of two other bigger islands, Tablas and Sibuyan, which are equally rich in gold and nickel, it is marble that has made it famous and gave its people livelihood for more than half a century.

But there’s more to Romblon than just marble. It is an emerging tourist destination about to debut on world stage. Her beauty is slowly unraveling, its charm, history and attractions are hot on people’s bucket list. We are pretty sure that after reading this, it will also be on your top picks and you’ll be heading to your nearest travel booking agent.

Day 1

Our trip to Romblon was made possible by the Philippines Department of Tourism to promote unchartered places in the country, beautiful and stunning, different yet inviting. Undiscovered yet comparable to the best in the world, destinations unique in their own persona. 

Regional focus on Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marindoque, Romblon and Palawan) was scheduled for August, spotlighting on Romblon this time. Cecille Aranton, DOT head for Mimaropa market and product development, laid the groundwork and made sure travel itinerary for invited media guests ran on clockwork precision.

Typhoon Gorio delayed our flight for a week but on our next Monday flight, the sun shone brightly - perfect, just as we wanted. 

I arrived at the domestic airport way ahead of the group, to avoid long queues and possible bedlam. To begin with, the mood at the terminal was festive (as if nothing was happening in the south). Seats were full and reeking with foreign and local tourists. By a little past noon, our airplane jetted off quietly. The 76-seater Cebu-Pacific ATR plane then glided over 18,000 feet, moved gently with the clouds and temptingly showed Manila’s beautiful skyline.

In a little over 20 minutes, we were cruising above Batangas, and a few minutes later, a big island with a large inland body of water beckoned. I whispered to myself: “That’s Mindoro and that’s Naujan Lake.” As I checked my map, gee, I was right. 

The aircraft then veered towards southeast, signalling that we were approaching Tablas, Romblon’s biggest island and where the province’s commercial airport is located. We arrived exactly after one hour, rated pleasant and comfortable. No air pockets, no bumps and smooth all the way.

After disembarking, we traversed an almost 20-kilometer well-paved road at the foot of Tablas’ mountain ridges. We snaked through a highway astride a quiet sea that rumbled Romblon the week prior. Halfway through, just as I was about to be lulled to sleep by the long van ride, I saw a sign on the road: “Mag-ingat sa mga nahuhulog na bato” (watch out for falling rocks). It made me lose my desire to take a nap.

As we were getting closer to San Agustin town, our jump off point to the capital, it dawned on me that most of Romblon’s towns, if not all, belonged to a category of places that has remained quaint, undisturbed and unbelievably quiet to the point of being bucolic.

One might call it too ‘provincial’, but, hey, here lies Romblon’s beautiful charm. Far from the maddening, rambunctious city crowd, an experience that money can’t readily buy. Serenity pervades all over.

After about 45 minutes, the very welcoming town hall people served us a hearty lunch of “Inihaw na Bangus”, “Adobo”, “Tinolang Manok” and Romblon’s pride, “Sarsa”, a local dish that is made of small shrimps caught in river streams, mixed with young coconut and chili. It is then wrapped in coconut leaves and steamed to delectable goodness.

And then we were finally off to the capital town. Romblon is a place I’ve known only in textbooks and newspapers. It lies at the foot of a lush mountain range that is so green you readily get refreshed. The immediate feeling that you get is “the people have been waiting for you”. I felt so much at home.

After a lightning visit to the town plaza, we made a courtesy call to a soft-spoken Governor, Eduardo Firmalo at the provincial capitol. The short visit became a long interview.

A doctor by profession, Firmalo’s paternal uncle was also Romblon’s provincial governor before and during the war (1938-1941). He is on the honor list of the Duterte government for his anti-drug and no-mining policies.

In 2011, Governor Firmalo signed a moratorium on metallic mining in the province and mobilized people to oppose large scale mining activities in the area.

“It is tourism that can help spur growth in Romblon, not destructive mining,” Firmalo says. 

The governor is focusing on building more infrastructure projects to improve accessibility and make commuting between the islands a pleasant experience for all.

Only Cebu-Pacific flies to Romblon (three times a week). Firmalo is hoping that the airline will increase it to four. He is also working to attract excess tourists from Boracay to visit the province for a change of atmosphere. 

About one million tourists visit Boracay a year. Firmalo hopes tourism real estate investors would turn their eyes on Romblon (just 30 minutes by boat ride) so tourists can escape the ‘party’ scene of Boracay and enjoy Romblon’s tranquility.

More than ever, the governor wants to improve health conditions of his fellow Romblomanons. As a doctor, he believes that a healthy and strong populace can build a better Romblon. In recent years, his team has initiated countless fitness programs for the youth aside from continuing its feeding programs and watching over the province’s senior citizen populace. 

What’s on the pipeline? Firmalo hopes that a modern hospital would soon rise on his native turf, plus construction of more boat terminals to ease congestion at the main dock, improvement of ferryboat service between Romblon and its neighboring islands to boost commerce and tourism.

Day 2

Ah, the simplicity of life in Romblon, the picturesque landscape at the bay. Viewed from a distance, the town looks like a Portuguese village, creating a Mondrian art feel. 

Oh, you may call it serendipity. Francisco “Paco” Sanz, the province’s first appointed governor after a long list of Spanish Governors, was born in Portugal, and speaking of things European, a stroll away from the dock is a line of small tratorrias and pizzerias. One can also enjoy German, Italian and Dutch lager here.

Inter-island boats of all sizes dock on the port round-the-clock. The structures in the town flaunt the colors of the rainbow. By sunset, the kaleidoscope adds a palette of drama to the panorama. Nature’s art direction by now becomes jawdropping. Get ready to be mesmerized.

Further up, a belfry and a cathedral (St. Joseph) still stand mighty proud near the town plaza. They’re one of about seven original structures of old Romblon still existing. Erected by the Spanish Recollects in 1726, they have survived Moro pirate raids, countless typhoons and World War II. 

The municipal town hall still carries its old architecture. A ‘cuartel’ (jail) underneath the building is a must-see. Infront of the edifice is a century-old Narra tree - so massive you can tell that it is a mute witness to the town’s colorful past. If only it could talk.

On top of a hill, fronting the bay is Romblon’s Fuerza San Andres, a fort built by early Spanish conquistadors in 1644 to warn townsfolks of an impending raid. During this period, bloody skirmishes between Filipino-reinforced Spanish army and marauders oftenly occurred.

Romblon chronicles indicate a Dutch invasion in the 1700s, and Moro raids were aplenty after the Spanish came. Living testaments to these fierce battles are old canons displayed in the renovated landmark. They now serve as relics of a bygone era. 

Today, the governments of Australia and other European countries, in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and National Museum, continue to contribute efforts to restore the historic place.

As we moved into the town’s innermost sanctum, more century-old houses greeted us. There was the former Governor’s residence, the old elementary school and a number of antique structures that had changed ownership through the years.

We then explored a marble quarrying concession and saw men unloading raw marble boulders straight from the mountain source. Adjacent to the site was a heavy equipment warehouse where giant slabs of marble stones are cut, further shaped and cleaned for export.

A Roro boat then took us to Sibuyan, one of Romblon’s three major islands. We landed in invigorating Magdiwang, a flourishing town, all green and refreshing to the senses. We enjoyed a bit of paradise in Sanctuary Garden Resort, Barangay Tampayan. 

Here, you can see myriad of birds chirping and delighting you as they perched on flower gardens and trees around its wooded villas. I actually saw Hummingbirds and yellow Oreole, and whispered, “Wow!” 

The resort, indeed, is a refuge. A river, a few steps away, runs through it so you can enjoy kayaking. The amenities are traveler-friendly and comfortable, the bathroom floors are, of course, made of what else? Marble.

Also in Magdiwang is Mt. Guiting-Guiting whom the folks describe as a “mystic” mountain because of its jagged rooftop. “It is our adventure bestseller, one of the more popular Philippine mountains and, obviously, favorite of mountaineers because of the degree of difficulty one has to encounter before he can reach the summit,” Magdiwang, municipal tourism officer Rommel Radan told us as he hosted our dinner during our first night at the Sanctuary Garden Resort. 

Known also as the crown jewel of Romblon, Mt. Guiting-Guiting has been declared a protected Natural Park by the government because of its diverse wildlife species.

Day 3

We woke up early in the morning and hailed a jeepney to take us to Romblon’s fabled Cresta Del Gallo. We passed through Marigondon, Taguilos, Cajidiocan, Alibagon, Azagra and Campalingo under the scorching hot sun. Well-paved roads greeted us but they would be intermittently cut short by ongoing construction in-between. 

As we plodded along the way, more road-widening work loomed in the horizon causing our vehicle to slow down. And when it did, dust would furiously swirl around it. We must have inhaled tons of them.

“Are we there yet?” I heard someone asked just as I about to ask, “how many more minutes?” We finally reached San Fernando town after four hours. Vice mayor and municipal tourism officer Arben Rosas met us at the pier. From here, we will take another one-hour boat ride to Cresta de Gallo. 

Meanwhile, the sun was getting hotter and hotter, and I murmured: “I hope this is worth the long trip.” Midway, I saw a school of flying fish and farther, a big splash spurted out of the sparkling turquoise blue waters. “What could it be?” I asked while removing my sunglasses to get a better view. 

Then I heard everyone scream: “Dolphins!” Yes, those dolphins escorted us until we reached Cresta del Gallo’s spectacular white sandbar. It certainly worth the trip and I didn’t mind getting my skin burned.

Cresta de Gallo is a five-hectare kidney-shaped islet with a stretch of white sand beach. By low tide, the beautiful sandbar is a stunning sight, and some say, much better than those in Kalanggaman and Camiguin. Only one person lives here, the caretaker and his dogs.

On a 20-meter radius, the whole island is surrounded by the clearest body of water, teeming with wide variety of marine life. I was told that you camp for the night and sail back to Sibuyan the morning after.

Sibuyan is also full of underrated sites with rivers and a number of waterfalls that bring forth the clearest of water. I, for one, wouldn’t jump for a swim had Cantingas River was not so inviting and crystal-clear.

We went back to Romblon town tired but still managed to squeeze in some time to see the beauty of Bonbon and Nonok, two beautiful resorts with white sand beaches. If long trips bore you, these two can readily satisfy your craving for sun, sea and surf, and they are right within the town vicinity, a few steps away from the dock.

Day 4

On our last day, we headed back to Tablas for our flight back home. We needed to spend the night in the town for our noon flight the next day. Aglicay Resort prepared us a feast of the freshest, yummiest seafood welcome dinner. 

The place is a perfect hideaway for the sport-minded. It has tennis, two beach volleyball courts and a long stretch of white sand beach fronting the dining area. Though hay fever and sinus problems bothered me a lot, I was still able to enjoy its very idyllic setting.

Forward Mimaropa Region

Here’s an interview with DOT’s Aranton on their blueprint for Mimaropa in the next few years:

As head of market and product development of DOT Mimaropa region, what would you like to achieve over a short and long term period?

Aranton: The Mimaropa Region is composed of five island provinces of Southern Tagalog Region namely Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.  It is located at the heart of the archipelago and home of numerous marine sanctuaries, unspoiled white sand beaches, rich flora and fauna with unique products and lovely people making it as the Treasure Throve of the South. 

It is also home to several National Parks, World Heritage Sites, protected aqua marine areas, even wild safari parks that makes it unique and special compared to other regions in the country. With traffic-jam free, non-congested cities and bustling highways, one will only experience and find rugged roads, palm-fringed secluded white beaches, peace and serenity.

For a short-term period, DOT wishes to make all the provinces that comprise Mimaropa, “A Must See”, “Must Experience” and “Naturally, A Destination of Choice in the Country.”

Long term, we want to adopt the Tourism Vision: “To develop a highly competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible tourism industry that promotes inclusive growth through employment generation and equitable distribution of income.“

What’s your priority in doing the tasks given to you?

We want to develop and market competitive tourist destinations and products. Continue to participate in sales missions, tourism fairs and road shows abroad and around the country where there is connectivity to the region such as the cities of Manila, Cebu and Iloilo.

Support and attend cruise conventions in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Korea and China to increase cruise calls in the city of Puerto Princesa, Coron and El Nido, Palawan and Romblon and Sibuyan Islands, Romblon.

We would like to organize domestic media and travel trade familiarization trips specifically in emerging destinations and support the conduct of Foreign Travel Trade and Media Invitational Programs of Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

We would like to make strong representations 

with government line agencies to improve market 

access and connectivity. Strengthen the Convergence

Programs with Infrastructure Agencies for 

the development and upgrading of roads leading 

to tourist destinations, airports and seaports.

Call on domestic airline services to possibly look into the possibility of opening air routes to emerging destinations.

Improve tourism institutional governance and human resource capacities.

Continue to conduct training programs for the tourism industry workers to enhance skills and competencies.

Increase the number of DOT-accredited tourism establishments in the region.

Challenges you are facing and wish you have the support?

Sustain the accolade given to the Province of Palawan as World’s Best Island for several years now. We have to make the province consistently competitive with other destinations not only in the country but worldwide.

“When tourism progress, poverty retreats”, we are inspired more than challenged by this thought to develop and promote an environmentally and socially responsible tourism that delivers more widely distributed income and employment opportunities.

We are lucky to be in a Region where there is solidarity among the local chief executives to push Mimaropa as the “Next Big Thing in the Philippines.” The biggest challenge is a call for a collaboration of efforts, continued support and partnership with the government line agencies, local government units and the private sector (our tourism industry partners) for us to be able to achieve our Tourism Programs.”

Saving the best for last, we would like to thank the Governor Eduardo Firmalo, all the hospitable people of Romblon and the untiring Myrna Silverio, executive assistant from the office of the governor for making us all well-taken cared of throughout the trip. Till we meet again.

The third Mimaropa Festival will be held in Odiongan, Romblon on November 20 to 25, 2017 and will be hosted by the province of Romblon.

HUGOT IT RIGHT: IS YOUR BRAND AN EFFECTIVE STORYTELLER?

By Roger Pe

Business Mirror

July 31, 2017 issue

In the olden days, just after sunset, we would usually wait for our ‘Lola Basyang’ on the porch. We would gather around her and listen to her stories with bated breath. Some of them made us gasp with disbelief. Some made us cringe because they were spine chilling. Some made us roll with laughter on the floor. Some made us cry we even had to share handkerchiefs to wipe off our tears. 

Our Lola’s storytelling sessions were much awaited. None of us missed them, even if some of us had fever. She was like a magnet because we would all gravitate to her when she was around.

It was probably because of the way she told each story, far more different than my aunt did. Her stories were peppered with picturesque words, laced with varying tones of excitement, drama and suspense. They made our imagination ran wild, and we all felt them in our bones.

I would say that we didn’t just sat there on the porch. Lola, the Storyteller, transported us into another realm. We were woven into the tales she unraveled. Sequence by sequence, plot by plot, and like a river gently flowing into the sea, we lost ourselves and moved with them. We became the characters ourselves, not just lambently listening.

Movies become blockbusters because of the way they tell their stories. Books turn into bestsellers because of the way they make us engaged, connected and delighted. Speakers didn’t drive us to sleep because they had that thing that made us glued to our seats and listen. They knew how to pull the emotional trigger that can capture an audience.

Can brands also become great storytellers like my Lola?

Good stories can transport customers to new worlds. Audiences can be so absorbed in a story that they can be brought to a place they have never been to. Read a really great book. Lose yourself in its pages. A good story has the power to take you anywhere. They can activate your narrative engines and turn you into a footloose.

Well-known US market research company Gilliam and Flaherty mentions the bottomline: “When it comes to building sales relationships with new clients, storytelling is invaluable for three key purposes: Delivering information, persuading customers and creating a personal connection. Buyers are looking for ‘cues’ and ‘signals’ that the seller is ‘trustworthy’. Stories are a credible form of communication capable of delivering such cues.”

“Storytelling can squash the skeptic in your customer. Selling through storytelling becomes easier. When told a story, listeners engage in a special form of processing that result in fewer counter arguments, it also adds.” 

But to be able to tell a good story, everything must begin with a great consumer market research, a task that some of today’s businesses rarely undertake, Philippine market research expert Germaine Reyes, co-founder and Managing Director of Synergy Market Research and Strategic Consultancy, says.

“Good storytelling is the ability to move consumers into action in a seamless manner. The brand generates trust with the consumer through the story it tells which in turn inspires him/her to take action. The story the brand provides mirrors or should mirror the realities of a consumer to enable engagement.  Depending on how moving the storytelling was done, consumers get inspired to take action without them knowing that the story actually helped them do that,” Reyes says. 

We interview Reyes about storytelling and how it impacts brand marketing:

Why is Storytelling important to the brand selling?

Reyes: As Seth Godin, a marketing guru and writer said, “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you sell, but the stories you tell.”   These days, brands can’t just ‘push’ information to consumer by ‘telling them’ about their brand, what their brand benefits are.  Given the digital age, consumers gained access to information on their own and can therefore validate whether the brand is telling them the truth or not.  Brands are now compelled to show authenticity for consumers to trust them. It is said that through stories, the storyteller can actually generate trust with his/her audience. Thus, through effective (and seamless) storytelling, consumers become more trusting, more open to the brand messaging.  

Is there a formula in telling a good story?

Reyes: Like your typical story, there are basic elements that have to be present. This will be further explained in our event called, “HuGOT it Right: Consumer Insighting for Innovative Brand Storytelling.”  

But what I particularly want to point out is that there is an element in a story that creates the connection with consumers.  And, there is a need to have a flow of the narrative that will effectively deliver the message, something that’s riveting in the story. The resolution needs to be satisfying, and the flow needs to make this understandable in order to create a lasting effect on consumers. These are what marketing practitioners need to harness and innately develop.

Let me make an analogy instead of naming certain people.  Filmmakers and the theater arts have mastered the art of storytelling.  Great public speakers have mastered this art as well.  This is the reason why in movies, we just find ourselves, ‘pulled into’ the story – we cry with the protagonist or get angry with the antagonist.  

We get scared in a horror film and these images linger in our minds even after watching the movie.  We get moved or inspired into action by public speakers who are great storytellers.  Something magical happens between the storyteller and the audience.  A story told very well can affect one long after watching the movie or play or listening to a speech.

Name some best practices being used by marketers in storytelling.

Reyes: Marketers that stay close with their consumers – ie., those who listen to their customers to understand their plight, aspirations, dreams and hopes, what they wonder about are those that will get ahead in their storytelling.  Reason is that they are the ones with real or authentic material to start on their storytelling journey. The storytelling skill would be their next hurdle. 

Next I realized is that design thinking is a great approach in uncovering innovative storytelling avenues for marketers to take advantage of. This is not yet best practice as we believe we’re the first to introduce this linkage between design thinking and brand storytelling.  

I have attended some talks and a bootcamp and I strongly believe that the possibilities for brand storytelling avenues are limitless through this approach.  What also excited me is that design thinking is ‘human-centered’, ie., the creative process is anchored on real consumer insights.  

Is storytelling on digital platform any different from traditional marketing?

Reyes: Storytelling should be platform-agnostic.  There should be a creative solution on the length of your story.  At the end of the day, the narrative should be compelling enough, regardless of where it is placed. Key is to choose the optimum platform – ie., where your consumers are listening or watching to target them at the right time and moment.

What types of storytelling are usually most successful in connecting with consumers?

Reyes: There is no particular theme or plot that is better than the other, but we will provide some ideas which are effective - in our seminar workshop this August 30-31. Nonetheless, for as long as the basic story elements are present, tied together by a well-thought out flow that is consistent with the brand personality, these are good elements to start with. Design thinking will facilitate this journey of arriving at innovative storytelling that connects with consumers.

What are some of the things you should avoid in brand storytelling?

Reyes: Perhaps what I’ll say are more precautions that really avoidance. 

Brand storytelling that are just entertaining or have unique executions per se may get consumers’ attention and become viral. This may be good if the objective is to create awareness and consideration.  

A few good laughs may help develop positive feelings towards the brand, but should not steer their focus away from the purpose of the storytelling. Let’s not do a ‘pen-pineapple-pen’ campaign type if our objectives are different from what it can realistically attain.  If the storytelling is not aligned with your brand personality, this may create disconnect with consumersand may confuse them in the long-run. 

Aiming for storytelling that will become viral, per se, shouldn’t consume marketers.  This is stressful!  Instead, let’s learn from how Pixar or Disney does it. They create stories that are blockbuster hits!  

What are the things that you should prioritize telling?

Reyes: “Facts tell.  Stories sell.”  Tell authentic stories, not just facts.  And authenticity starts with and should be grounded in consumer truths. Marketers should do their homework and get to know their consumers, mirror this in the story they will create, marry this with their brand personality and develop that seamless storytelling, just like how Pixar and Disney do it. Otherwise, the story that they will tell may end up contrived and disengaging.

Join “HuGOT it Right.  Consumer Insighting for Innovative Brand Storytelling.” on August 30-31, at The Metropolitan Club, Makati City.  For inquiries, call +632-818-5890 (look for Jeanky) or email seminars@synergy.ph