Two marches, one people: What brands can learn from Filipino protests and pilgrimages
How do Filipino brands break through the noise and build lasting loyalty in a culture where urgency and ritual coexist?
The answer lies in two deeply symbolic marches that shape the Filipino experience: the urgent protest and the enduring pilgrimage. One is loud and immediate, the other slow and reverent.
Together, they offer not only insight into the Filipino psyche but also a road map for marketers seeking relevance in this emotionally complex market.
We call this the ‘MARCH’ framework, reflecting five cultural forces that brands must navigate to connect meaningfully with Filipino consumers:
M: Moments of urgency
Filipinos respond strongly to moments that demand immediate action, whether on the streets of Edsa or the scrolls of social media.
These events, often triggered by injustice or shared frustration, unleash raw emotional energy.
Brands that tap into this with authentic, time-sensitive campaigns can inspire real engagement. Limited-time offers, social causes, or real-time responses to events work, but only when grounded in sincerity.
Filipinos are quick to reject opportunism. A protest, like the 1986 People Power Revolution, was not a gimmick; it was a genuine call for change. Similarly, marketing in urgent moments must be rooted in shared values, not just headlines.
A: Anchored in ritual
In contrast, Filipinos also find deep comfort in rituals, from ‘Undas’ (All Saints’ Day) cemetery visits to Christmas noche buena feasts. These moments are about preparation, reverence and repetition.
Brands that respectfully embed themselves in these traditions gain emotional permanence. For instance, Smart’s free calls during Undas or Jollibee’s mobile food booths support families as they honor the dead. This isn’t just seasonal promotion; it’s becoming part of a recurring cultural rhythm.
Unlike urgency-based campaigns that spike quickly, ritual-based marketing builds long-term engagement, by showing up when it matters, year after year.
R: Relational identity
Filipino identity is built not individually, but relationally, through family, barkada (group of friends) and community. This concept of kapwa (shared self) influences how people buy, behave and belong.
Campaigns that focus on community pride, family milestones and collective aspirations resonate more deeply than those that emphasize self-expression alone.
Take Bench fan events, which give consumers a stake in the brand. These aren’t just transactions; they are opportunities for belonging. When brands reflect the ‘we’ instead of just the ‘me’, they tap into how Filipinos see themselves.
C: Cultural literacy
Cultural missteps can ruin even the best marketing idea. The Philippines is a high-context society where unspoken norms like hiya (shame) and delicadeza (sensitivity) matter.
Effective marketing requires respectful connection with the audience: understanding their context, values and language.
Humor must be extra careful. What works in other markets may offend here.
Brands that succeed, especially in the age of the trust economy, demonstrate respect for sacred spaces, social milestones and unspoken rules.
Cultural literacy isn’t optional; it’s essential to building credibility.
H: Hybrid emotions
Filipino life blends extremes. A person may join a protest by day and join a novena at night. Emotions are layered: fierce yet tender, urgent yet nostalgic.
The most powerful campaigns capture this emotional duality, like Vicks’ ‘Haplos ng Pagmamahal’ (touch of love) advertisements, which are rooted in emotional truth.
Marketing here isn’t just about grabbing attention. It’s about honoring both the fire and the faith that live in the Filipino heart.
on Oct. 17.
Balancing urgency and ritual
Understanding these two cultural rhythms, protest and pilgrimage, gives brands a critical edge.
Urgency marketing thrives on disruption: flash sales, trending issues and social movements, but demands authenticity and timing.
Campaigns like 11.11 and 12.12 work only for promo-conscious consumers in the short term, sparking quick sales by tapping into culturally anticipated moments and consumer psychology.
Ritual marketing, by contrast, is about patience and presence. Brands that consistently show up for Undas, Christmas, or fiestas, build a recurring emotional contract with consumers. Think of Coca-Cola’s holiday ads or Goldilocks’ birthday cakes. They are not just products; they are traditions.
The real magic happens when brands learn when to disrupt and when to nurture.
Lessons for marketers: March beside the people
These insights are not abstract. They translate into clear strategies for anyone building a brand in the Philippines:
- Movements start small. Identify early advocates and credible voices who can spark engagement, just like small rallies that grow into national moments.
- Rituals outlast novelty. Consistent presence during cultural traditions beats one-off viral stunts.
- Identity is collective. Messaging that centers on us (tayo): family, community, shared dreams, creates deeper emotional resonance.
- Aspirations cross income lines. A tricycle driver and a business process outsourcing agent may have different incomes, but they share similar dreams of progress, dignity and connection.
Cultural awareness builds trust. Campaigns that respect tradition, language and social nuance aren’t just accepted; they are embraced.
Can your brand keep in stride?
Filipinos live with one foot in urgency and the other in ritual. They protest for a better future and prepare food for their dead in the same week. They chant in the streets and light candles in silence.
Marketing here isn’t just about visibility. It’s about presence, being there in the heat of action and the quiet of reflection.
The brands that endure are those that march with the people – not ahead, not behind, but beside them – through flooded streets, through candlelit cemeteries, through joy and grief, memory and hope.
Every march, whether for justice or remembrance, is a declaration of what we stand for, who we remember and which future we refuse to let die.
(Josiah Go is a business thought leader. Chiqui Escareal-Go is a marketing anthropologist. They serve as chair and CEO, respectively, at Mansmith and Fielders Inc. They will speak at the 9th Mansmith Entrepreneur Summit on Nov. 8, which will be streamed live via Zoom. Register now at www.mansmith.net.)
