MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM enterprises (MSME) in the Philippines should take branding seriously to succeed in a saturated and competitive market, according to a marketing executive.
“A lot of businesses have a brand, whether they were intentionally making one or not,” Cherry S. Kho, founder and chief executive officer at brand experience design firm Bluethumb, told BusinessWorld during its 23rd anniversary event. “But a lot of businesses think of a brand as just having a logo.”
She said many MSMEs fail to consider the deeper narrative behind their brand, making it difficult to stand out.
“They don’t put much thought into the story of the brand,” she said. “If there’s no story or brand to back it up… then it’s hard for customers to differentiate you from other people who are selling something similar to you.”
Ms. Kho cited the milk tea industry as a key example of oversaturation, noting that more than 6,000 milk tea shops operate nationwide. “If I were to come up with a milk tea shop, I’d base what I do on my values — it would be a healthy one,” she said.
She said MSMEs could benefit from branding that resonates with their personal values and addresses community needs. “People are not really digging deeper into what is needed in the community and what aligns with their beliefs and values. Because if you can do something like that, then you become unstoppable,” she added.
MSMEs with strong branding and attention to intellectual property were more resilient during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to 2021 report by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.
Still, financial constraints remain a significant hurdle for many MSMEs looking to invest in branding.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies has identified cost as a major pain point that prevents many enterprises from developing a strong brand identity.
To address this gap, Bluethumb launched a book titled Vision to Action Toolkit written during the pandemic. “It’s a collection of questions and case studies from some of the brands we’ve worked with, as well as brands from abroad that we believe were able to make an impact with their brand,” Ms. Kho said.
The book is available on e-commerce platform Lazada for P2,000. — Adrian Edg A. Eva
