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| (L-R) Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) Vice President and Public Affairs Head Raul Academia, Outgoing DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, JFC Chief Sustainability Officer Jose Minana and DTI Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion Director Marievic Bonoan (Image Source: Manila Standard/Department Of Trade And Industry) |
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) named the country’s leading fast-food chain, Jollibee, its new campaign partner for its #FlexPHridays national advocacy campaign, an offshoot of the Buy Local, Go Lokal campaign, which is a brainchild of outgoing Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. “The DTI’s Go Lokal national advocacy campaign — through #FlexPHridays — has been integral to the Department’s whole-of-society initiative to promote and support local businesses amid the pandemic’s impact on the country’s economy. We are glad that Jollibee, a well-loved Filipino brand, is our new partner in this endeavor,” he said.
As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DTI launched the Buy Local, Go Lokal advocacy campaign program in 2020 to inspire optimism among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and stimulate the demand for locally manufactured goods, services, and locally grown fresh produce amid the pandemic. The #FlexPHridays campaign is a spinoff of the Buy Local, Go Lokal campaign to widen its reach and attract more advocates. The outgoing trade chief added, “Capitalizing on the online behavior of consumers, DTI’s #FlexPHridays advocacy campaign invites all Filipino consumers to flex or showcase products they’ve purchased from local businesses. The campaign aims to make this a Friday habit to encourage everyone to purchase locally-made products and express pride in the quality of Filipino products.” With the new partnership, Jollibee is set to create digital content and promote the #FlexPHridays campaign across their social media channels, and feature selected DTI-endorsed MSMEs in the campaign. Every week, different products and services will be promoted via social media including clothing, accessories, and furniture, among others. Jollibee Foods Corporation, the brand parent’s company, is a staunch supporter of small businesses and has been involved in promoting agro-entrepreneurship for years, advocating for small-scale farming communities through the Farmers Entrepreneurship Program of the Jollibee Group Foundation.
The campaign leverages the emergent “flex” culture in social media where people take pride in sharing photos of items they own or have recently purchased on their accounts or in different online communities. The overarching goal is to support local industries such as hospitality, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, TV/radio, and other manufacturing and services sectors. This national campaign also aims to further promote local products and services and inspire a sense of pride among Filipino consumers. It is a user-generated campaign (UGC) that allows individuals with social media accounts to be part of the campaign where they create and share content in the form of pictures, videos, testimonials, tweets, and blog posts, among others. DTI continues to establish strategic partnerships with retailers, manufacturers, industry associations, local government units (LGUs), and government agencies to ensure the sustainability of the campaign and reach a broader spectrum of consumers. Additionally, people can participate in the campaign every Friday by posting their Outfit of the Day (OOTD), homes, beauty regimen, and so much more that are locally made to promote homegrown products and services. The creators and companies manufacturing Philippine products can be featured, too.
Help local businesses and be part of the #FlexPHriday Movement today by visiting and following FlexPHriday’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/flexphridays/. For more info or inquiries on the campaign, you may email Director Marievic M. Bonoan of the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion or Go Lokal officer Imee Lopez at bdtp@dti.gov.ph.
