Category: Philippines

Why Konsulta MD Seems Like a Terribly Bad Idea

Globe Telecom, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Yondu, has formed a joint venture with Salud Interactiva to launch KonsultaMD – a 24/7 health hotline service manned by skilled and licensed Filipino doctors who provide medical assessment and advice, including basic healthcare and permissible medication over the phone. – from press release at Globe website here

Konsulta MD logo
There’s a new doctor in town! Konsulta MD logo. Image from konsulta.md

 

“KonsultaMD is our response to the pain points in Philippine healthcare. The growing population puts further pressure to an already-strained healthcare landscape which is suffering from lack of experienced healthcare professionals, under-resourced public hospitals, poor health infrastructure and limited accessibility”  said Gil B. Genio, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Business and International Markets.

Though coming from good intentions, Konsulta MD seems to be a terribly bad idea. Here are the reasons why:

Continue reading Why Konsulta MD Seems Like a Terribly Bad Idea

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@Senyora and Her Ilk – Are Parody Social Media Accounts the New Tastemakers?

Senyora Santibanez @Senyora is the Philippines’ most popular twitter parody account, so much so that it is actually the 47th most popular among all twitter accounts in the country. It’s safe to say that she’s more famous and has more clout than most real celebrities in the Philippines.

Here are the impressive stats for @Senyora: (twitter account here)

Senyora Santibanez twitter stats as of August 2015
The account may be a parody, but its stats are not something to laugh at, Senyora Santibanez @Senyora twitter stats as of August 2015. Screengrab from twittercounter.com

 

With those stats, she must wield a lot of power – but does she even earn from it?

Continue reading @Senyora and Her Ilk – Are Parody Social Media Accounts the New Tastemakers?

The ‘Eat Bulaga’ Lesson: How It Got To Younger Audiences Through #AlDub

In recent years, there has been a perception that Eat Bulaga, a Philippine noontime variety show, is for a more mature crowd. It’s the moms, dads, uncles, aunts and grandparents at home that still loyally watch them. Eat Bulaga’s rival, It’s Showtime, is reputed to more popular to the younger, more social media savvy crowd.

Fast Forward to 2015, Eat Bulaga connected big with the younger market through #AlDub. If there was a Philippine version of “breaking the internet”, the Aldub phenomenon did it on August 8.

Alden Richards and Yaya Dub or "AlDub" in Eat Bulaga
Alden Richards and Yaya Dub #AlDub in Eat Bulaga on the #Yakie wedding day. Screengrab from Eat Bulaga official Facebook page

 

If you want to see the August 8 episode that the netizens went crazy about, go the Eat Bulaga Facebook page here.

How did Eat Bulaga find success with younger audiences? Here’s how the show got things right.

Continue reading The ‘Eat Bulaga’ Lesson: How It Got To Younger Audiences Through #AlDub

A Blog Post to Gold’s Gym Philippines: “Thanks” for Kicking Us Members Out!

In June 2015, Gold’s Gym Philippines surprised its Sheridan branch club members by kicking them out without considerable notice. The reason — the Sheridan Gold’s Gym branch had become Nike’s House of Rise.

 

Golds Gym Sheridan becomes Nike's House of Rise
Gold’s Gym Sheridan becomes Nike’s House of Rise. Meanwhile, Gold’s Sheridan members were displaced. Image from Adobo Magazine Facebook page.

 

I’m happy for Gold’s Gym Sheridan for getting this gig, but did the gym have to kick out its members? Unfortunately for the members, Gold’s Sheridan is still pocketing the member’s money while raking in the Nike millions. That’s stinkier than a used pair of gym shorts.

Why was the Sheridan Gold’s gym branch chosen as the site for Nike’s Rise program?   Continue reading A Blog Post to Gold’s Gym Philippines: “Thanks” for Kicking Us Members Out!

Do New MLMs Just Reuse and Rebrand Products of Failed MLMs?

When some Multi-Level marketing (MLM) companies are accused of being illegal pyramid schemes, their first defense is to say that they have products to sell. They’ll even boast that these are high quality products that justify their often very high prices. But what if they are the same products sold by other currently operating and failed MLMs?

Who are the product suppliers for these MLM companies? Here’s one of them:

Success200 Guyabano (Graviola) capsules supplied by Moringa Mountain Trading
Success200 Guyabano (Graviola) capsules supplied by Moringa Mountain Trading. Image from Success200 Agarica Living International Facebook page

 

Moringa Mountain Trading – major product supplier of MLM companies?

Continue reading Do New MLMs Just Reuse and Rebrand Products of Failed MLMs?

Distinguish Between Legitimate Multi-Level Marketing and A Pyramid Scam – Pinoy Style

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) is a legitimate business strategy. However, many scammers have been disguising their pyramid scams as MLM companies . How can a potential investor distinguish between a legitimate networking company and an illegal Ponzi scheme? 

Gotcha! If the word “investment” is used by the company, and you are called an “investor”, those are initial clues that it might be a Ponzi scheme. What are the other things you need to watch out for?

The Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (go see their website here) has come up with an eight-point test in distinguishing between a legitimate MLM company and an illegal pyramid scheme (most likely disguised as an MLM). ALL eight questions must have “YES” answers for a company to be evaluated as legitimate.

Here are the eight questions:

Continue reading Distinguish Between Legitimate Multi-Level Marketing and A Pyramid Scam – Pinoy Style

SEC Issues Advisories on MLM Companies Success200 and FLAG Prosperity

 

Success200 and F.L.A.G. Prosperity Marketing are the latest Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Philippines issued advisories on.

 

success200 logo
Success200 logo. Image from Success200 company facebook page

 

FLAG prosperity logo
Freedom Life Alliance Global Marketing F.L.A.G. Prosperity Marketing Logo. Image from freedomlifealliance.com

 

Here are the advisories on Success200 and F.L.A.G Prosperity:

Continue reading SEC Issues Advisories on MLM Companies Success200 and FLAG Prosperity