Hakuhodo/BCi

07/04/2026

People before consumers.

Hakuhodo executives share why human understanding still leads the best work, partnerships, and the future of creativity in Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

Watch the video.

24/03/2026

What does it truly mean to see people beyond just being consumers?

For Gemma Alcantara, CEO of Hakuhodo International Philippines, it’s about “Understanding that our people are also Seikatsusha — they have their own dreams and aspirations, things that make them happy or sad or afraid. As Hakuhodo, we want to empower them to become the best that they can be.”

Advertising that merely showcases product or service features is long dead. In the last decade or so, there’s been a growing obsession with emotional and culturally nuanced campaigns. Brands are rolling out one tearjerking or hilarious or culturally anchored campaign film after another, all in a b...

06/02/2026

Thank you, everyone, for being part of the HIU ASEAN Block Meeting!

Over the past two days, we’ve shared perspectives, strengthened partnerships, and aligned on the path forward. What we’ve built here goes beyond discussion, it marks another step toward a stronger and more innovative community.

Thank you to each delegate and speaker for your thoughtful insights and commitment. Though our time together concludes today, the progress we’ve sparked will continue to grow.

We look forward to what we’ll achieve next, together!

05/02/2026

That’s a wrap on Day 1 of the HIU ASEAN Block Meeting! It has been an incredible start, filled with high-level discussions and fresh perspectives. We’re just getting started, and we're looking forward to keeping this momentum going tomorrow for Day 2!

25/11/2025

: Work That Speaks for Itself

Our multi-category recognitions at the Panata Awards 2025 reflect the standard we uphold at Hakuhodo-BCI Group: creativity grounded in insight, executed with discipline, and proven effective across different challenges.

Our gratitude goes to our partners Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., BPl, and Japan To***co International (JTI) Philippines for the trust that made this work possible.

We look forward to collaborating with more brands that aim to move people, shape categories, and create work that delivers meaningful business outcomes.

13/11/2025

: Conversations That Move Business Forward

At Hakuhodo-BCI Group, we believe brands grow by understanding people and the realities of change.

Our recent HBCI Halloween Townhall transformed fear into inspiration as we gathered thought leaders across industries such as Elizabeth Pangan (Microsoft Philippines), AJ Braga Jr. (What’s Your Ulam, Pare?), Mon Gualvez (TV5), Gabriel Benito (Nexplay), and Happee Sy-Go Happee Hour (Pulp Live World) for a conversation on leading and creating through uncertainty.

These exchanges strengthen how we partner, plan, and move businesses forward at Hakuhodo-BCI Group.

04/11/2025

: Creativity That Shapes the Future of Brands

At Hakuhodo-BCI Group, creativity isn’t just an output. It’s a way of solving business problems through human understanding.

The Panata Awards 2025 celebrated that belief, shortlisting our work for Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Cookmunity by Ajinomoto Philippines, and Ploom — campaigns that combined empathy, insight, and measurable impact.

These shortlists, together with our HDigital Managing Director Gelo Balingit’s Digital Expert of the Year recognition, affirm our commitment to building meaningful brands through creativity that endures.

23/10/2025

× : How do you talk about life insurance without sounding like… life insurance? You start by listening to what people really talk about — dreams, dilemmas, and the search for safe spaces to be themselves.

That insight sparked our work for EastWest Ageas, where we turned financial insurance into something real and relatable through Find Your Purple, a barkada-style web series that brings to life the friendships, choices, and turning points that shape financial decisions.

From insight to impact, Unit 8 crafted the concept, storytelling, and even the original soundtrack that captured the series’ energy and optimism! HDigital ensured it reached the audiences who needed it most through strategic amplification and precise targeting.

Now two episodes in, Find Your Purple continues to spark real talk on life and decision-making, as the series expands to show how financial protection connects with everyday realities.

21/10/2025

: When Championing the Customer Wins Clients' Hearts

Customer Experience isn’t just a touchpoint for us—it’s the thread that connects everything we do.

When JTI launched Ploom in October 2024, they needed a partner who could turn their vision into lived experiences. eNav Marketing Services, Inc. rose to the challenge, leading end-to-end Customer Experience work that includes Customer Journey Strategy, Own Retail Operations, Activations, Retail Staff Screening, Hiring and Training, e-Commerce Operations and Logistics, and Retention programs - all backed by a robust Data Management Platform — not just as their executing agency but as their trade marketer!

What set our work apart? We designed journeys around real people. Every visit was intuitive. Every interaction, intentional. Every moment, designed to feel personal.

The result: experiences that resonated, engagement that mattered, and a launch that delivered.

That commitment earned eNAV the Customer Centric Award at the JTI Partners’ Guild 2025. Because when every experience begins with people, excellence naturally follows.

13/10/2025

: “Leaders are not just those in so-called management positions. Everyone is challenged to be self-leaders.” — Gemma Alcantara

In fast-paced, high-pressure work environments, leadership is often centralized. It is confined to job titles, org charts, and top-down decisions.

But that model misses out on something powerful: ownership at every level.

When everyone leads with empathy, accountability, and purpose, it creates a culture of trust, agility, and real collaboration. That’s how we grow strong teams, and even stronger ideas.

👇Read more on how we’re building a culture of self-leadership.

For Gemma Alcantara, CEO of Hakuhodo/BCi Group, leadership begins and ends with people. This is a belief that underpins not only her management style but the way she views the entire business of advertising.