Our Taiwan Holiday

Christmas is the time of the year when everyone longs for the company of loved ones.  You may be apart for most of the year but come Christmastime, everyone heads home. The OFW, weary from toiling from whatever part of the globe he works from, looks forward to this time to be reunited with his family.  Our family is no different but we did it the other way round.  We chose to join our daughter, Nina, in Taipei, Taiwan.  Nina is taking up her Junior Term Abroad program at a local university in Taichung City.  This is our family's first Christmas overseas.

Waiting for boarding time.

Our journey started when we arrived a little past midnight on December 24 at Taoyuan International Airport (formerly Chiang Kai Shek Airport).  Nina arranged an airport pick up service for us. We were met by an elderly Taiwanese hotel representative who could speak a little English.  At least we could understand each other.  My knowledge of Mandarin is limited to only Nihao, Xiexie and Wei. At exactly 1am, our transport service arrived, a Mercedes Benz limo of the E series being driven by a uniformed chauffeur.  So that's the reason why it cost an arm and a leg.  If the elderly Taiwanese talked conversational English, our driver was clueless, unfortunately.  It's as if we had a deafmute for a driver.

Marco and Kara waiting for boarding time.

Our driver dropped us at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel Taipei by 2am.  A very friendly hotel staff welcomed us and all of them could speak English.  Thank God.  After checking-in, we  all settled in our rooms for a much-needed sleep.

Evergreen Laurel Hotel Taipei

Nina arrived at 1pm after a two and a half hours bus ride from Taichung City.  We were reunited after more than three months from the time she left Manila.  She could already speak basic Mandarin and it came in handy when we were scouting for a place where we can eat lunch.  We found out that communicating with the Taiwanese people, yes even in Taipei, is a major problem.  Foreigners visiting the Philippines are very lucky.  They won't have a hard time being understood while in the Philippines.  I wonder why our tourism industry is fledgling compared to Taiwan's?

A friend who had gone to Taiwan earlier tipped us that Taiwan street food is good.  We had our firsthand experience eating street food when we went to Shida night market.  Night markets have sprouted throughout Taipei and are a haven for bargain hunters and street food lovers.  If you have teenage children, be prepared to have enough money to buy all those clothes, shoes, bags and fashion accessories that they're sure to love.  I wasn't able to buy anything for myself as I was too tired from walking to browse on the different items that the stores were selling.  It was also drizzling and it just dampened our interest in shopping.  We went back to the hotel with only a few things bought, not enough to compensate for the time and effort that we poured into it.

Christmas Day in Taipei is like any ordinary day.  It lacked the glitter and the excitement that characterized Christmas as I knew it.  There were no Christmas songs blaring the airwaves, people were not rushing to do last minute shopping and traffic was smooth sailing.  I suddenly thought of Christmases past, the mad preparation for noche buena and family reunions.  Maybe Christmas is really merry in Christian countries as compared to countries which are non-Christian.  For our Taipei Christmas, we first heard Mass at a local church before eating lunch at a restaurant recommended by the Filipino taxi driver who drove us around Taipei.  We were fortunate to have met Rodel, the Filipino taxi driver who acted as our de-facto tour guide while going to some of the different tourist attractions of Taiwan.  Now I know why packaged tours are selling even if they are expensive.  How can a tourist enjoy his vacation when he doesn't know where and how to go to places?  Lack of knowledge of the language makes things worse.

In front of the monument of Chiang Kai Shek

Marco, Nina and Kara at the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial

On our last day in Taiwan, we capped the day with a Mass (it was a Sunday) and a tour of Taipei 101. The Mass was officiated by a Filipino priest and I noticed that 95% of those who attended Mass were women.  These women are the Filipina domestic helpers and caregivers that make life comfortable for Taiwanese careerwomen.  I felt a tug in my heart at the sight of these women, for the sacrifices they have to endure to provide for their loved ones back home.

The tour of Taipei 101 was truly memorable.  Taipei 101 boasts of having the fastest elevator in the world, you can reach the 89th floor from the 5th floor in just 37 seconds.  There was nary a sound nor a movement while in the elevator.  Once at the 89th floor, one got to see a panoramic view of Taipei City and environs.  The building is an architectural wonder, it has a damper at the 88th floor to maintain the balance specially in the event of an earthquake.  The same floor also housed the Treasure Sky, touted as the World's Highest Jewelry Arts Boutique.  It showcases exquisite art pieces made of coral gemstones.  It is Taiwanese craftmanship at its finest.

At Taipei 101

Coral gemstones at the Treasure Sky

After sending off Nina to her bullet train for her trip back to Taichung, the four of us, Jun, Marco, Kara and I headed off to the airport (with Rodel at the wheel) to wait for our plane.  We left Taiwan with fond memories and I will not be surprised if we go back in the very near future.  My only misgiving with this trip is we were not able to ride the MRT and the bullet trains.  You see trains hold a special place in my heart.

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Tokens of Kindness

Whenever the month of December comes, people often reflect on their lives.  They think of the year that is about to end.  Most people mull over how fortunate they are compared to others with the countless blessings that came along their way.  With this realization comes a resolve to give back some goodness to others, some random acts of kindness. 

A random act of kindness is something that is being extended to people or animals without expecting something in return.  It doesn't have to cost anything.  As Aesop would say, "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."  

How to start?  Decide to be nice and good.  Once it becomes a habit, it becomes a way of life.  It could either be assisting an elderly cross a street, adopting a stray cat instead of kicking it out of the gate, or by speaking kind words even if you are raging with anger.  That little gesture of kindness may not be important to the doer but it sure does mean a lot to the recipient.  It could positively affect the recipient's day and attitude.

Dear reader, what have you done lately that elicited a smile or a pat on the back?  For my part, I informed two of my Digital Marketing classmates of a job opening in a prestigious company and felt so good after.  If any one of them gets accepted, I would have contributed something significant to their career.  

http://everything2.com/title/Random+acts+of+kindness

http://www.catalogs.com/info/spirituality/random-acts-of-kindness.html

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"Best Wedding Video" Contest

Delicious Cupcakes

Christmas is fast approaching and as the BER months approach, people are getting preoccupied with what to give to loved ones, officemates, friends, neighbors.  Gifts vary according to the receiver.  Gifts for family and dear friends are usually valuable hence are expensive.  For office colleagues, neighbors and friends, gifts could be baked or cooked goodies, products of an enterprising relative's creativity or  some China made trinkets that could be bought from 168.

Like everyone else, I want to give gifts without breaking the bank.   For years, I baked fruit cakes and chocolate chip cookies, made cassava cakes,  made sardines for  gifts.  Not only was I able to save money from my home-made giveaways, I also earned a handsome amount from selling fruit cakes.

For this year, my daughter Kara and I trooped to the Maya Test Kitchen to learn how to make mouth-watering cupcakes.  Cupcakes have been the craze for the past two years with the emergence of Sonja's Cupcakes et al.  These little goodies could cost between P20  and P80 each depending on how intricate the frosting and decoration are.  Cupcakes have also become a favorite wedding and debut giveaway.

Kara & I rode the MRT at the North Avenue station and alighted at Ayala station and then took a cab going to Maya Kitchen's building.  We arrived just in time  as Chef Nikko Buendia was being introduced to the class.  She shared recipes of her bestselling cupcakes, demonstrated how to do them and the difficult part was to make the cake toppings.  Toppings could be anything.  For Christmas, one can choose from angel, star, bells or anything to commemorate the occasion. We had fun garnishing our cupcakes with chocolate chips, sprinkles, and other cake decors.

Thinking on how to decorate my cupcakes.

The fruits of my creativity.

With Chef Nikko and Maya Kitchen employee.

I must admit that I find cooking easier than baking.  Baking is a science, everything should be precise.  With cooking I can make adjustments if something did not turn out right.  But there's a certain high and fulfillment in turning out baked items.  Maybe I should put my heart in baking.  I'll start with cupcakes.

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Our Family's Davao Getaway

Exactly one year ago today, our family went to Davao upon the invitation of a Couples for Christ brother and sister, Edward and Rownee Braceros.  We stayed at their house as Bro. Edward was against us checking-in in a nearby hotel.  Except for Jun, my husband, all of us are first timers at Davao.

It all started when Cebu Pacific had a promo.  Airplane fares to domestic destinations were slashed by 50%.  I readily went online to book our reservation.  The best time for us was the November break as all our children are on semestral break.  When you have grown children, it is so difficult to plan a vacation as everyone has his own schedule to contend with.

We took the first flight for Davao to be able to maximize our time there.  I was wrong.  We were late to go to our first destination for a lunch at the beach of Samal Island as the children were all sleepy as they didn't have enough sleep. Lunch we had but we have to forego of the swimming as the children were tired.  The only other activity for our first day was a Mass.

On the way to Samal Island

The following day, we were all excited in going to the different tourist attractions.  We have already regained our strength and energy after a sumptuous dinner cooked by no less than Bro. Edward and a full night's sleep.  We spent the morning at the Philippine Eagle Center where the nearly extinct Philippine eagles are cared for.  Aside from the eagles, there were monkeys, crocodiles, hawks, owls, snakes and other big birds that you can only see in books.  We should really take a stake in the upkeep of this place is we want our grandchildren to see the nearly extinct birds.

Sir Arny, Philippine Eagle

It  was the Eden Nature Park in the afternoon.  Cool and serene, this park showcases the different trees and vegetables that Eden Farms are producing that end up in the vegetable/fruit sections of known supermarkets in Metro Manila.  We rode an open van that brought us to the different parts of the park:  lodges, camping ground (I would try this on our next Davao trip), swimming area, fishing area, big tracts of land planted to vegetables and fruit trees like mangosteen, durian, and others that are synonymous with Davao.  To cap our day, we had a merienda of fresh vegetable salad straight from the farm.

Our last day in Davao, we spent the day buying tuna and pomelo and a visit at the Crocodile Farm and the Butterfly House.  We learned a lot from Crocodile Farm.  We saw crocodiles of different stages, from babies to mature ones.  My daughters enjoyed feeding the ostriches and taking video of an orangutan showing his antics to his audience.  My son on the other hand ate barbecue made of ostrich and snake meat.

There are a lot of places to be seen in Davao.  The food is good, the weather is fine.  My daughters even said that they want to live in Davao.  Thank you Edward and Rownee for making our first visit to Davao truly memorable.

The Jimenezes of Sorsogon

Image via Wikipedia

With the Philippines under the rule of Spain for 300 years, it is not surprising that the majority of Filipinos had descended from a Spanish ancestor.  I am no exception.  Jimenez is a family name of Spanish origin and is very common in Asturias, Castile, Navarre, Extremadura, Murcia and Andalusia.  It first appeared in the mountainous borders of Spain's Basque lands.  Jimenez is a patronymic form of the name Jimeno plus the Spanish suffix "ez" meaning "son of" derived from the parents' given names, thus, Jimenez means "son of Jimeno".

I am the eldest child of Ramon and Thelma Jimenez.  My father was born and raised in Sorsogon, Sorsogon, now Sorsogon City, the capital of Sorsogon province.  The question now is who is the ancestor of the present generation of Jimenezes of Sorsogon?

According to history, the first Jimenez arrived in Sorsogon sometime between 1565 to 1570.  It was during this time that the then Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who was based in Panay dispatched an expeditionary force to gather provisions for the starving Spanish force in Panay and at the same time evangelize the natives that they would chance upon.  This force was headed by Capt. Luis Enriquez de Guzman and joined by their chaplain, the Augustinian friar, Fray Alonso Jimenez.  They stumbled upon the fishing village , Gibalong, at the mouth of the Ginangra River in what is now called Magallanes, Sorsogon.  The village Gibalong is the very first Christian settlement in Luzon.  It was here that the first Mass in Luzon was celebrated by of course, Fray Alonso Jimenez.  Aside from Sorsogon, Fray Jimenez visited other places in Luzon trying to preach the Gospel.

My father and my uncle, Arturo Jimenez claim that Fray Alonso was quite a ladies' man. They said that with his forays to the different parts of Luzon as a man of the cloth, that could account why Jimenezes are scattered throughout the country.  Is it safe to assume that the Jimenezes of Sorsogon descended from this friar, Fray Alonso Jimenez?  That Jose Rizal's Padre Damaso is no fiction after all?

Jimenez' Coat of Arms

http://genealogy.about.com/cs/surname/a/spanish_names.htm

http://www.ancestry.com/facts/jimenez-family-history.ashx

http://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Sorsogon_City,_Sorsogon,_Philippines

Who Will Teach My Children?

"Stand up for life, stand up for love".  Those are the words that stuck in my mind from the lecture that Atty. Jo Imbong, Legal Counsel of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) gave at the Teaching Night for the Couples for Christ's Mission Core Group.  The  Mission Core Group or MCG is made up of all top leaders of the Catholic lay organization.  Since I know that the stand of Couples for Christ in the raging war on reproductive health is the same as that of the Catholic Church, I expected a rehash of the arguments a few years back.  I admit that my stand on some of the provisions of the bill are debatable and/or do not conform with the stand of my Church and my being a "leader" of Couples for Christ, one provision though woke me up from complacency.  The controversial provision is the mandatory reproductive health education for Filipino children from Grade 5 to high school.  From what I heard from Atty. Imbong and from my readings, the sex education, as it is commonly referred to, will be taught to the youth by someone whom they don't know or are close to.  I feel strongly on this as this bill will usurp my role as a confidante and friend to my children.  Not only do I believe that it is my right as a mother to explain to my children this highly sensitive issue of sex education but I would be assuring them that I only have their best interest in mind.  Does a health worker or teacher know better when to teach my children the "birds and the bees"?  Do they know how my child will react on this topic?  What about the health worker and teacher?  Are they comfortable in implementing the RH bill if it is against the teaching of their Church?

I agree that government has to make the most of its meager resources in delivering the best services to its citizens.  In the first place, governments exist for the people.  But will this mandatory reproductive health education for minors be the answer for government to be able to deliver basic services to more of its people?  Isn't providing quality public education and livelihood opportunities better alternatives so the youth will be spared from early parenthood and teen marriages?  In my more than five years serving in a depressed area, I found out that teen pregnancies were common to out-of-school youths and to those with absentee parents.  H. G. Bohn's "A Handbook of Proverbs" encapsulates it with this verse:  "An idle brain is the devil's workshop."  On the other hand, lack of better employment opportunities for the majority of the people make "orphans" of our youth.  Parents are forced by circumstance to seek better opportunities elsewhere to make both ends meet leaving children with little or no guidance at all. 

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Bravo Khan Academy!

I brought my daughter Kara last Tuesday to Loyola Student Center, a tutorial and review center along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, to help her prepare for her quarterly exams in Geometry.  She said she was having difficulty and feared she would fail in the exams.  I forked out P800 for two hours of review which I fervently hope helped her only to find out three days later that I could have saved that P800.

Three days after, I saw the video that one of my friends in Facebook posted about Khan Academy.  He also wrote on his wall "Go back to school for free.  And you don't have to leave home."  It's home-based and best of all, it's free.  Fantastic!  I viewed the video and found out that Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization created and sustained by Salman Khan, is one of the 5 winners of Google's Project 10 to the 100.  Google awarded the academy $2 million "to support the creation of more courses and to enable it to translate their core library into the world's most widely spoken languages."  Checking out its website, I was introduced to a free online collection of 2,000 videos on mathematics, science, history and economics.  Yes siree, Geometry is included.  If only I saw this website earlier, my daughter need not go to a review center for her Geometry exams.

How did Khan Academy come about?  It all started when Salman Khan, a Bangladeshi American, began tutoring his cousin in mathematics using Yahoo!'s Doodle notepad. He decided to distribute the tutorials on YouTube when more relatives and friends sought his help. The popularity of his tutorials and testimonials of appreciative students prompted him to quit his job in finance in 2009 and work for the Academy full time.  Sal Khan's long-term goals are to provide "tens of thousands of videos in many subjects" and to create the "the world's first free, world-class virtual school."

Bravo Salman Khan!  You are laudable for making the dream of a quality education within the reach of everyone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Academy
http://www.project10tothe100.com/index.html

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My Bucket List Part 2

Image via Wikipedia

As promised, here is my next 10 desires for my bucket list:  Please refer to an earlier post entitled My Bucket List.

11.  Build my dream house on a rolling terrain with my dream kitchen in it.  How would you like to cook up goodies with every gadget that you will be needing is within your reach?  Oh, that would be nirvana.
12.  Go on vacation riding my recreational vehicle with my husband, children with their respective families.
13.  Send at least 100 indigent students to college.  I believe that a good education is the best thing that a parent can give to his child.  Armed with a good education, a poor person has a fighting chance in uplifting his present predicament.
14.  Set up a real estate business which will take care of the retirement needs of my husband and I.
15.  Learn hydrophonics.  While in Malaysia, I saw premium vegetables like lettuce, asparagus, herbs grown in a small patch of a rocky and hilly land.  I cringed at the thought of barren tracts of land back home.
16.  Turn my Dad's agricultural lands into productive ventures.  These agricultural lands have been handed down to my Dad from his father and forebears and were the fruits of their hard work.  I would like to give tribute to them by making these lands productive and away from the long hand of the Department of Agrarian Reform.
17.  Have a farm with a mango orchard and fire trees lined up like sentinels at the entrance of the farm.  I dream of the day when my eyes will be able to feast on splashes of red and yellow.
18.  I would like that my husband and I be able to bequeath to each of our children a house and lot.
19.  Have a successful business/businesses with all my children helping out.   I would like them to work hard for what their parents had started and enjoy the fruits at the same time.
20.  Build a beach house.  It is so nice to hear the sound of the waves as they hit the sand and lull you to sleep.

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Kind Words

Image via Wikipedia

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the taste and good for your health." (Proverbs 16:24)

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." (Mother Teresa)

"Speak kind words and you will hear kind echoes." (Anonymous)

Those are just some of the quotes about Kind Words.  The importance of speaking kind words transcends time.  It was already recognized from the Bible days up to contemporary times.  We can not underestimate the power of a kind word.  It can bring back life to a dreary existence or put a smile on the lips of an overstressed corporate animal.  A kind word radiates positivism where there is negativism.  A lot of things can happen through the passage of time but the effects of a kind word cannot be underrated.

How much does it take to speak kind words?  The good news is it doesn't cost much nor does it entail a lot from us.  We can start by saying "Please" when requesting for a favor, "Thanks" when something favorable has been done to us.  When words are not sufficient, a smile can do wonders.  We cannot go wrong when we give back something good.  We receive a better one in return and the gesture goes a long, long way.

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My Bucket List

"A life list is a set of goals that you set for yourself covering all the different areas of your life. It's meant to ensure that you decide who you want to be, and what you want to do and have in life, and that you take the necessary action to accomplish these things." -- Marelisa Fabrega

A month ago, I read the posting of one of my Facebook friends asking us what our bucket list is.  Her posting is a reaction to the grief that she is feeling for not telling her cancer-stricken sister how much she loved her  when she visited her two months before the latter died.  This got me thinking.  Why not make a list?  Why create one in the first place?  Having one will make us maximize every moment of our existence.  It will remind us of what is/are important instead of wasting time in futile activities.

I am making my bucket list or life list not because I am dying or afflicted with a life-threatening disease but I just want to enumerate the things that I really want to do.   I would like to share how I did mine.

As much as possible, refrain from putting qualifiers to your to-dos like if you can afford it or you are healthy enough to do it.  What is important is you were able to name the things that mean much to you.  Once you have them, start planning and take the necessary steps to achieve your wish list.  My list could be similar from what you have in terms of number of things to be achieved or the nature of the list itself but it takes a unique form when it comes on how to attain it.  

For starters, these are the things that I would like to do.  The list is not yet final and I will add new dreams from time to time.  Here goes:

1. I would like to visit all the famed Philippine tourist spots.  I don't want to be a stranger in my own land.
2. Make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2012.
3. I want to tour Europe and have my fill of Italian and Spanish cuisines.
4. Ride the gondola at Venice.
5. I want to scale the Great Wall of China.
6. I want to ride a cruise ship.
7. I want to set up a profitable blog.
8. I want to have a restaurant serving timeless recipes.
9. Study voice lessons so I can reach all the high notes singing my favorite songs in a karaoke bar.  (I can dream, can't I?  Lol.)
10. Lose 50 pounds before 2016.

http://www.squidoo.com/100things#module84531591
http://celestinechua.com/blog/whats-on-your-bucket-list-101-things-to-do-before-you-die

The All-Powerful and Almighty Mobile Phone

After watching the video, this is the only thing I have to say:  one cannot afford to be complacent and rest on one’s laurels.   Advancements in information technology have been so rapid that one has to continuously evolve to stay on top.  Take the case of the mobile phone.  You paid a fortune for the latest model of a Nokia phone only to find out that its value will be half of the original price when you bought it six months ago.  It lost its luster with the arrival of newer and more improved models.

New technology has put quite a few gadgets obsolete.  Who can forget the Easy Call beepers, PDAs, analog mobile phones, Kodak instamatic cameras?  These were the essentials years back but today one will not be caught one with it.  Traditional media have not been spared from the advent of this new technology.  Newspapers are suffering declines in circulation while television and radio companies are losing ad revenues to non-traditional media.  Marketers and manufacturers are forced to go back to the drawing board to think of ways to catch the attention of the average consumer.  New technology saw the emergence of the prosumer, the empowered consumer.  The consumer now has a say to the products he wants to buy. It’s as if he has contributed something to the creation of a product by way of offering feedbacks and comments.

Did you know that mobile service will be the world’s primary connection tool to the internet in 2020? It is but logical that since the prosumer is King, marketers will tailor-fit their advertising initiatives to his needs.  The medium used by which to reach him should take into consideration his convenience.  What better way to reach him but through his mobile phone.  In the Philippines, owning a mobile phone is a must.  It has transcended social classes.  One doesn’t have to be in the ABC bracket to own one.  It has been noted that people would prioritize the buying of prepaid cards than food. 

The mobile phone is really convenient as it can be put in one’s pocket or bag.  One just has to take it out of the bag or pocket when he needs it. 

Though the Philippines can boast that 75% of its population has a mobile phone,  smartphone owners comprise only 26% of the total though it has doubled from its 2009 figure. Nowadays, going online  using the mobile phone could prove to be expensive.  In 2020, that may not be the scenario.  Telcos will be offering different services to the consumer to be able to give value for its money. Convergence will pull down costs and subsequently make internet connection by mobile phone affordable.

Old Friends

One of my closest friends from high school, Este, recently came home for her annual vacation. Her two- week vacation is spent visiting relatives, reuniting with friends and hieing off to any of the different beautiful spots in the country. This year she and her family went to Panglao, Bohol. Last year it was El Nido, Palawan.

On her first week here in Manila, she met with three of her former classmates, Tess, Nanette and yours truly. We treated her to a sumptuous lunch at Fely J's. Everybody was unanimous in ordering sinigang na bangus belly sa bayabas. It was a hit and I think I will never tire eating it even if I will have it everyday. For our coffee and dessert fix, we went to Cafe Breton. Since everybody likes mango, we ordered a mango crepe with chocolate syrup. It was a perfect match to our coffee. Our day didn't end there, though. Este invited us to where she and her family were staying while here in Manila. Before heading to Este's place, we had pictures taken of our little outing in Makati.

At Este's place, we talked of a lot of things like children, house chores, maids, cooking and menopause. That last word puts a bitter taste to the mouth. Lol. Oh by the way the red wine that Este served us was so good even if our pulutan was bibingka. Well who cares if the pulutan was not perfect for the very good red wine. We all had a good time just being together.

Why Mobile Marketing?

Image by premasagar via Flickr

When I first learned from my Digital Marketing Wiki Course that the mobile phone will play a very significant role in Digital Marketing, I found it hard to believe. I ask myself: How can a small gadget host a myriad of graphics, colors and content? Will it be effective?


When I registered in the Mobile Marketing Course, it was more of a compliance to the Digital Marketing Diploma Program. I was not excited to say the least. The succeeding courses are more cool and exciting.


On the first day of the course, the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) tasked to deliver the lecture, successfully justified the importance of Mobile Marketing. My perception on the effectiveness of mobile as a medium for marketing changed. One cannot underestimate the capability of mobile to reach a larger segment of society compared to other media. In the Philippines, there are 75 million mobile phone subscribers. This translates to 8 out of 10 people having a mobile phone. 75 million subscribers is nothing to sneeze at as it represents 82% of the Philippine population.


Mobile has the highest level of engagement and interaction and can deliver on its promise of one-on-one marketing. It has become the fastest way to communicate with anyone as people never seem to turn off their mobile devices unlike any other media. The device encourages the brand to interact with the consumer on an intimate basis. Because it is intimate, it has targeting capabilities. Messages can be sent in a relevant, tailored and timely manner. The consumer receives the right messages at the right time and the right place. This translates for mobile marketing to have high conversion rates.


Mobile marketing is measurable. It is easy to monitor the amount spent, the rate of conversion and how many participated in the campaign.


Aside from all of the reasons stated above on mobile as a very potent marketing medium, its use would be better appreciated and maximized if there is a corresponding investment on the part of handset manufacturers in data transmission speeds and for telcos in terms of bandwidth. The lack of which will compromise the future of mobile marketing.


What can mobile marketing do to a brand? For one, it can increase brand awareness of a product. SMS raffles, mCoupons, mSampling, downloads, info-on demand, mobile hotline can very well deliver more awareness for the brand. Because of the very nature of mobile marketing campaigns wherein a customer has to register vital information about himself, mobile marketing can generate profile opt-in database for the brand. This database can be mined extensively by the brand for future campaigns and strategies. The brand can also further interactivity with the customer by leading him to a website wherein he can read more information about the product. Loyalty programs can be created from the database on hand. These activities all point to increasing the company's revenues.


Though mobile marketing seems the way to go putting into consideration its wide reach and targeting capabilities, it can not be a stand alone campaign. It works best with traditional marketing media.