What's new, what's now, what's next for Ayala Malls?

Note from TWIST: As a writer for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, I've covered the annual Ayala Malls Merchant Rewards for the last five years. Every year, the accompanying merchants forum talks about interesting and important topics that are timely and timeless. Ayala Malls came out with a 10-page special section in the Inquirer last March 31. Here's an excerpt of one of the articles I wrote. More coming up soon! Enjoy! :) - Kenneth M. del Rosario

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Some of the winners in this year's Ayala Malls Merchant Rewards

Amidst all the choices and extensive information consumers have at their fingertips, it has become a question of how well retail brands can tap into brand influencers, experts and brand ambassadors alike to help them navigate—and come out as winners—in the country’s ever evolving retail landscape.

Nowadays, shoppers look toward industry influencers—those who seem to have authority in their respective fields—to help them decide which latest fashion trends to follow; what must-have gadgets they need to check out; and what the next big dining establishment is in the offing.

Clearly, the shifting shopping behaviour in the country is the result of consumers who have become more democratic, demanding, and more informed about the product and services they need and want.

These relevant issues, among many others, were discussed at the 8th Ayala Malls Merchant Rewards held last March 19 and 20 at the Intercontinental Manila in Makati City. The two-day forum is one of the components of the 14th Ayala Malls Merchant Rewards, where deserving merchant partners receive awards.

With the theme “In the Sphere of Influencers: What’s Next?” expert speakers and panellists were invited to share their valuable insights on maximizing a product or a brand’s influence on the public through various platforms and marketing channels; and harnessing new ones to stay relevant in today’s seemingly fickle market.

The Merchant Rewards, as is tradition now, comes in two parts: The two-day 8^th Merchants Forum that gathers the most respected experts and panellists; and the actual Awards Nights where deserving partner merchants are recognized for their efforts in the past year.

The 8^th Merchant Forum lined up an impressive roster of speakers from here and abroad who are the leading experts in their respective industries. (More of the speakers and their presentations later.)

The event’s key note speaker is no less than tourism secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. who emphasized the power of “Brand Philippines” in the country’s bid to get a bigger chunk of the tourists from around the world. 

With the extensive sources of information—traditional media, digital media, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and the likes), the most important thing for retailers to do is to stay one step ahead of the rest by keeping an eye on effective industry influencers that can propel their brands into household names.

Soon, these partnerships with brand ambassadors and experts should turn the positive hype into a more productive brand names that bring continuous business for years to come.