By: Zenia Pearl V. Nicolas
Lessons on authenticity, pitfalls, and purpose from Havaianas, Love, Bonito & LEXER
In a world flooded with content, ads, and algorithms—how do you make your brand unforgettable?
At the Retail & E-commerce Summit Asia 2025, industry trailblazers Anne Arcenas-Gonzales of Havaianas, Dione Song of Love, Bonito, and Ben Moreau of LEXER pulled back the curtain on what really works in branding today. Moderated by Wilcon Depot’s Rosemarie Bosch Ong, the Fireside Chat was more than just a panel, it was a raw and refreshingly honest conversation about authenticity, community, pitfalls, and the real meaning of customer connection in 2025.
This wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about anchoring in truth—and learning from the missteps along the way.
Know Your Brand Like a Best Friend
Anne Arcenas-Gonzales of Terry SA wasted no time getting real:
“Before you even begin working with KOLs or influencers—know yourself FIRST.”
She emphasized that without a clear, unapologetic sense of identity, no amount of social media buzz will land.
“You’re wasting a lot of hard money on these KOLs. You need to know your brand well and make it clear what your brand stands for.
You need to be able to let them know what they do best in the most authentic way.”
She called it “brand fit”—the essential ‘F’ that too many brands overlook while burning through budgets.
Dione Song of Love, Bonito echoed that thought: “Consumers today can see right through you. They can tell the difference. They know when you’re just trying to sell. That’s why authenticity is not optional—it’s foundational.”
Beyond Clicks: Learning from Pitfalls and Missed Opportunities
The panel didn’t shy away from the hard truths either. When asked about pitfalls and missteps, both Anne and Dione offered raw, honest insights that many brands face—but rarely talk about.
Dione shared that at Love, Bonito, they invested heavily in loyalty referrals, and user-generated content, “I think it’s important to test and try…” but the real turning point came when they started involving their community in the creative process.
“We asked them to vote on product designs. Suddenly, sales moved. Why?
Because people felt like they were part of something—they were co-creating the brand.”
‘Live selling was also a learning curve’, she added. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Test, try, evolve. Even simple activations—like ‘bring a friend and get a discount’ can build loyalty faster than ads ever will.
Anne, on the other hand, revealed how they were late to jump on live selling and that taught them a lot.
“It’s not about hardselling. It’s about ‘budol’ moments—those impulse buys sparked by storytelling and relatability.
TikTok Shop helped us see how even flip-flops can be elevated when presented through a fashion show or lifestyle lens.”
The bottom line here is the most impactful marketing isn’t always loud—it’s true, participatory, and humble enough to listen.
Data, Pop-Ups, and Pop Culture: Strategy with Soul
In an age where platforms are as competitive as products, brands are learning to coexist across channels. Both speakers acknowledged the power of ecommerce and marketplaces but affirmed the enduring power of offline experience.
Anne pointed out that while 20–25% of their business now comes from ecommerce, the physical store still owns the storytelling. “It’s the beginning of the journey. You see it. You touch it. It becomes real.”
Dione expressed that, ‘ecommerce lets you test, learn, and scale fast—but numbers don’t always mean insight.
When sales slow, it’s often because you’re not truly connecting with your customers. There is a value in being offline, you can try and think bigger, focus too on loyalty — that way, it’s so much easy to keep the customer.
Ben Moreau of LEXER chimed in with a reminder:
“Think like your customer. Be like your customer.” In other words, live where they live—on data, on platforms, in their hearts.
VAT, AI, and the Big Picture
Talk shifted to the impact of the new 12% VAT regulation. According to the BIR, a 12% VAT will be applied to all digital services consumed in the Philippines starting June 2025. This covers both local and foreign providers—even those without a physical office here.
For Havaianas, Anne was clear: “We don’t want to pass the cost on to customers. This is a moment to sharpen your data, measure ROI, and stop chasing FOMO.”
Dione addressed marketplace competition with candor: “You can’t compete with fast fashion by being loud. You compete by being real.”
As they looked ahead to 2025, the conversation turned to AI—not as a buzzword, but as a tool for meaning. “AI isn’t here to replace us,” Ben reminds.
“It’s here to help us make better, braver decisions.”
Anne beautifully concluded:
“You want to come home fulfilled.
Not just counting metrics, but knowing your work was meaningful.”
In a World of Noise, Be a Voice with Purpose
As the discussion came to a close, one message lingered in the air—soft but undeniable:
Know who you are. Stay true.
And above all, don’t forget the people who believed in your brand before the world did.
In a world where everyone is fighting to be louder, these leaders reminded us that the real strength of a brand isn’t in its noise—it’s in its heartbeat. It’s in the quiet moments where a customer votes on a product design, not because they were paid to, but because they felt part of something. It’s in the small surveys, the soft-selling Tiktok moments, the handwritten loyalty gestures, and the silent but powerful act of knowing your customer by heart.
The future of retail may be powered by AI, omnichannel platforms, and digital ecosystems—but it will always belong to the brands that dare to show up with honesty, vulnerability, and intention.
Because long after the campaign ends, the ad budget runs out, and the algorithm shifts again—what people remember most is how your brand made them feel.
Not the promos. Not the platforms. But the connection.
That’s not just good marketing.
That’s the kind of brand-building that leaves a mark—
Not for a quarter, but for a lifetime.
#rockbirdmedia #GrowBeyond
