AVC and TFC Reveals Why Filipino Canadian Audiences Is an Unexplored ‘Goldmine’

AVC and TFC took the lead by organizing Filipi-NOW, the first webinar in North America that provided marketers an intimate look at Philippine Canadian audiences, insights, and media.

During the hour-long session, AVC CEO Joycelyn David together with Raymond Olano, Head of Partner Marketing; Rosary Escano, Regional Marketing Head; and Abigail Katigbak, Partner Marketing Specialist at ABS-CBN Global elaborated on what exactly makes the Filipino consumer tick.

“The Filipino market is very unique. We’re not homogenous. There’s first-generation and second-generation Filipinos. Not all Filipinos speak the same language. There’s a lot of dialects. And so, when we work with brands and clients, we like to help provide deeper segmentation for them in terms of how best to align their brand to the personas of the audience,” says David.

Filipinos come to Canada from different walks of life. 77% are first-generation immigrants composed of family migrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers who are building their careers in the hospitality, healthcare, and trade sectors. Their migration journeys may be different from each other, but they’re all bound by a strong connection to the motherland.

TFC has been instrumental in keeping that connection alive for over 25 years, having been one of the world’s largest creators and distributors of Filipino content. “Through TFC, ABS-CBN Global brings superior Filipino content in the form of news and information, dramas, variety shows, and movies. Content that are widely enjoyed and consumed by the Filipino market,” says Olano.

Intending to connect the Filipino diaspora to their roots, TFC continues to up its game by offering exceptional viewing experiences delivered through linear viewing on cable and satellite and online streaming through OTT platforms such as I Want TFC and IPTV. Through TFC, brands can easily reach Filipinos no matter where they are in the world.

Beyond this massive reach, TFC’s brand of news and entertainment is top-notch. Olano adds, “Based on the March results of Comscore, which as you know is the TV ratings and analytics audit company in the US, TFC shows have placed in 9 of the top 10 most-watched Asian content in the US. While this is US data, we can assume that the viewing behavior of Filipino Canadians are not far off.”

More than Filipino Canadians being a goldmine for market growth, David also reiterated the importance of BIPOC representation to which Filipino Canadians are an integral part.

“In an age of representation and where representation matters, where we’re trying to dispel all of these nasty things out there about Asian hate that is happening unfortunately in the world. Representation and putting your business dollars into supporting and representing is so important. And I think for any business that wants to live by ‘we embrace diversity and inclusion,’ then they must be embracing that through the representation of talent: behind the camera, in front of the camera, in your supplier choices, in your media choices.”

And for marketers and brands who sincerely want to champion BIPOC voices, David encourages them to take concrete action, “And I’ve said it to many clients and I’ll say it again, the visible minority population in Canada is 20 percent. So, 20 percent of your marketing dollars should be put towards multicultural audiences. If it’s not there, get it there.”

If you would like to know more about Filipino Canadian audiences, start by watching the full webinar here or drop Joycelyn a line and say “Mabuhay!”