Novuhair Head Bags Agora Award

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President and CEO Wins in the Individual Category of the 37th Agora Awards

Nutramedica, Inc. President and CEO Sheila Mae Velilla bagged the Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship – Medium Scale at the recently concluded 37th Agora Awards. Nutramedica is a homegrown 100% wholly-owned Filipino enterprise that manufactures and distributes Novuhair, an acclaimed line of products that addresses hair loss. 

Held last October 26 at PICC, CCP Complex, the Agora Awards recognizes individuals and organizations for exceptional marketing skills and strategies. It is touted to be the premier marketing awards body in the country and sets the high standards of excellence in the industry.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO BIG WINNER

Moving in an industry dominated by giant multinational pharmaceutical companies, Nutramedica’s tenacious rise from its humble beginnings as a microenterprise is one for the books. Thanks largely to its creativity and innovation, it has become a major player with a well-established niche in the industry.

Founded in 2004 by Velilla, Nutramedica develops beauty and healthcare products out of natural and mostly indigenous ingredients. It is one of the pioneers in the commercialization of virgin coconut oil (VCO) and gained wide success with its slogan “healthiest oil on earth,” which led to its acquisition by a big company. 

It continued to create more VCO-based skin care products and hit the jackpot with its latest, and now banner, product – Novuhair, nature’s answer to hair loss. This breakthrough solution is made of 19 herbal ingredients and comes in topical scalp lotion, herbal shampoo, and herbal conditioner that effectively battles the effects of hair loss and helps enhance and restore one’s crowning glory.

Launched in 2009, Novuhair enjoys tremendous success until today. It is widely accepted not only here in the Philippines, but also in other countries. It is set to enter the international market, starting with the United States (US), in December of this year. Such bold, yet timely, move of the company to export Novuhair to the US and eventually the Middle East also opens the opportunity for proudly-made local products to penetrate the global arena.

Novuhair’s popularity and market leadership may be attributed to the company’s initial market study coupled with the right timing, as well as smart use of resources by coming up with an effective tri-media campaign best described as low-budget yet high-impact marketing. 

Leveraging on its organic growth from a microenterprise to medium scale with over 30 employees in a span of 12 years, Nutramedica continues to further develop, market and distribute high-quality goods that could bring honor to the country.

The firm raises the bar in entrepreneurship with its faithful adherence to best business practices, such as provision of high quality products and excellent services, adaptability to market trends, constant innovation, diversification of trade, and giving back to society.

“Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people”, Velilla quotes Steve Jobs when asked what’s her secret to success in this competitive business of beauty and healthcare. 

“We at Nutramedica also adhere to our core values of integrity, trust, fairness, discipline, humility, leadership, teamwork and faith in God. That’s our winning formula,” Velilla further adds.

Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide.

For more information visit www.novuhair.com, like the brand’s official Facebook Page at Novuhair Official, follow it on Twitter at @NovuhairNatural and on Instagram @novuhairofficial. You may also call the Novuhair hotlines at 4136570 and 09228830575 and order online at Lazada and regaloservice.com.

Past Agora Advocacy Marketing awardee highlights need for corporate social responsibility

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"Fifty Shades of Marketing Darker” is  this year’s theme for Agora Circle Conference to be held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom on October 21, 2015.

A company’s reputation is built on several cornerstones. More than integrity and a good record, another factor that shapes its identity is its dedication to corporate social responsibility. The importance of these venues cannot be understated, as they greatly shape a company’s identity through its commitment to the public.

Aniceto Sobrepeña

For three decades now, Metrobank Foundation has been committed to its mission of handing out awards to the country’s best teachers, police officers and soldiers as a way of recognizing their service to the country. This initiative has earned the foundation the first ever Agora Award for Advocacy Marketing handed out by the Philippine Marketing Association in 2004. 

Aniceto Sobrepeña, president of Metrobank Foundation, expressed that it was a big privilege for their foundation to be the first recipient of the prestigious award. “We were the first awardee for the category when it was introduced during the 25th anniversary of the Agora Awards.”

Sobrepeña is one of the 22 past Agora Award winners who will be sharing their experience and knowledge in marketing in the forthcoming Agora Circle Conference of the Philippine Marketing Association, which will be held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom on October 21, 2015.

The conference, a pre-event for the annual Agora Awards, will see past Agora winners discussing with conference participants their personal stories and what inspired them in creating their winning marketing strategies.

The Foundation was established in 1979 by George S.K. Ty, Metrobank founder and presently Metrobank Foundation Chairman, as a way of sharing the fruits of the bank’s success with the community.

Some of the endeavors the Foundation has been involved with include Manila Doctors Hospital-- which has become a model for healthcare in the country as it offered charity service and outreach missions to the less fortunate and scholarship grants for deserving medical students--, and the Young Painters’ Annual, which provided young artists with the artistic stimulation and offered an avenue to presenting their artworks.

However, it is with the launch of the Search for Outstanding Teachers in 1985 that Metrobank Foundation first came into public attention. The Search not only identified the country’s best mentors, but also promoted a culture of excellence with elementary, high school, and college teachers given the prize. 

The foundation has already recognized more than 300 teachers in the past 30 years. Other awards, namely The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers and Country’s Outstanding Police Officers in Service followed in 1999, wherein exemplary military personnel and police officers were recognized for their service to the country.

Sobrepeña said it was an honor for Metrobank Foundation to have been given the opportunity to be part of the subsequent selection of awardees in Advocacy Marketing.

“Metrobank Foundation will continue with these programs in a sustainable manner,” he said. “They remain the most coveted awards especially among our teachers in the Department of Education and the members of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

This year’s Agora Circle Conference follows the theme “Fifty Shades of Marketing Darker.” Aside from former Agora winners, it will also feature some of the country’s best speakers, members of the academe, industry professionals and students discussing topics that are of interest to the local marketing industry. These include topics on branding, entrepreneurship, social responsibility, and technology. 

Visit www.theagora.ph for details and reservations. For information about the Philippine Marketing Association, visit philippinemarketing.net.ph.