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ONE can hardly miss the distinct logo considering
some of the best known and most respected corporate brands—The
Manila Times included—are accredited to be proclaimed as such.
We are talking Superbrands, and
the man who is unarguably Mr. Superbrand in the Philippines is
true-Brit Karl McLean who has been responsible for taking the
Superbrands upward and onward over here.
McLean, whose early Asian
business ventures were in Hong Kong where, among other things, he
was a partner in one of the former British colony’s best known art
galleries is president of Superbrand Marketing International Inc.,
the exclusive Franchisee of Superbrands Ltd. in the Philippines.
Says McLean: “ Superbrands Ltd.
operates in over 75 countries around the world and
‘Super-brands’ is the only truly global brand arbiter.”
And if imitation is the highest
form of flattery then McLean can be proud of what he has achieved in
the Philippines.
He explains: “Many imitations
such as Trusted Brands, and Consumers Choice have emerged but they
do not and will never have the value the “Superbrands” logo has.
“In fact Consumers Choice,
which has been actively trying to steal Superbrands business without
a global or even true regional operation has allegedly been telling
their clients about their relationship with Superbrands even though
there is no connection whatsoever between us.. So caution is what we
prescribe to potential clients.”
Right now Superbrand Marketing
International Inc. in the Philippines is working on the fifth
edition of the Superbrands Philippines tome which has turned out to
be a veritable who’s who of the country’s corporate circuit.
It has already signed up over 20
Philippine Brands for the new book including: RPN 9, Gardenia,
Timezone, Philflex, Le Souffle, Engbeetin, The Spa, DHL, Red Fox,
Cord Chemicals, Cebuana Huillier, Davies Paint Van Heusen and First
Philippine Scale, to name but a few.
Superbrand Marketing
International also has a weekly TV show on RPN 9 on Monday evenings
featuring the top brands in the Philippines.
Other interesting events include
sponsorship of a Philippine Muay Thai Association contest featuring
the Philippines’ top Muay Thai fighters as well as exhibition
fights from top Thai fighters especially flown in for the event.
McLean who is now well and truly
domiciled in Manila seeing as he has married a charming Filipina,
wears many other hats besides.
He is chairman of Secure Commerce
Inc., a business center as well as a BPO Business processing
outsourcing center based in Makati. His clients there include IBM,
Interpharma, Ayala, the Rockeffeler Group, and Bill Express.
Among the services provided are
e-mail/document management software solutions, banking solutions,
and security services—featuring former personnel from the world
renowned SAS British military regiment and also Ghurka officers.
McLean is also currently a
director of Interpharma Asia Pacific in charge of Software
Development.
And that’s not all. Since he
can proudly claim to have Scottish lineage, McLean has also been
co-opted to being the Philippine Ambassador for Johnny Walker Scotch
whiskey—as task that requires him to don a kilt and visit the
famous watering holes of Manila.
Which makes him a
“superbrand” all by himself!
E-mail: bizzfizz_98@yahoo.com
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