Monique Regalado from the British Council’s team in Manila talks about the recent visit to the Philippines from Joe Fry of Google’s Global Creative Team in London where he gave a talk on understanding digital creative work in Manila and spoke at the Second Cebu Creative Industries Summit on 14 June 2013:

"Joe’s presentations in Manila and Cebu were well-attended by professionals from the academic, advertising, social enterprise and business sectors. At both presentations Joe emphasised the importance of a user focus as essential to build a solid creative strategy and the importance of incorporating structure in the creative process.

He presented the audience with case studies and examples of brands that have used digital platforms such as the web to further enhance product presence, connect and engage with a wider audience. Joe discussed that it is not enough to simply have a Eureka moment but there is also the need to inject usefulness, convergent thinking and purpose to achieve better results.

One of the highlights of his presentation for me was the series of Google Chrome video adverts entitled ‘The web is what you make of it’. As a freelance graphic designer, using traditional avenues such as sending hard copies of your portfolio to potential clients has a few environmental and financial drawbacks therefore we’re encouraged to think of more cost-effective ways of reaching a wider audience through digital platforms. The adverts were very inspiring because it showed how simple ideas such as making a leather satchel (The Cambridge Satchel Company) to raise funds for your kids’ education evolved into a successful brand with the help of the internet.

When asked by the audience what steps other small businesses could take to establish a more solid online presence, Joe said that it doesn’t matter if you’re running a start-up or a big brand, it is important to know why your business exists, its purpose and how it will meet the needs of your consumers. The technology is already there and it provides numerous opportunities for businesses to know and understand their consumers better.

Reflecting on all that he said we’re looking forward to injecting a stronger digital presence in upcoming projects in the arts and creative industries."