Acer, BenQ and Transcend. What do these companies have in common? They, along with other notable technology companies, are Taiwanese companies that are part of a campaign to raise brand awareness and preference for Taiwanese brands and products.
Seeking to make the Philippines a major trading partner in the ASEAN, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Bureau of Foreign Trade of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs have launched the first-ever Taiwan Excellence campaign in the Philippines, showcasing a wide range of innovative products for Filipino consumers.
“We plan to introduce Taiwan Excellence to the Philippines so that Filipinos who buy our products may have an assurance that they are getting the best and highest quality products. Taiwan Excellence is an assurance of quality and innovation, and allows Filipino consumers to make educated decisions about their purchases,” said Walter M.S. Yeh, Executive Vice President of TAITRA.
Taiwan Excellence, the symbol of quality that guarantees the superior quality of Taiwanese lifestyle brands across Asia, was established in 1992 by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to award products which use cutting-edge innovation and meet highest quality standards. It uses the following criteria for selection: research and development, quality, design and marketing.
The Taiwan Excellence campaign, on the other hand, was introduced in 2010 to promote quality Taiwanese innovative and lifestyle brands in emerging markets such as Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Mainland China, and now in the Philippines.
Saying that the Philippines is an important trading partner, Yeh is looking to enhance and improve the trade relationship between the two countries. With Philippines’ vibrant economy, strong consumer purchasing power, and their close relationship, Yeh said that Taiwan will continue to introduce good products and more brands to the Philippines.
For his part, Raymond Wang, Taiwan Ambassador to the Philippines, said they will make the Philippines its No. 1 trading partner in the ASEAN. Wang noted that the Philippines was the second largest export partner of Taiwan in the ASEAN and 11th biggest trade partner in the world in 2013.
Focusing on “Excellent Lifestyles” concept, the Philippine campaign features world-class quality of 54 participating Taiwanese brands and 175 products from information and communications technology, home and living, sports and leisure industries. Some of Taiwan’s famous brands that are participating include Acer, Asus, BenQ, Transcend, MSI and Silicon Power for ICT; Pacific, Strida and Tern for bicycles; SYM for motorcycle; Miacare and Microlife for health and medical products; and HCG, Teco, Tatung, and Sakura for home and living products.
Taiwan is investing huge amount of money and time for this marketing campaign in the Philippines. It is also expecting to generate export revenues that can grow over 10%, and reaching $11 billion.
The first Taiwan Excellence activities were conducted at the Block Atrium, SM North EDSA Mall in Quezon City from June 27 to 29 with Iya Villania as the campaign’s celebrity endorser.