Media Tiger ABS-CBN International Poised to Crack the U.S. Market From the Inside Out

Media Tiger ABS-CBN International Poised to Crack the U.S. Market From the Inside Out

BURLINGAME, Calif., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning this February, Manila's ABS-CBN International (ABS-CBNI), one of the leading multi-media producers and distributors in South East Asia, will use some of the same principles leveraged by the Asian automotive and consumer electronics industries to crack the U.S. consumer market from the inside out.

In the 1970s and 80s automakers and other manufacturers discovered that in order to gain a foothold in America, products had to be made that served the needs and desires of U.S. consumers -- products made in and for Asia, had limited success when sold here "as is." Brands that relocated research and development, marketing and in some cases manufacturing into this market became and have remained some of the most dominant names in their respective industries.

ABS-CBNI is using the same thinking this February when it debuts Strut. Strut the first offering under P.Love, an integrated media and lifestyle strategy with content built around the exploding Asian-American youth influence on the broader youth market. Targeted towards the young adult general market, Strut is a reality lifestyle travel show following the adventures of three Asian-American young adults Tim Lu, Nikki Cash, and Reinna Marie Laureano as they explore nightlife, music, culture, fashion and fun from one Coast to the other.

Among those also riding along is Nestle USA, which is planning to use Strut as a vehicle to help introduce America to Frutips(TM) Pastilles Candy, a confection wildly popular in Asian markets and the United Kingdom. The show will debut on the International Channel, Comcast Cable, reaching 30 million households.

"The ABS-CBNI strategy has been to start by building a global network on the shoulders of Filipino immigration around the world," explains Rafael L. Lopez, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for ABS-CBN Global, and Managing Director for ABS-CBN International. "While our technology and distribution came online, we paid attention to how the second and third generation adapted to the local culture, especially in the United States. We've seen that while these youth remain bi-cultural, they use English as a primary language and lead lives very different from their parents. And when we see the same was true among Chinese, East Indian, Korean and Japanese youth for example -- which tells us the time was right to launch programming and strategies for this market by people from this market. Finally, we know that winning the Pan-Asian-American market will be our gateway to a broader share among White, Latino and African-American youth as well."

"Cars and gadgets from Asia used to be considered a joke," says Audie Vergara, Manager of Program Development & Acquisitions for ABS-CBN International. "Asians in American media are still depicted as exotic, which is unfortunate because this not only limits creativity and it ignores one of the fastest growing and influential consumer markets in this country."

Vergara provides an example of the concept in action through the music development for Strut. Vocals for the opening track are provided by Rachel Alejandro a television, music and live theatre star from Manila who already has a strong following among Filipinos and other South East Asians in the United States. Her opening and other music tracks for the show are mixed by The Pacifics a popular Asian hip-hop collective from Chicago.

From marketing perspective, the show also provides a conduit for brands with a footprint overseas to gain in the United States. According to Le Kuai, Marketing Associate, Foreign Trade/Specialty for Nestle USA, integrating Frutips(TM) Pastilles Candy with Strut makes sense. "'P.Love' and Strut provide an excellent multi-platform opportunity for us to gain added traction for the Frutips(TM) brand here in U.S. markets. It will give us a presence on-air and on the ground at events and within the lives of young people," Kuai added.

In order to gain further insights into this market, ABS-CBN recently commissioned a series of focus groups in New York and Los Angeles. These markets are among the nation's top for Asian American density. Conducted by Cultural Access Group, the study evaluated the media consumption and lifestyles of young Asian Americans, ages 18 to 35. Each group was comprised of Korean, Chinese, Asian Indian and Filipino participants. Key insights that held, regardless of ethnicity, among Asian American youth, included:

-- The common experience of a traditional upbringing during the immigrant
stage;
-- An aspiration to be recognized as successful in the new American
"mainstream";
-- High comfort level with a multi-racial/diverse life;
-- A strong distaste for stereotypical representations.

About ABS-CBN International


Servicing North America, Asia, Asian-Pacific, Europe, The United Kingdom and the Middle East, ABS-CBN International is a wholly-owned subsidiary and the international arm of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, the largest media company in the Philippines. The corporation recently celebrated 50 years of service in the Philippines and 10 years of operations in North America as ABS-CBN International, NA.

In the last decade, ABS-CBN International's core business of producing, broadcasting and selling advertising time on television and radio programs has expanded and it now derives a major portion of its revenues from media-related businesses both domestically and internationally, which encompass program development and syndication, satellite, cable and broadband services, special events and live production, telecommunications, retail, remittance and cargo forwarding. The organization is led by Rafael "Raffy" L. Lopez, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for ABS-CBN Global, and concurrent Managing Director for ABS-CBN International (ABS-CBNI).

CONTACTS
Beverly Desuasido
650-652-6679 bdesuasido@abs-cbni.com

Robert Quashie
773-412-6493 rquashie1@ameritech.net


Source: ABS-CBN International

CONTACT: Beverly Desuasido, +1-650-652-6679, or bdesuasido@abs-cbni.com,
or Robert Quashie, +1-773-412-6493, or rquashie1@ameritech.net, both of
ABS-CBN International

Web site: http://uw1.abs-cbn.com/


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