News September 09, 2025

The Power of Insightful Storytelling: Fireside Chat Speakers for BrandCon PH 2025

By Jill Tan Radovan

Two distinguished brand visionaries will join the discussion.

The Business Manual is proud to present the speakers for the Fireside Chat at BrandCon PH 2025.

The Fireside Chat, themed “The Power of Insightful Storytelling,” will feature a distinguished marketing leader and creative visionary who will unpack strategies behind some of the Philippines’ most iconic and beloved brands. From crafting breakthrough campaigns to nurturing deep consumer connections, the conversation will shed light on key factors that drive market relevance, build enduring brand loyalty, and celebrate Filipino culture.

Joining the Fireside Chat are GIGIL Founding Partner Badong Abesamis and PICKUP Coffee Global Managing Director Francis Flores. The session will be moderated by Apples Aberin, Vice President for Lifestyle Brands at One Mega Group.

Badong Abesamis

As Founding Partner of GIGIL and one of the Philippines’ most acclaimed creative leaders, Badong Abesamis has steered the agency to consistent recognition. It has won awards for marketing effectiveness in the APAC Effies multiple years in a row and ranked among Asia’s top independent agencies.

Prior to GIGIL, Badong served as Chief Creative Officer at Y&R Philippines, where he helped secure the agency’s first Philippine Agency of the Year award and its debut Cannes Lions honors—milestones that reshaped the agency’s creative legacy A hall-of-famer inducted in 2010, he also chaired the Creative Guild of the Philippines In 2021, Campaign Brief named him among Asia’s most awarded creative leaders, and in 2023, he earned the title of the Philippines’ most awarded creative director.

At BrandCon PH 2025, Badong will share his insights on the transformative power of storytelling and how daring ideas and cultural resonance can elevate local brands.

Francis Flores

Francis Flores is one of the Philippines’ most seasoned brand architects, with over two decades of leadership in sales and marketing across powerhouse firms like Unilever, Jollibee Foods Corporation, and Smart Communications. Bolstered by his groundbreaking “Kwentong Jollibee” campaign that cemented Jollibee’s place in Filipino culture, he earned recognition as Asia-Pacific Tambuli’s Chief Marketing Communications Officer of the Year in 2019.

Since joining PICKUP Coffee, Francis has fueled the brand’s meteoric rise, from its launch in 2022 to over 400 nationwide stores and counting. Under his leadership, PICKUP has become a hypergrowth phenomenon, reshaping cafe culture with affordable, tech-enabled experiences that speak directly to Filipino consumers.

At BrandCon PH 2025, he’ll share how storytelling-led, and customer-first brand-building can help chart a scalable business in fiercely competitive markets. Expect sharp insights on building loyalty, maintaining quality, and daring to redefine what a modern Filipino brand can be.

With the theme “Building Brands That Move the Nation Forward,” the first-ever BrandCon PH focuses on the intersection of brand longevity, innovation, sustainable growth, and nation-building.

Bringing together brand builders, marketers, advertisers, agency leads, creatives, and founders, the event will explore how businesses can stay relevant, resilient, purposeful, and ready to lead while helping form Filipino culture and identity in today’s fast-paced and competitive market.

Join us at BrandCon PH 2025 on September 19, 2025, 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Marquis Events Place in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Subscribe now to The Business Manual to unlock exclusive access to BrandCon PH 2025 and to get year-round access to premium business content.

Stay updated on BrandCon PH 2025 via the official website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.

BrandCon Ph 2025 is brought to you by The Business Manual, in cooperation with the Philippine Marketing Association and the Philippine Junior Marketing Association.

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