"HOW TO MAKE A BENTA - Anecdotes, Lectures & Articles from the Advertising Wars" By Greg B. Macabenta Most books on advertising and marketing use case studies in the American setting. They are not always relevant to students and to practitioners in a developing country. They also tend to make complex principles even more difficult to understand and apply. "HOW TO MAKE A BENTA - Anecdotes, Lectures & Articles from the Advertising Wars" breaks that mold. Punning his own surname for the title of the book (Macabenta literally means "to make a sale"), Greg B. Macabenta writes in a lighthearted, readable style, spiced with intimate anecdotes, and packed with revealing insights, drawn from campaigns that are considered classics in Philippine advertising - campaigns created by the author himself. Milo "Olympic Energy" used conventional and guerilla strategies and tactics to wrest market leadership from Ovaltine. Nescafé "Great Cities of the World," one of Nestlé's most successful coffee campaigns, kept the brand dominant in the Philippine market. Milkmaid "Grow Tall Little Man" garnered two Clio finalist certificates "for advertising excellence worldwide," an All-Japan Commercial Competition trophy and an Award of Excellence in the Philippine Ad Congress, and made a film star out of its precocious child model, Niño Muhlach. Instant Nido "World's Number One Child," whipped an ordinary product claim into a powerful selling argument and maintained the brand's market leadership in the face of intense competitive pressure. The author shares his unorthodox approach to creativity, positioning, niche marketing and media strategy formulation, epitomized by the Wells Fargo ATM Remittance Account launch that won the 1996 Gold Effie for the most effective non-English campaign in the U.S., and the brilliant combination of TV advertising and community outreach that helped gain a 27% volume growth for San Miguel Beer in the U.S. Then there's the amusing story behind the creation of the immensely successful "Inumin ng tunay na lalaki" campaign for Giñebra San Miguel, and the hilarious creation of the Filipinas Life jingle, which became a virtual "anthem" for one of the leading insurance companies in the Philippines. A key chapter is a primer on public relations, crisis PR, press relations and the touchy topic of "suppress" relations. And for the adventurous and entrepreneurial, the book offers useful tips on breaking into the U.S. market. "HOW TO MAKE A BENTA - Anecdotes, Lectures & Articles from the Advertising Wars" is partly an autobiography and a virtual history of Philippine advertising over the past half century. The author worked in broadcast production, copy, creative direction, account management, PR and general management before becoming president and CEO of Advertising & Marketing Associates, one of the leading agencies in the Philippines. He immigrated to the U.S. in the late 80's to set up his own agency, Minority Media Services, Inc. It is considered one of the trailblazers in ethnic marketing in the U.S. In sum, the book is a valuable resource for students of advertising and promises enjoyable reading for industry veterans.
About the Author: Greg B. Macabenta joined his first ad agency, QSV Promotions, in 1960. Two years later, he moved to Advertising & Marketing Associates (forerunner of DDB Philippines). Starting as a broadcast producer, he shifted to account management and also headed creative services. For years, he handled the entire Nestle business for AMA, as creative director and account director, even after he became president and CEO in 1978. In the late 80s, he immigrated with his family to the U.S. where he set up his own agency. Many of his works are considered classics, gaining market dominance for such brands as Milo, Nescafe and Instant Nido, and winning some of the highest creative awards, in the Philippines and abroad. The campaigns are featured in the book. As a columnist of Business World, Greg is known for his biting wit and mastery of satire. The book is laced with his brand of irreverent humor, spiced with revealing backroom stories. It is a virtual history of the advertising industry over the past half century. A rich source of insights for students of the craft. And a nostalgic treat for veterans of the advertising wars.