PANA starts the year with the requisite induction of the 2015 officers, board of directors and board of trustees. Yet what stands out this year is the purposiveness of the ceremonies.

“We all know that we don’t have to be a public official – we don’t have to be a mayor or governor or congressman – to make a difference,” says keynote speaker and inducting officer Atty. Leni Robredo, Representative, Third District of Camarines Sur.

“As advertisers you have a duty to give back to your community. You have so much power in terms of molding culture and influencing behavior. A 30-second video can be life-changing, and I am in awe over how carefully chosen words and images can transform a person’s action.”

The 2015 mission of PANA is “Responsible Marketing Communications with a Purpose” – in response to the present-day need for responsible communications in the era of digital and in consideration of the aspirational Filipino consumers of the country’s expanding middle class. Environmental protection and sustainability are also urgent concerns.

Blen Fernando, marketing vice president of Alaska Milk Corporation, is PANA president for the third straight year.

“We now go to 2015, and 2015 is a call for us to see beyond ourselves, our companies and our associations,” she says.

“We need to find the true purposes that drive us to build our brands more responsibly and truly live by our values, mission and vision. We can integrate our company’s purpose into all our marketing communications. Studies have shown that the most interesting and the most respected businesses and personalities are also those with the strongest purposes built into them.”

As the oldest and biggest coalition of advertisers representing the best global and local brands, PANA is focusing on the following agenda this 2015:

• Responsible advertising through its work with the Ad Standards Council (ASC) and concerned government agencies. (The ASC is the industry’s self-regulatory body tasked to screen advertising materials across all media.)
•  Fair trade and conduct in business through its work in the Advertising Trade Council.
• The protection of women and children in advertising communications.
• Industry preparation for the ASEAN Integration with a focus on protecting women and children. (The integration will join the Philippines in an economic community with the rest of the countries in Southeast Asia.)
• Responsible use of technology and social media among the youth to pomote positivity in the Filipino identity.
• Disaster preparedness, climate change awareness and environmental consciousness with the help of cross-functional disciplines in the industry.

“This year, it is about working to make our industry an industry with a purpose,” Ms. Fernando says.

“In a world where we are constantly competing and striving for excellence, it is important to realize that it’s not always about money, rewards or the title. It’s about stretching ourselve and knowing that we can do more, not just for ourselves, but for our companies, the community and society. It’s about being truthful and giving meaning on why we do things.”

The 2015 agenda sets PANA’s course of action for the call of the times. It is indeed every Filipino’s responsibility to do what it can for the country, and as marketing communicators, PANA can and will use the advertising practice and the combined power of brand purposes to become part of the solution for a better Philippines.