AJMA Made It Happen Again with AIMS 2006
The Ateneo Junior Marketing Association annually holds the Ateneo Intercollegiate Marketing Seminar. It is one of the two flagship events of the organization and is perhaps the most prestigious of its kind. More popularly known as AIMS, the event gathers the 50 best junior and senior student-marketers from the country’s premier universities namely: the Ateneo, De La Salle, UA&P, UP Diliman and UST. Aspiring participants undergo a rigorous screening process that involves an actual interview with Human Resources officers before they qualify for the final cut off. Top caliber marketing practitioners from partner sponsors are invited to impart with the participants the very fundamentals of marketing. Later on, delegates enter the revalida competition wherein they present and defend their marketing strategies to a set of competent panelists while Human Resources officers keep a watchful eye on the most promising students. This opens the gates to vibrant careers in marketing or sales. Delegates ultimately gain invaluable insights and meet friends while enjoying the lavish accommodations of a five-star hotel. All these take place in the 3-day affair at absolutely no cost.
For this year, AIMS set eye on a more ambitious endeavor. With the theme Brand Management: Key in today’s highly diversified markets, the AIMS team focused on a more comprehensive, interactive and informative seminar which promised to surpass its predecessors. The event was made possible through the generous support from Unilever Philippines, San Miguel Corporation, L’Oreal Philippines, Smart Telecommunications and Jollibee Foods Corporation. Of the 182 applicants, only the 50 crème de la crème slipped through the demanding screening process - 28 came from Ateneo, 14 from UP Diliman, 6 from De La Salle while UST and UA&P had one representative each. The 8 teams received their respective marketing cases courtesy of San Miguel, L’Oreal and Smart one week prior to the event to give ample time for review.
On day one, students were welcomed to a warm reception at the Asian Institute of Management. Superb speakers from Unilever headed by Mr. Dondi Gomez instantly wowed the avid novices. Their talks primarily centered on building iconic brands – from the bold conception, to the effective communication and down to the creative execution. Ms. Pop Vargas of San Miguel on the one hand explored the prospects of local brands entering the global arena. And lastly, socialites Tessa Dragon and Tina Tinio of L’Oreal–Shu Uemura concluded the day’s seminar with a sensational talk on Events Management. The participants were then treated to a smorgasbord of Filipino cuisines at Cabalen Glorietta. The casual dinner also introduced the teams to their corporate mentors who shared crucial points on how to best go about their marketing strategies. The night was capped off by the plush arrangements at the Oakwood Premier Suites.
The following day was even more exciting as teams geared towards the much-anticipated revalida competition. The panelists were composed of distinguished individuals from the academe and the corporate world. They were Mr. Armando Miclat of the Ateneo SOM- Business Accelerator program, Ms. Junadette Avedillo, General Manager of San Miguel Mills Inc., Mr. Joaquin Esquivias, co-owner of Azta Salon and finally Mr. Mias Posadas Assistant Brand Manager of Unilever Philippines. Every second seemed infinite as teams were humbled down by the judges’ constructive remarks. Finally after eight grueling hours, one team was pronounced as champion. SMC B’s Noodelight emerged victors in this year’s display of marketing acumen. Equally pleased was Katy Abello (UP) of Redken who garnered the crowd’s respect as she earned the title Best Speaker. Although mentally drained and physically exhausted, everyone was nevertheless delighted by the learning experience.
This year’s AIMS indeed proved to be a huge success. Despite the frequent difficulties encountered, the team nonetheless remained steadfast to their promise. The men and women behind this ambitious project put their hearts out and never settled for the ordinary. Because in AJMA… we simply make BETTER things happen.
For this year, AIMS set eye on a more ambitious endeavor. With the theme Brand Management: Key in today’s highly diversified markets, the AIMS team focused on a more comprehensive, interactive and informative seminar which promised to surpass its predecessors. The event was made possible through the generous support from Unilever Philippines, San Miguel Corporation, L’Oreal Philippines, Smart Telecommunications and Jollibee Foods Corporation. Of the 182 applicants, only the 50 crème de la crème slipped through the demanding screening process - 28 came from Ateneo, 14 from UP Diliman, 6 from De La Salle while UST and UA&P had one representative each. The 8 teams received their respective marketing cases courtesy of San Miguel, L’Oreal and Smart one week prior to the event to give ample time for review.
On day one, students were welcomed to a warm reception at the Asian Institute of Management. Superb speakers from Unilever headed by Mr. Dondi Gomez instantly wowed the avid novices. Their talks primarily centered on building iconic brands – from the bold conception, to the effective communication and down to the creative execution. Ms. Pop Vargas of San Miguel on the one hand explored the prospects of local brands entering the global arena. And lastly, socialites Tessa Dragon and Tina Tinio of L’Oreal–Shu Uemura concluded the day’s seminar with a sensational talk on Events Management. The participants were then treated to a smorgasbord of Filipino cuisines at Cabalen Glorietta. The casual dinner also introduced the teams to their corporate mentors who shared crucial points on how to best go about their marketing strategies. The night was capped off by the plush arrangements at the Oakwood Premier Suites.
The following day was even more exciting as teams geared towards the much-anticipated revalida competition. The panelists were composed of distinguished individuals from the academe and the corporate world. They were Mr. Armando Miclat of the Ateneo SOM- Business Accelerator program, Ms. Junadette Avedillo, General Manager of San Miguel Mills Inc., Mr. Joaquin Esquivias, co-owner of Azta Salon and finally Mr. Mias Posadas Assistant Brand Manager of Unilever Philippines. Every second seemed infinite as teams were humbled down by the judges’ constructive remarks. Finally after eight grueling hours, one team was pronounced as champion. SMC B’s Noodelight emerged victors in this year’s display of marketing acumen. Equally pleased was Katy Abello (UP) of Redken who garnered the crowd’s respect as she earned the title Best Speaker. Although mentally drained and physically exhausted, everyone was nevertheless delighted by the learning experience.
This year’s AIMS indeed proved to be a huge success. Despite the frequent difficulties encountered, the team nonetheless remained steadfast to their promise. The men and women behind this ambitious project put their hearts out and never settled for the ordinary. Because in AJMA… we simply make BETTER things happen.
