03 January 2023 Manila, Philippines – Uniquecorn Strategies, a pioneering startup-focused PR agency, has been awarded silver in the “Outstanding Marketing Campaign” category at the first-ever KMC Startup Awards for its exceptional insights-driven B2B PR campaign for fintech startup Packworks, the eventual Startup of the Year gold winner.
The KMC Startup Awards, organized by KMC Solutions in collaboration with Philippine Startup Week 2023, QBO Innovation Hub, Kaya Founders, Sinigang Valley Association, and other influential partners, celebrates the agency’s innovative approach to leveraging grassroots-level data for impactful marketing strategies.
“Understanding the depth and potential impact of grassroots data was pivotal,” said Dean Bernales, CEO of Uniquecorn Strategies. “In collaboration with Fourth Wall, a market research firm, we delved into these insights, uncovering unique socio-cultural behaviors. This formed the backbone of our data-driven PR strategy, highlighting Packworks as a key player in the FMCG sector’s push for a data-informed supply chain strategy.”
The campaign emphasized the value of Sari IQ, a market intelligence tool developed by Packworks, which provides crucial insights into consumer behavior through data from over 270,000 sari-sari stores across the Philippines. Uniquecorn Strategies adopted an earned media strategy, aiming to create a sense of urgency (FOMO or ‘fear of missing out’) among FMCG companies about the indispensable insights offered by Sari IQ.
“We focused on creating compelling narratives, transforming data into stories that resonate with Packworks’ target B2B audience,” continued Bernales. “Our multi-channel approach, involving print, online, and broadcast media, was designed to maximize reach and impact while aligning our press releases with cultural events and economic issues for relevancy and engagement.”
The campaign included a series of press releases, each meticulously scheduled and aligned with Philippine cultural events and economic issues, to ensure maximum newsworthiness and journalist engagement. Highlights of these data stories included insights into Filipinos’ consumption patterns during various cultural events and an exploration of women’s significant role in sari-sari store ownership.
The campaign’s effectiveness was continuously monitored through social listening tools that provided insights into media pickups, SEO effectiveness, and media presence comparison against competitors. This multifaceted strategy not only amplified Packworks’ message but also accelerated its lead generation and sales strategy.
“Through this campaign, we demonstrated the power of small firms to compete with larger players using strategic communication and innovation,” Bernales remarked. “It’s not just a win for us or Packworks but a beacon for small and mid-sized companies in the Philippines, showcasing the impact of well-executed, data-driven PR campaigns in today’s competitive business landscape.”
