In this episode, Mark Jones sits down with Emmanuel Cruz, Assistant Vice President of Digital Marketing at Philippine Airlines, to explore how the 85-year-old airline is transforming for a digital-first future. Cruz paints a fascinating picture of the Philippines' social landscape, where Facebook, Instagram and TikTok aren't just channels, they're part of everyday life, shaping how people discover, connect and buy.

He shares how Philippine Airlines has shifted to a platform-first strategy, creating different content for different audiences: Facebook for the mass market, Instagram for premium travellers, and TikTok for younger consumers. The conversation reveals how social media is collapsing the traditional marketing funnel, with awareness, consideration and conversion increasingly happening in the same place.

Drawing parallels to the kind of cultural fandom that powers global stars like Bad Bunny, Cruz explains why brands today need to participate in culture, not just advertising. He also discusses AI-generated content, personalisation, viral campaigns, and the airline's award-winning safety video, which tapped into Filipino culture to drive remarkable engagement.

It's a masterclass in how brands can stay relevant by combining heritage, technology and social-first storytelling in an AI-powered world.

This episode is brought to you by impact advisory, communications and events agency, ImpactInstitute in partnership with Adobe.

www.impactinstitute.com.au | https://business.adobe.com/au

Marketing lessons from the Social Media capital of the world

The CMO Show

Marketing lessons from the Social Media capital of the world