It takes courage and determination to break out of your comfort zone and venture towards new heights – as in the case of 2017 TFT Awards Marketing and Advertising Professional of the Year Reynaldo Araja Jr., who used to be a business writer for a huge company back in the Philippines. When the opportunity came his way, he started his career journey in the UAE and years later, he now works as a Media Planner for Spark Foundry, leading the strategy to reach the right audiences for big brands such as Carrefour and Cebu Pacific.
Connecting big brands to the hearts of the masses
Araja’s main goal when he’s working with brands is to not just implement media plans, he goes a step further to reach out to the masses and connect these big brands to them. “As a media planner, I work closely with clients for better media plans, ensuring the right messages reach the right audience. Fortunate enough, my clients such as Carrefour and Cebu Pacific are targeting Filipinos and our strategies showcase the buying power and behavior of our people,” explains Araja.
When Araja heard his name announced as the 2017 TFT Awards Marketing and Advertising Professional of the Year, it affirmed his efforts and hard work for the past years. “Receiving the award was first and foremost, an honor and a privilege. It was an affirmation, a validation of all my efforts and hard work. The recognition brought immense happiness. The TFT Awards has opened me for wider opportunities and network. I got to know more inspiring Filipinos in the UAE,” said Araja.
Continuous Learning
Receiving the award motivated Araja to find more innovative ways and lead more clients to their goals in reaching their key audiences. “Being a go-to person in terms of targeting the Filipino audience requires new learning from my end. I have to be updated on the recent trends and happenings not only here in the UAE but also in the Philippines. I have to keep up with things that could potentially affect the Filipino community’s behavior and how they will benefit or suffer from them,” explains Araja.
Encouraging Fellow Filipinos
With lots of opportunities in the UAE, Araja encourages other OFWs to dream big and realize their goals in front of their eyes: “I tell people to shoot for the stars. That it gets better. The UAE can offer us massive opportunities to shine. With your dreams, right kind of attitude and hard work, anything is possible. Have faith and do not surrender. Believe in yourself. Let the world know how great Filipinos are.”
The Filipino Times Awards 2018 will be held on 7 September in JW Marriott Marquis Dubai in association with du as the platinum sponsor. The TFT Awards, which is now on its 4th edition, is proud to have RAKBANK as the gold sponsor and Al Tayer Motors-Ford as the car partner. Category sponsors of The Filipino Times Awards are Nikon, Pancake House International and Bawiq, while the support sponsors are NMC Mabuhay Clinic, Hot Palayok Restaurant & Grill, CMG Cargo, MPQ Tourism and Dofreeze-Eurocake.
