Everything e-commerce
If there’s a silver lining to the lockdown, it’s that it accelerated the growth of e-commerce in the Philippines. NielsenIQ stated that online shopping transactions have grown over 325% during this period, and there’s no end in sight. More and more Filipinos are turning to the digital economy to build a business.
Unfortunately, while there are many resources about e-commerce in general, there are precious few specific to the Philippines. Starting an e-commerce business in the United States or other western markets is, of course, different from doing so in the Philippine context. There are nuances to every aspect of doing business here, and e-commerce is no exception.
It is this gap that inspired the editorial team of Bookshelf PH, a publishing company in the Philippines that offers first- and third-party books, to write The E-Hustle: What the Country’s Best Digital Leaders Can Teach You About Launching and Growing Your Online Business. The book features insights from the leaders who built the e-commerce infrastructure in the Philippines, including logistics, payments, and distribution channels; top online brands; and subject matter experts in relevant skills (a full list is included below).
The E-Hustle notably includes significant contributions from CIIT student Adrienne Moya. Moya previously contributed illustrations to Fearless Filipinas: 12 Women Who Dared to Be Different, a book featuring Kim Lato, Asia Jackson, Angel Locsin, Erika Legara, Reina Reyes, Jessica Cox, Merlee Jayme, and many more, which she completed during her internship.
After her internship, she was hired by the Bookshelf PH team as a part-time marketing generalist and graphic designer. It was during this period she contributed studies to The E-Hustle that informed the overall art direction, especially of the chapter covers that featured the photos of the featured business leaders, as well as a selection of individual illustrations and designs for the chapters on GCash and Colourette Cosmetics.
The team at Bookshelf PH feels compelled to commend Moya’s contributions.
“Adrienne has proven herself a very skilled designer and illustrator. She has a knack for not only creating aesthetically pleasing designs and illustrations, but ones that make stakeholders feel proud about their inclusion. This, of course, is an important talent when it comes to publishing books with many stakeholders,” said Kyle Nate, the deputy editorial director of Bookshelf PH.
Featured leaders that Moya created studies for include:
- Steve Sy – Founder and CEO of Great Deals E-Commerce Corporation
- Charles Ryan Sy – President and CEO of Dropify
- Dannah Majarocon – Managing Director of Lalamove PH
- Martha Sazon – President and CEO of GCash
- Dino Araneta – Founder of QuadX
- Martin Yu – Director of Shopee Philippines
- Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera – CEO of Colourette Cosmetics
- Kim Lato – CEO of Kimstore
- Ben Wintle – Founder and CEO of Booky
- Ace Gapuz – CEO of Blogapalooza
- Hiyasmin Neri-Soyao – Co-Founder and CEO of Shoppertainment LIVE Inc.
- Francis Plaza – Co-Founder and CEO of PayMongo
- Mario Domingo – Founder of Neural Mechanics Inc. and DARC Labs
- Agnes Gervacio – CEO of MDI Novare
- Zen Han – Vice President for National Sales of OPPO Philippines
- Stefano Fazzini – Co-Founder and CEO of MetroMart
- Michael McCullough – Founder of KMC Solutions
Rather than tap each business leader on a general discussion of e-commerce, each of these interviewees was asked to focus on their particular expertise. Ace Gapuz, the CEO of Blogapalooza, for example, shared her expertise on how brands can leverage influencer marketing to enhance their e-commerce capabilities. She gave a high-level overview of how to choose the right influencers, set goals, and execute campaigns – all again within the specific context of the Philippines, the social media capital of the world.
Nate welcomes other students or graduates from CIIT who may want to intern virtually or work freelance with the team on similar books.
“We’ve hosted several interns from CIIT, across multiple cohorts, and in every instance, we’ve been astonished by their quality of work. CIIT students and graduates like Moya are the norm: They can immediately come in and contribute at a high level. That’s why we’ve come to associate CIIT as being synonymous with multimedia excellence,” said Nate, who has worked with many brands to publish their stories into books.
CIIT students interested in interning with Bookshelf PH can reach out to Kyle directly at kyle.nate@bookshelf.com.ph or visit their internship page to learn more.
ABOUT THE E-HUSTLE
For many Filipinos, online business seemed like a novel idea. And then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Now that e-commerce is driving the local economy, thousands of new Internet entrepreneurs are wondering where to start. The E-Hustle shows the way forward, taking a deep look into the vast ecosystem of Philippine e-commerce.
Learn how its top players used different tools and technologies—from digital payments to live streaming—to carve out success. Learn the business secrets of the Philippines’ biggest online companies, and discover the best strategies for establishing a digital store, building a supply chain on a mobile device, and making the most out of social media marketing. Grab a copy of The E-Hustle, your all-in-one guide to all things e-commerce.
ABOUT BOOKSHELF PH
Bookshelf PH aims to promote great Filipino books, eBooks, and audiobooks in fiction and non-fiction. The goal is to produce a rich Filipino literature that will contribute to individual empowerment, and in the aggregate, nation-building. At the core of these aspirations is the belief that the surest and simplest path to personal and professional growth is through reading.
