BUSINESSWORLD (PHILIPPINES): ENTERPRISERS: A good mix of marketing and showbiz

• Published in: Business world (San Juan, Philippines) Philippines), 2000-09, p.1
• Main Author: THE TIME HE TOOK OVER THE HELM OF RBC IN 1987, HE WAS ABLE TO BRAND
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Jazz; Lumen, Francisco D; Marketing; Music; Radio networks; Target markets
• ISSN: 0116-3930

Fondly recalling his showbiz roots, Mr. [Francisco D. Lumen] was part of the interpretive folk dance Filipinescas Dance Co. that toured in most parts of the world during the time he was a member. He was only 16 then and considered the time he spent traveling with the group until he was 21, as the "best years of my life." Realizing he cannot go on dancing for the rest of his life, he finished his Business Administration degree at the University of the Philippines and immersed himself in the rigorous US corporate world in 1972. After a short stint at the Pan American Airways in Guam, he worked as a sales executive and was later promoted as area sales manager for Xerox Corp. in charge of Guam and Micronesia. "When I was in college, I remember saying to myself. I do not want to be a salesman. But I found myself to be a salesman and later on, I found myself enjoying being a salesman," said Mr. Lumen, not knowing then that his sales and marketing training will eventually be crucial to his career endeavors later on. "For one year, I just observed how the radio business operated. I do not know anything about broadcasting, but later, I found out it is really just a marketing and sales business. I think the combination of both marketing and salesmanship will give you a competitive edge. Some are only salesman, others are mere marketing guys. If you have both, then that is different. Also the fact that I danced during my college days, nagkaroon ako ng konting showbiz... nagkaroon ng total element," Mr. Lumen said. its flagship station, CityLite 88.3 FM as the "Gucci of the Airwaves." With the snooty station targeting the A, B and the upper C crowd, Mr. Lumen said the challenge is then on being consistent with programming content and even on advertisements. He boasts CityLite was the first station to reject a radio commercial just because it did not fit its target market. Now as NBC's "Mr. L," he is is merely replicating the success of CityLite in flagship FM station Joey@92.3. It is almost a sure ball considering it has Mr. [Manuel V. Pangilinan] as financial backer. In running a media company, Mr. Lumen said you should never run out of gimmicks, thus it is important to have a team with plenty of creative juices. "Madami kami sa media, so dapat mapansin ka. If you are going to project the firm as just another media company, hindi ka mapapansin. Innovation is one of the keys," the NBC boss said.