In photo during the awarding at the Wendy’s APEMEA Regional Conference held at Ayala Museum, Oct 14, 2014 left to right: John Pain – VP & Managing Director, Asia Pacific & EMEA, The Wendy’s Company Michael Kho – President, Wendy’s Philippines Mr & Mrs Lucio Co Mr and Mrs Jose T Pardo – Founder Wendy’s Philippines Yvette Orbeta – Chairman, Wendy’s Philippines Darrel Van Ligten – President, Wendy’s Global Restaurants LLC

MANILA, Philippines — Wendy’s Philippines bagged an International Diamond Award for having outstanding results in the international marketing arena.

But it was no easy win for the Filipino team.

The hurdle? Wendy’s is a burger brand in a chicken-and-rice country.

By focusing on what they do best (making juicy, freshly grilled burgers) and leveraging on the idea that it’s bought as a treat, Wendy’s Philippines created the #wedeservethis campaign.

In 2013, Wendy’s Philippines kicked off the “We Deserve This” campaign with a re-branding, giving the famous red-head in pigtails a fresh new make-over and giving the interiors of its stores a modern look.

After the rebranding, the #wedeservethis campaign implemented a comprehensive marketing plan that included two thirty-second TV commercials with popular actress Heart Evangelista.

The TVC was launched during the most watched noon-time television show in the country. To further the effectiveness, Wendy’s Philippines used digital media to get in touch with the fans and create promos based on what they like. This proved to be an effective tool for the brand, growing their online fan base from 2,000 to 400,000 in a span of 6 months. The Wendy’s Philippines Facebook fan page has the most number of fans compared to all other international Wendy’s Facebook fan pages.

As testament to the effectiveness of the campaign, Wendy’s Philippines saw a rise in sales of their burgers, specifically the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger and Pretzel Chicken Provolone. In a country where chicken-and-rice meals rule the menus, Wendy’s Philippines carved a new category in the fast-food industry by giving their customers the burger their truly deserve.

The Diamond Award is Wendy’s highest honor for the most effective marketers in their system, worldwide. advt