Bench Case Study

Evolution is something the public has associated with Bench, just as it associates the company with splashy marketing campaigns. "Whenever they decide to do something, they do it big. They put all their resources there," said Gigi Tibi, marketing communications manager at Penshoppe, one of Bench's best competitors, adding that she estimates Bench's marketing budget is probably twice that of many local brands.

Others within the industry agree. Each year, Bench executes several multimedia campaigns to promote the season's leading product or concepts, racking up impressive numbers. A large billboard (50' x 60') along a major route like C-5 or EDSA rents for about P200,000 – 300,000 per month. Bench has many. A 30-second primetime TV commercial on a local network costs about P180,000. A full-page magazine ad in a monthly glossy? Around P70,000-100,000 – but most advertisers buy a package of at least three months in order to make an impact.

But money isn't everything. Yvettes Ang, Rustan's associate brand manager for upmarket brands Salt and Tumi, said Bench has a talent for choosing influential endorsers, a "knack for tapping people who will become big in the industry." She mentioned Brent Javier, now one of hottest models in the industry – who Bench used as an unknown way back in 2002 in a Bench Body campaign. According to Ang, "That kind of recall doesn't die out."

In fact, Bench has become so successful at promoting itself that some customers have pointed out that the quality of its marketing exceeds that of its products, a charge that the company denies. Jojo Liamson, Bench's advertising manager, says, "It has to be both [products and marketing]. The public might buy it once or twice, but they won't come back if they don't like it." And Bench celebrating its 18th birthday this year proves that customers have indeed been coming back.

However, the criticism does reveal Bench's incisive understanding of the Filipino market: while the company's image is perceived as cutting edge – award-winning ads, slick packaging, fun concepts – the products themselves are not. Bench still sells everyday basics, like shirts, jeans and slacks. They are what Rustan's Ang terms "bread and butter" products, things guaranteed to sell.

Furthermore, there is nothing new about underwear, cologne, or marshmallows. In fact, thousands of stores in the Philippines sell cosmetics, snacks, and accessories under one roof: sari-saris. Bench, however, has been the only retailer with the imagination – and bravado – to market corner grocery products under an apparel label, christening the concept as "Lifestyle".

Innovation

Being