MANILA, Philippines - Some would disparage the fact that we live in a generation where impatience is pervasive. But it cannot be helped. In an environment where time is an important commodity and multi-tasking is the norm, a premium is placed on efficiency, quickness and reliability. The reality is there: our highly competitive societies relegate laggards to the sidelines, where they face the danger of becoming obsolete and irrelevant. And although the fact may pertain to people, it also holds true in the area of Internet connectivity where the need for speed is very real.
To improve efficiency through the latest technology, PLDT has embarked on a drive to get more people broadband-connected. “The year 2009 will be the most aggressive year yet for PLDT My DSL,” says PLDT MyDSL head Gary Dujali.
Dujali heads the “Overdrive” campaign, which incorporates car “drifting” events and weekend sales of affordable personal computers at malls, with Internet connectivity packages. Foremost of these packages is Plan 990 that provides clients with unlimited DSL with a landline at a cost of nine hundred and ninety pesos per month.
“The goal is to enlist 400,000 new subscribers,” reveals Dujali. “We’ve mapped out new areas for growth, and added new ports where these are used up. We’re investing in the infrastructure to make the connections happen, and it’s going to be a great year for the Internet.” As the market leader in the wired broadband industry, PLDT My DSL currently has close to 500,000 subscribers.
To reach this year’s goal and encourage more consumers to subscribe to the service, the company recently unveiled Speedster, a roving bus that will serve as an Internet hub “The bus will go to places where there is good potential for people to buy DSL,” says Tony Valdez, head of retail marketing. “Rather than going to the PLDT offices to enlist in the service, we will go to the consumers.” Fitted with computers and designed to look like an Internet café or lounge, the buses will enable clients to try PLDT MyDSL’s Internet service before they subscribe. “Apart from going to residential areas and schools, the Speedster buses will visit malls and even popular nightspots where people congregate,” says Valdez. One Speedster bus each for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao has been designated to promote PLDT MyDSL in the various regions, while another is earmarked solely for the National Capital Region.
Undoubtedly, PLDT MyDSL recognizes that to be able to increase interest and reach its projected sales, there is a need to generate interest in the service, especially among the young. To help achieve this, they have enlisted celebrity endorsers Isabel Oli and Rhian Ramos, as well as rising stars Steph Henares and Gino dela Pena to promote the service. Why choose these particular individuals? “Apart from being recognizable faces with wide appeal and careers on the upswing, these individuals embody the values of PLDT MyDSL,” explains Tony Valdez. “They are young; they want to explore and see the world; they are open-minded and internet- savvy.”
While most will agree that the biggest single application for Internet these days especially among the young is social networking, efficiency through the latest broadband technology also translates to better performance, more opportunities, and possibly increased income. Most importantly, the Internet is one good means of staying updated and becoming better-informed.