SM at 50 is Sy-mply marvelous!

A few months ago, I got one of the biggest surprises of my life. I received a personal letter from Tessie Sy-Coson, the dynamic, indefatigable lady president of SM, Inc., and chair of BDO Banco de Oro. She wrote: “On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you for being part of SM’s 50th anniversary through our Generations campaign. We would like to thank you for writing (the song) We’ve Got It All which has helped bring a lot of excitement to generations of shoppers.”

I wrote earlier in The Philippine Star my recollections about how I, in the early ‘80s, composed the SM We’ve Got It All jingle. Tessie’s note was completely unexpected so I was caught by surprise by the gesture. TSC, as she is fondly called at SM, is a very busy lady and everyone knows that her every second of time (and signature!) is worth millions, both in pesos and in service to many people. It is little personal touches like this that endears SM and its management to millions of people, especially to associates, employees and customers like you and me.

The SM 50th Anniversary Service Awards

What a heartwarming feeling to be remembered after all these years. So when Millie Dizon, VP of the Marketing Communications group, invited me to attend the SM 50th Anniversary Service Awards, I was more than honored to accept the invitation. Millie and I have been working on a 50th anniversary “Celebrate With Us!” version of the SM jingle for a few weeks. The awards, held at the new, imposing SMX Convention Center, looked like an Oscar affair. All the awardees and guests were dressed in fashion and finery worthy of being paraded down the Academy Awards’ red carpet.

The well-conceived and well-directed awards flowed smoothly with SM founder and chairman Henry Sy, Sr. and family giving tribute, bestowing gleaming trophies on the awardees for loyalty (five to 45 years!) and exemplary service. As the ceremonies progressed, nostalgic slides and even photos of old SM employees who have either passed on or are no longer with the company were flashed on screen, reviving half-forgotten memories, getting most of the audience emotional and misty-eyed. On behalf of all the awardees, a fitting response was delivered by Ricky Lim, SVP of Controllership for SM Mart, Inc.

A Musical on the Life of Henry Sy, Sr.

The grand culmination of the evening was the presentation of I Dream, an original musical on the life of Henry Sy, Sr. Written and directed by George de Jesus III with songs composed and arranged by Roy del Valle, it traces the life of the Father of Philippine Retail back from the time he left Jinjiang, China in 1936 as a little boy to join his father who had established a small store in Binondo, Manila. Through impressively staged Broadway-style song and dance numbers, the show recounts the young Henry’s arrival in Manila, the devastation of World War II, how Mr. Sy met and fell in love with his loving wife, Felicidad, and how Shoemart grew from a small store in Quiapo to the giant chain of malls we now know as SM.

Exceptional performances were delivered by Renzo Almario as the young Henry, and Audie Gemora as the older Henry. At certain parts of the show, Audie did look amazingly like the real Henry Sy, Sr., especially with his hair slicked back. Melanie Ligot as Felicidad Sy sang in a clear, ringing voice, and Ricky Lim as young Henry’s dad was equally surprising. But the most remarkable thing of all was that all the other supporting roles including dancers and chorus were played by SM employees. And they all performed with outstanding zest and unbelievable professional pizzazz!

For me, listening to my We’ve Got It All jingle sung by the entire company during one of the highlight numbers felt surreal but definitely delightful. How just a few notes and chords could become part of an enterprise and help generate excitement in other people’s lives still blows my mind. I am so happy that the Sys knew from the very start the positive effect of music in marketing and how it leaves in the listener’s subconscious an indelible imprint of the essence of a product or establishment.

The Admirable Sy Family

Deeply engaged watching the proceedings, I did not realize that Henry “Big Boy” Sy, Jr., vice chair, SM Investments, had taken a seat behind me. When I finally recognized and greeted him, I remembered how the girls with us at Intercon Hotel’s Where Else Disco used to get super-excited every time he showed up during those good old dancing days of the ‘80s. Big Boy is still as good-looking as I recall from the 1980s and could make many a girl’s heart flutter anytime.

What is most admirable about the Sy family is that despite their astounding success, they have remained amiable, and remain wonderfully simple and unaffected. A very dear friend, Lenny de Jesus (well remembered as Malacañang’s dragon lady during President Estrada’s time), fondly recounts how at the wedding of her son, where all the other wedding sponsors came dripping with diamonds, TSC appeared in a simple business suit without a trace of jewelry but armed with her trademark sweet smile.

I had an unforgettable experience myself many years ago: on the same plane to Hong Kong was Harley Sy, the youngest of the Sy brood, now president of SM Investments. I had already written the SM jingle then, so we struck up a friendly conversation. From the terminal to the hotel, I would normally avail of the hotel’s limousine, a bonus I always tried to enjoy. But walking out of the terminal together, as Harley took a cab to his hotel, I felt embarrassed to take the limousine so I took a cab, too. I always relate this story to friends about how sensibly and remarkably well the Sy children have been brought up. I believe that Mr. Henry Sy’s biggest achievement is having raised his children the way he did despite the environment of great wealth and success.

It was wonderful to meet for the first time and congratulate the other Sy brothers who are equally as warm and congenial: Hans Sy, president of SM Prime and Herbert Sy, president of SM Supermarket. Hans excitedly informed me that there is a Mandarin version of the We’ve Got It All jingle for their SM malls in China! When asked about how it is to work with their father, the brothers said that he is always onto the next big project. I missed seeing this time someone whom I’d like to meet real soon — Elizabeth Sy, who is in charge of the SM Tourism projects. Everyone should learn from the Sy brood; they are simple, hardworking, driven and productive. And another important thing I realized from attending the SM awards night is that SM, as a business and corporate enterprise, is one big family.

Lessons From Henry Sy, Sr.

Undoubtedly, the rise of Henry Sy, Sr. from a bright-eyed young boy arriving from China not knowing how to speak either Tagalog or English to the respected mega-businessman in retail, department stores, supermarkets, malls, banking, real estate and tourism development is unprecedented, and is one of the most highly-regarded and inspiring stories in Philippine business history. Much wisdom can be gleaned from the man who has made his dreams and visions come true, making a great impact on the lives of millions of people.

In his own words, Henry Sy, Sr. shares his secrets of success:

• “I started with shoes, and with hard work and self-discipline, the business prospered. I moved to the department store business and, again, things went well.”

• “I make sure that we serve more people and we serve them better.”

• “I like the excitement of change and new and better ideas. I look for excellence in performance.”

• “My basic strategy is to stick to my core business and to my area of expertise. My business is all related — retail, shopping centers, banking, real estate and tourism development. Together they create synergy.”

• “We must do something to help others in society. I am pleased that through SM Foundation, we are able to do many socio-civic projects, and support at any one time 400 college scholars in need who come from public schools.”

Who could say it any better than that?