The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched a new action campaign that aims to encourage Filipinos to support local businesses through powerful social media.
#flexPHridays leverages the emerging ‘flex’ online culture wherein social media users share and showcase their latest finds and purchases on their personal accounts or other online communities. The online campaign aims to create a regular Friday habit to inspire purchases of local goods and convey/ express pride in supporting local products.
The term has evolved into an online jargon that is synonymous with showcasing, featuring, showing off, or being proud of. PH inside the hashtag not just replaces ‘F’ on Friday but also serves as a campaign identifier associated with promoting Philippine-made products.
“Stimulating economic recovery is a monumental task, and we want to invite and involve the entire online Filipino community in this endeavor,” said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez. “The spirit of Bayanihan is alive and strong, and this digital #FlexPHridays campaign will help champion the beauty and quality of Filipino products in the digital space.”
He added that #flexPHridays aims to “drive awareness that in buying products and supporting our micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), we are providing jobs to countless Filipinos and developing the entrepreneurial drive of our countrymen.”
The campaign is a brainchild of Sec. Lopez and is designed by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). Its implementation cuts across all DTI branches and every attached agency.
#flexPHridays welcomes Filipino consumer goods across industries, including fashion and apparel, textiles, furniture, food and beverages, gift items, accessories and décor, technology, and houseware and fixtures. DTI hopes the campaign could also bolster the discoverability of local products and brands as consumers share photos and videos on various online platforms.
The campaign also encourages businesses to participate. Thus, DTI invites all entrepreneurs to take part by using the hashtag on their own campaigns. The department also encourages businesses’ endorsers to post as well as business owners to incentivize loyal customers who use the hashtag and mention their brands.
To participate, simply post a photo or video featuring a Filipino product and use the hashtag #flexPHridays. Consumers are also encouraged to share the story behind the discovery of the product or brand, where it was bought, and why and how the product or brand stands out.
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