Rodrigo Santoro: Hot as Xerxes in 300: Rise of An Empire

RODRIGO SANTORO IN ALL HIS SPLENDOR AS XERXES IN “300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE”
            An award-winning actor in Brazil when he gained fame around the globe, Rodrigo Santoro  now reprises his role of the magnificently adorned Persian God-King Xerxes from Zack Snyder’s 2007 worldwide hit “300” in the companion film, “300: Rise of an Empire.”

Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel “Xerxes,” and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war.

In “300: Rise of an Empire,” it is revealed how Xerxes became a God-King, a metamorphosis in which Athenian general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) and Persian navy commander Artemisia (Eva Green) each played a significant part.  Rodrigo Santoro says, “In the first film, you had no idea where he came from, so seeing his transformation brings more dimension to this character, and you understand the power behind his throne.”

Artemisia has the will to destroy the Greeks but, alone, lacks the power to wage war on them.  However, with the death of Persia’s King Darius, at the hands of Themistokles, she sees her opportunity…and seizes it.  Twisting Darius’ deathbed warning that “only the gods can defeat the Greeks” to her own ends, she convinces his son and heir, Xerxes, that he must now become a God-King.

Director Noam Murro says, “I have always felt that the relationship between Artemisia and Xerxes is one of the most intriguing facets of this movie.  Is it only she manipulating him or is there manipulation from both sides?  Is she using him to take her revenge on the Greeks, or is he using her to get the power he wants because she is a brilliant general and can fulfill his ambitions?  It was important that we not make Xerxes look like he doesn’t know what he’s doing.  He’s warped and evil, but he is not a fool.”

Santoro notes, “The great thing about ‘Rise of an Empire’ is that we get to see Xerxes as a young man and understand how he transformed himself into this amazing being.  The way I see it, it was an act of courage on Xerxes’ part because he had to commit himself to a kind of death before he could experience this rebirth.”
Producer Bernie Goldmann says, “Through Rodrigo’s performance, you feel the power of Xerxes in his godlike form, but he also has moments early on where you get a glimpse of the man he had been.  I think it adds more depth to the character, and Rodrigo did a terrific job bringing that duality to light.”

“The origin story of Xerxes came out of one of Frank Miller’s concepts,” producer Zack Snyder offers.  “I think the fun of telling it is making mythology out of reality, which has been happening around campfires since the dawn of time.”
Physically, perhaps the most daunting task fell to Santoro who, almost seven years after filming “300,” had to appear onscreen as if no time had passed.  The actor had to measure up to the standards of a god to portray Xerxes.  Santoro attests,
“The process was as intense as the first one—hours and hours in the gym and weeks and weeks without ice cream or chocolate.  But that’s the price you pay to be a God-King,” he smiles.

            Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, March 06 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and 30mm format, “300: Rise of an Empire” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Asian V8 Championship Series to Boost Racing Tourism in the Phils.

The Philippine Formula Autosport Foundation, Inc (PFAFI) has signed a memorandum of agreement with NASCAR representatives to become its exclusive regional partner in mounting the first-ever Asian V8 Championship Series, a set of races to determine top Filipino and Asian drivers who will participate in NASCAR-sanctioned United States and European events.

The agreement was signed by PFAFI founder and president Tom Pastor, Ed Cox of Orion Motorsport representing US NASCAR West Coast and Euro Nascar, at the Resorts World Manila Atrium.

"We are excited to finally partner with one of the world's largest motorsports franchises and earn the distinction of hosting the Nascar-qualifying event in the entire Asian region," said Pastor, "With this partnership, we are all revved-up to bring the Philippines back on the global map of motorsports."

On hand to witness the signing ceremony were top executives of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) led by COO Mark Lapid; selected consuls and ambassadors; proponents of Circuit Showdown,  a grassroots motorsport event which holds both time trial and wheel-to-wheel racing; and renowned stock car drivers: Enzo Pastor from the Philippines, Christian Jones and Callum Whatmoore from Australia and Joe Merzei from Macau.

The Asian V8 Championship  Series will feature eight late-model NASCAR racecars with brand-new engines and 16 International stock car drivers.

The races are slated on April 5, 6 at the 2.8-kilometer Clark Intl Speedway in Mabalacat, Pampanga; May 3 and 4 at the 3.4-kilometer  Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas; July 5 and 6 at the Clark Intl Speedway. Official tests and celebrity test runs is on March 1 at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Winners in the Asian V8 Championship Series Open and Pro categories will be qualified to race in the Nascar Whelen Euro Series in Europe and the K&N Pro NASCAR Series in the United States respectively.

LESLIE MANN COMEDIC TALENT SHINES IN “MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN,” “THE OTHER WOMAN” & “RIO 2”

LESLIE MANN’S COMEDIC TALENT SHINES IN “MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN,” “THE OTHER WOMAN” & “RIO 2”

Leslie Mann’s impeccable timing and improved skills will soon be seen in the upcoming comedy movies “Mr. Peabody & Sherman, “Rio 2”” and in “The Other Woman.”

In DreamWorks Animation’s “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” Mann is the voice of Patty, parent to Sherman’s friend Penny where they set foot in Peabody’s home to settle the brawl that happened between their children. Director Rob Minkoff was thrilled to be working with comedy actress Leslie Mann, “Leslie has incredible charm and a great and unexpected attitude in her voice,” he says.

The worldwide smash hit “Rio” by Blue Sky Studios brings the wacky group of Blu and Jewel back in the height of adventure in “Rio 2” with Carlos Saldanha at the helm once again where Mann lends voice to Linda who is now married to Tulio (voiced by Rodrigo Santoro), Blu’s best pal.  The newlyweds are exploring the Amazon, where they discover there may be more Blue Macaws, and set out to find them.    Mann describes the game-changing discovery in “Rio 2,” “From the sky, a little blue feather falls between Linda and Tulio.  He tastes it and he realizes it’s a Blue Macaw feather.  And they go off in search of more Blue Macaws.”

In the upcoming hilarious estrogen-filled comedy, The Other Woman, Mann plays wife to a cheating husband played by Nikolaj Coster- Waldau.  Together with Cameron Diaz , whose role as Waldau’s girlfriend who is unaware that his boyfriend is married, teams up with Mann’s character to teach their man a lesson and hit him where it hurts the most. Uncovering yet another philandering act, the two women further find out another ‘other woman’ in the mix played by Kate Upton.  In this laugh-out-loud comedy, three women are brought together by the same man who have wronged then and ultimately become the best of friends, forming a bond like no other.
Leslie Mann’s comedic timing and standout performances captivate audiences and critics alike. She recently starred opposite Paul Rudd in Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40.”  Mann’s stand out performance as Debbie in “This Is 40” earned her a Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nomination in the category of Best Actress is a Comedy.
Mann continued her recent voice performance work in the Oscar nominated “ParaNorman,” an animated 3D, stop-motion film from the team behind “Coraline,” including writer/director Chris Butler, Focus Features and LAIKA.  In 2011, Mann starred opposite Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman in David Dobkin’s “The Change-Up” and in 2009 was seen in the indie hit “I Love You Phillip Morris” alongside Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.
Among her other feature films are “The Bling Ring,” “17 Again,” “Big Daddy,” “Little Birds,” “George of the Jungle,” “Timecode,” “She’s the One,” “Drillbit Taylor,” “Orange County,” “Funny People” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin.”

A native of Southern California, Mann studied acting with the improved troupe the Groundlings whose alumni include most of the familiar faces in comedy today. One of her first big breaks was Ben Stiller’s “The Cable Guy” with Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. While auditioning for the film she met future husband Judd Apatow. This film marked their first collaboration and the beginning of their creative professional partnership.
Mann and Apatow are longtime supporters of the non-profit organization 826LA. Founded by Dave Eggers, the organization focuses on encouraging disadvantaged youth’s writing skills by offering a range programs on-site at their tutoring center and for teachers to implement in their classrooms. Mann and Apatow’s philanthropic contributions were honored earlier this year with the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program’s 2012 Children’s Choice Award for their work with children, and their families, who are dealing with pediatric cancer.  In 2009 the couple was also recognized by The Fulfillment Fund who honored them at their annual benefit gala.

Thank You for the Music 7107's Red Hot Chili Peppers

I started listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the early 90's and  were the reasons my siblings and I got hooked to NU107 (when it was still cool) and MTVs as we patiently waited for their music videos all day.

Rumors of the RHCP performing in the Philippines first surfaced 12 years ago, unfortunately it seemed negotiations didn’t work out.

Fast forward January 21, 2014, I was sitting together a crowd of media at the Aracama listening eagerly to the confirmation that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were going to be part of the 7107 International Music Festival—at that time I still had my last minute doubts as the project seemed too ambitious.

As part of the generation who grew up with RHCP, it brought back a lot of flashbacks, from singing along with my friends and imitating Flea’s guitar solos.

So the thought of watching them live brought back those memories—unfortunately I also have the same problems then as I did back then-- their tickets were quite…make that very expensive.

Seeing them live, was part of my bucket list and seeing them now, 20 years later was all the more intriguing. I wanted to see how Anthony Keidis would like without his shirt off, or if he still sounded the same.

Thank God for blogging—and friends from Fleishman Hillard Ph.

I could barely sleep the night before, from all the excitement and messages from my brothers who are working abroad asking me for photos of RHCP to prove that I was indeed watching their concert, and friends asking if I still had tickets or if I wanted to sell them my ticket—As if the thought ever crossed my mind.

Trying to hide our excitement we were quite (very) early at the meeting point in Centris Quezon Avenue, last February 23. The travel time was about two hours to Clark GGLC and we waited for another half an hour for the gates to open.

Security was very tight and we had to leave all our “baon” (water and chips) back at the van and were advised that there was strictly no re-entry.

As soon as we entered, I was awed by the spacious grounds. It was HUGE I guess almost 3 to 4 times the size of the MoA concert grounds, there was a loooong row of portalets near the entrance, food tents on the left and on the far right were the two stages. One with a carabao horn where our local artists performed and the International stage decorated with the rays of the Philippine sun.

It was no wonder that many had been comparing the event to other international festivals like Coachella. It wasn’t just a concert event it was really a festival area.

There were souvenir booths selling souvenir Tshirts of RHCP Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and other artists a long food tents with almost every kind of food you want and a separate beverage station for liquor, water, juice and of course the Jamba Juice truck.

As long as your wallet is full, your stomach will never go empty.

Besides the VIP area there was also a more noticeable Guess stay in tent with the small pool inside for those who want to take a dip but unfortunately it was for VIPs so even the media couldn’t get in.


Near the international stage was the Smart Hangout tent where Smart subscribers got pampered as they could watch the concert inside the airconditioned tent, get freebies and use the charging station to recharge their gadgets.

As the first bands like Pulso played we were still exploring the grounds and taking souvenir photos of the 7107 markers before deciding to cool it down at the Media tent.

It was quite difficult shuffling back and forth the two stages, and it was a good thing there was the 7107IMF app that would alert you of the bands currently playing on stage so you could choose which stage to go to.

In the early afternoon, we could go as near as the very front of the stage but as the crowd started to gather and set up their own areas with those mats, it became more difficult to get closer. And when Kendrick Lamar got on stage there was no getting
back once you leave your spot.

It was only fellow blogger Earth Rullan who braved the crowd and stayed at her spot for the next few hours to get the best view of the stage. The rest of us, on the other hand were content on seeing them from a distance instead of trying to squeeze our way back.

I enjoyed most of the local acts that day including Rocksteady, Itchyworms, and Radioactive Sago Project, which I should say made an impact on the audience especially with his witty lines and spiels.

I even noticed this teenage boy banging his head continuously as Lourd sang
Walang Basagan ng Trip and Alak Sugal Kape Babae Kabaong--- who afterwards sat in the middle of the field looking quite dizzy from all that headbanging.

As Empire of the Sun wrapped up their performance you could see the people lining up like ants to the stage as they prepared for the final act of the two-day festival.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared on stage at about 10:30 pm and as much as we tried to squeeze ourselves closer but it already impossible as the crowd has gotten so dense near the stage.

The crowd erupted as soon as Flea struck the first chords of their opening song, and as soon as Anthony voiced out the words, it became a frenzy.

Everybody was in high spirits and there was generally a good vibe amongst the crowd. People would make way to let you pass and would even shine their cellphones so you wont trip over.

The stage was lighted up in different colors and I felt like I was watching them in a foreign land. The LED screens and the Sound system was by far the best I have seen in the country.


Contrary to rumors, the RHCP was in their groove and the only reason why people were not jumping and singing as much was because everyone was trying to steady themselves as they took videos of every performance.

Anthony gyrated topless before the audience, Flea nailed Californication, it was an awesome performance from RHCP,  everything  at the moment was truly amazing and we went a notch up for the international scene, we made history for 7107.

I was on cloud nine when RHCP made their final encore with  my personal favorite Give It Away, they ended up at 1200 am, with a grand fireworks display marking the end of the first of hopefully a yearly 7107 music festival. I just wished my siblings were with me to share the moments.

I did keep my promise of sharing the memories through pictures, and yes, I was a living witness to the history that was 7107. I instagrammed, twitted and FB status everything happened for the fest.  Long live the music scene!

And thank you Red Hot Chili Peppers it was worth my 20 year wait.

Share the Instant Fast, Fujifilm Instax Share Mini Printer.

Share the Instant Fast,  Instax Share Mini Printer.

In a world of instagram, twitter, pinterest and facebook. Now comes another exciting app, the Fujifilm Instax share to the world of social networking. With this app, you can print pictures the size of a credit card to the Instax mini printer,  you could print your favorite pictures in 16 seconds plus different templates that you could choose to play and design on.

If you are a fan of scrapbooking, this is the perfect time to decorate your own via Instax share mini printer.

Everyone had fun printing our own pictures at a recent event of Instax Share, I have 5 pictures printed via my instagram photos. Just download Instax share and install  to your smart phones, select pictures from your gallery and connect via wifi to your Fujifilm instax  mini printer and print fast and easy. It is user friendly. The best part is you can print anywhere, anytime you want to, the mini printer is portable and lithium battery operated.

SPECS:
SRP: Php 9,990
Film: Fujifilm instant Color Film "instax mini" (sold separately)
Film size: 86mm x 54mm
Image size: 62mm x 46mm
Printing Resolution: 10 dots / mm (254 dpi)
Printing Levels: 256 levels per color (RGB)
Supported image format: JPEG
Printing time: Image recording - photo output (fed out): Approx. 16 sec.
Power supply: Two CR2/DL CR2 Lithium batteries, AC Power adapter (sold separately: AC-5VX)
Printing capacity: Approx. 100 prints (when CR2 lithium batteries are used based on test conditions)
Power consumption: 2.5W
Dimensions / Weight: 101.6mm x 42mm x122.5mm / 253g (without battery and film pack)

Tex-Mex Fusion at TGIFriday's

I love spicy food so much  that I could not eat without them stinging up my palate. Then I read somewhere that spicy food can help you lose weight, and let you enjoy your food either way. I am a fan of quesadillas and nachos I love the taste and combination of melted cheese with chili tucked inside or sprinkled on top . That made me one dedicated spice girl, for you. Good news to all quesadilla lovers, nachos, tacos and enchiladas . Here comes TGIFridays's Tex-Mex. 

The taste of Texas. The passion of Mexico. These can be savored with every bite of hearty dishes deep in the heart of Tex-Mex cooking.

And now, there is no need to cross the ocean to sink your teeth into this cuisine. TGIFriday’s celebrates the flavors of Mexican and American Southwest with its new Tex-Mex menu featuring enchiladas, nachos, quesadillas and tacos.
But what’s all these without ice cold beer? TGIFriday’s has a Buy Take One offers on Corona Extra when you order any of the new Tex-Mex dishes. This special offer is on until end of April 2014.

TGIFRIDAY'S BALLPARK NACHOS

In the good old days, ‘Tex-Mex’ is a term that was used to refer to half-Texan and half-Mexican cuisine. The term first saw print in 1945 to mean Mexican peasant food prepared with cowboy fare by cooks, evoking images of cantinas, cattle drives and ranch hands or vaqueros. These were staple at dinner tables across South Texas which was heavily influenced by the food of neighboring northern Mexico. Tex-Mex actually began with a taste for cabrito (kid goat), barbacoa (barbecued cow heads), carne seca (dried beef), and other products of cattle culture which were common for cowboys.

TGIFRIDAY’S SMOKED SALMON QUESADILLAS

Tex-Mex dishes went “gourmet” in the 1970s when Mexican culinary expert Diana Kennedy recommended “Americanized Mexican food” as a trendy fare and a “must-eat” cuisine for a younger generation. When the word adopted an exciting ring to it, a number of restaurants offering Tex-Mex dishes became a trend that spread across Europe, Asia, South America and even in the Middle East, particularly in places which have substantial Hispanic population.

These days, it generally means mouth-watering platters of enchiladas, tacos and tortillas. Just hearing these words can send anyone on a Tex-Mex rush.

Tex-Mex has indeed come a long way evolving to almost everyone’s hot and vibrant comfort food.

TGIFriday’s is turning up the heat with a new, zesty Tex-Mex menu featuring dishes that are sure to pepper your palates.

TGIFRIDAY'S RANCHERO CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

The Ranchero Chicken Enchiladas has tender, slow-cooked chicken breast mixed with spicy ranchero tomato sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese rolled in corn tortilla; topped with cheddar, pico de gallo, cilantro and sour cream and and served with chorizo rice.

TGIFRIDAY'S BBQ PORK TACOS

Friday’s Chili Ballpark Nachos, meanwhile, are great as a snack or an appetizer when you’re hanging out with family or chilling with friends. Enjoy a serving of deep-fried tortilla chips covered with rich cheese sauce, chili and pico de gallo and served with fresh salsa.

Quesadilla is also known as “Mexican Cheese Sandwich” that is sure to satisfy your light and easy cravings. Friday’s Smoked Salmon Quesadillas—brimming with a savory mixture smoked salmon, pico de gallo, tart apples and Monterey Jack cheeses n crisp tortillas and served with mango lemon slaw—is spot on!

On the other hand, crispy and light tacos are widely popular at TGIFriday’s. Its BBQ Pork Tacos, filled with shaved pork tenderloin in the restaurants signature BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, frizzled onions, southwestern sour cream, pico de gallo and freshly chopped cilantro and served with fries, will get your get you and your loved ones crunching away and wanting for more.

Then there’s Friday’s Tostada Nachos, crispy tortillas loaded with seasoned ground beef and melted cheese, served with salsa and sour cream, the topped with spicy jalapenos for that extra kick.

With TGIFriday’s new dishes, your dining experience will be one zesty adventure and A celebration of the heart of Texas and the passion of Mexico. Simply put, TGIFriday’s new Tex-Mex meals are delicious and authentic dishes from both sides of the border served straight on your plate.

To know more about TGIFriday’s, check out : www.fridays.com.ph Facebook: welovefridays; Twitter: ; Instagram: tgifridaysph

Matteo Guidicelli Perfect for Mentos

“I’m hyper, I can’t stay in one place!” Hunky dynamo and newly-minted Mentos endorser Matteo Guidicelli sure lives up to his claim. Just take a look at his career path thus far and you’d be hard-pressed to pigeonhole the 23-year-old who pursues a variety of passions.

“If I’m not working, I’m working out or training. I don’t like wasting time so I try to be productive.”

So whether it’s tarmacs or TV screens, billboards or boxing rings, triathlons or runways, this guy is always prepared to kick it up a notch so he can enjoy whatever thrill-seeking ride he’s on.

“I guess I naturally attract opportunities to be active,” says the multi-talented man with a game plan. “What keeps me excited about life is knowing that there are always bigger challenges for me to take on.”

His have-a-blast blueprint for 2014 includes a newly-inked deal to be the new face of fun, Mentos, so expect to see surprising things from this perfect pair up. (Fun fact: The big Mentos HQ is in Italy so half-Italian Matteo should feel right at home with them.)

“It’s all about living fresh,” Matteo muses on making 2014 matter. “Open your mind, become the best version of yourself…Create change.”

What sort of fresh change is in store from the hot young leading man in the coming months? We’re just as stoked as you are to see for ourselves.

“The best thing about life is all the things that happen without you even expecting them to happen.” We couldn’t have said it any better, Matteo.

Expect more exciting things to happen this year from Mentos and Matteo!

GEAR UP WITH LAZADA’S ULTIMATE GADGET CRAZE!

GEAR UP WITH LAZADA’S ULTIMATE GADGET CRAZE!

An early summer treat awaits all tech enthusiasts and gamers as Lazada Philippines—the largest online shopping mall in the country—has launched an ultimate gadget craze campaign.

One of the campaigns is the “Great Samsung Sale” which is tagged as Samsung’s biggest sale of the year. Buyers can get a discount of up to Php3,500 and get to have cool freebies along with it. In addition, gamers can enjoy playing the latest Sony PlayStation 4 console for only P23,500! The bundle package is priced at P26,200! Playing with your favorite games will not be complete without a new LED TV. Lazada is offering My View LED TV that can go as low as P4,999.

Change your mobile into something nicer and smarter. Buy the new HTC One for only P25,185!  This Smartphone is equipped with quad-core processor, ultra-pixel camera, and long battery endurance that guarantee meeting your daily needs—whether for work or play.

If you like local brands, then you might enjoy the exclusive Torque Mobile Bundle—Torque Droidz Edge phone and Torque i20TV for only P2,979 (available only in Lazada). Or maybe a touch screen laptop?  The new line of Haibook Android Laptops will surely meet your needs and budget since it’s now available for only P4,599.

So hurry and gear up this coming summer with Lazada’s incredible gadget craze!  Avail these awesome bargains, great price, and even better service only at Lazada!  Log on at www.lazada.com.ph. Follow @LazadaPH on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay updated.


About Lazada

Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) is Philippines’ largest online shopping mall and is pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments and free returns.

LAZADA EYES GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

LAZADA EYES GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

When Berlin-based Internet incubator Rocket Internet launched the online marketplace Lazada in five Southeast Asian countries in early 2012, it has placed a big bet in the region.

Unlike other regions of the world, which have dominant destination websites such as Amazon in the Western World, Alibaba's Tmall in China, or Flipkart in India, Southeast Asia is a territory of niche players. It also lags behind other regions in e-commerce maturity.

According to Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Lazada Group, “The main opportunity that we took advantage of is two-fold: one is that people are becoming more Internet savvy and the mobile phone penetration is also going up; and second, Southeast Asian countries have strong developing economies. Economic growth is not only in the capital cities but also across the whole countries. What you have in these countries is a lot of offline retail presence moving to second and third tier cities. We are also taking advantage of the opportunity to bring these offerings to people who, for the first time, can spend money and using disposable income."

Bittner added, “The vision is to build a general merchandize destination website that shoppers would think of as a place to find good buys from consumer electronics to fashion to home appliances to books to about anything that they need. This was from same company that also built Zalando in Europe, Linio in Central America, and Zalora in Asia-Pacific.”

Bittner explained, “The challenges are huge, but learnings come everyday. We really tried to address the key challenges that exist on a day to day basis, including challenges in logistics or being able to bring packages to anyone across the country at an acceptable time, finding the right mix of products in specific markets and being able to offer them at good prices, and supporting third-party sellers using the platform.”

Early on, the company realized that to make it as the dominant regional e-commerce player, it has to be very innovative and use its strengths as well as opportunities in the market.

ONLINE SHOPPING 

Bittner, said, “Each of the Lazada markets—Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnamn, and the Philippines have stengths. Indonesia, for instance, has the biggest population, with close to 300 million people. Malaysia and Thailand are more developed from the GDP perspective and people have more disposable income. Vietnam's GDP is catching up and has a geographically dispersed population, which makes it a good market for online retail. And the Philippines also has a big population—a steady market and increasingly becoming investment friendly.

"Initially, we focused more on consumer electronics—mobile phones, tablets, cameras. In the last six to 12 months, we started focusing on lifestyle products from home appliances to fashion to sports. In the Philippines, we are selling more small home appliances, in Thailand beauty products rule, in Malaysia the electronics side is strong. Our product mix is getting diverse," he said.

Meanwhile, Stein Jakob Oeie, CFO & CMO of Lazada Southeast Asia Pte Ltd, said, “Southeast Asia is a region dominated by Facebook. Thus, Lazada’s effort is big on social media.

Oeie shared, "We not only use Facebook but social media overall for engagement to attract new customers and retain customers. What we did initially was start on the engagement side. We started communicating with the customers and we started getting feedback—what we were doing good, what we were doing better, what we did wrong and we adjust to that. Its a very cost efficient way to get feedback. Its much easier to get people aboard.”

With a fan base of over six million people on the social networking site, Oeie said Facebook has become its main customer acquisition platform. Facebook works to Lazada's advantage because of its regional presence. Currently, its advertising and customer engagement efforts have yielded impressive results: 90 percent reach of the online population in Philippines, 80 percent reach of online population in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand; and 60 times fan growth in one year to five million fans.

"This strategy has three big benefits for us: almost everyone here is on Facebook, they are on Facebook most of the time and we can target them and very customized personalized messages, which make it incredibly efficient for marketing," added Oeie.

Another strategy, Oeie further explained, is the shifting focus from the big cities to rural areas where consumers are looking for products they wouldn't have access to in the neighborhoods.

Bittner believes “that while US and Europe and even second tier of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations were ahead of the e-commerce development curve, the Southeast Asian market has a lot of potential and room to grow. "he market is still very young and we are helping pioneer that market. The population is very tech savvy, willing to try new things. So we strive to provide them with tools they need to have a good online shopping experience, gain their trust by providing safe payment methods, and introduce mobile apps so they can have access on any device.”

Despite its success in the online space, Bittner said building a physical store is not part of the plan. Lazada will remain a pure-play e-commerce destination website. And this strategy has its advantages. You have the ability to provide offer to anyone who comes to your website. Your reach is much bigger. You can have unlimited shopping.”


About Lazada
Lazada ( www.lazada.com.ph) is Philippines’ largest online shopping mall and is pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments and free

Psorphil's PsorCOACH to Support Psoriasis Patients.

Psoriasis affects over 125 million people worldwide. "In the Philippines, it is estimated that as much as 2 % of the population, or about two million will likely be diagnosed with psoriasis as of this year. Psoriasis comes to number 3 of the most depressed patient in the world, after schizoprenia and lung cancer, mas malungkot ang mga may psoriasis kaysa sa mga may cancer and HIV". Josef de Guzman (Psorphil President) told reporters at the recent Psorphil Psorcoach event at Max's Restaurant P. Tuazon on February 13, 2014.

Josef de Guzman (Psorphil President)

Psoriasis is a serious chronic inflammatory non communicable disease (NCD) that affects the skin and joints. It has severe physical, mental and socio-economic burden and carries a hosts of other serious co-morbidities such as depression, Uveitis, cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other immune-related conditions such as Crohn's disease - that puts the patients into greater risks and shorter life span.

Ginny Sinense-Marksl (Lose2win Nutritionist & Lifestyle Coach)

Dr. Vermen Verrallo-Rowell, MD-FPDS (Medical Adviserl, Dermatologist)

Filipinos are suffering in silence with this disease. It is also believed that most sufferers are either  undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and consequently untreated. There is no known cure for psoriasis yet, but empathy and understanding will enable sufferers to endure the pain and discomfort of the disease.

Dr. Lorna Frez, MD-FPDS (Medical Adviser Dermatologist)

Enter Psorcoach, it is conceptualized in the context of trained Psorphil members as experts supporting psoriasis patients: to guide them in their psoriasis journey and cope better with their conditions. Psorcoach is intended to support the doctor- patient relationship by helping the patients to have a better understanding of his/her disease underlining the need to improve adherence to treatments and medications prescribed by their physicians.

To learn more about Psorphil's PsorCOACH program, please visit www.psorphil.org or email us at info@psorphil.org

NYOBG's Not Your Ordinary Variety Show This Summer.

Summer is just around the corner and what better way to beat the sweltering sun than to join the fun as NYOBG (Not Your Ordinary Boys and Girl) heats the runway in the extra hot special show titled Not Your Ordinary Variety Show live at various Pagcor Casino branches.

A whole night of rollicking performance awaits the audience on March 1 (Casino Filipino Pavilion), March 14 (Casino Filipino Mimosa Satellite), March 20 (Casino Filipino Hyatt), March 22 (Airport Casino Filipino), March 29 (Casino Filipino Olongapo), April 3 (Casino Filipino Olongapo), April 9 (CasinoFilipino Hyatt), April 12 (Airport Casino Filipino), April 23 (Casino Filipino Angeles), and April 26 (Casino Filipino Pavilion).

NYOBG, Backroom’s latest addition to its league of talented artists, is composed of Carlo Sawit, PJ Go, Avery Paraiso, Benj Bolivar, Kaye Chua, Maui Lumba, and Bon Jovi Osorio.

Carlo enthused, “I get an adrenaline rush whenever I perform in-front of a crowd. Since it’s a live show, may feedback agad from the audience so alam agad namin kung nage-enjoy ang manonood.”

“Since joining NYOBG, we have been together for over a year now. We’ve bonded together and it shows during our performance dahil comfortable na kaming magkakasama. We consider ourselves as one big, happy family,” said PJ, Benj, and Avery.

Kaye and Maui shared, “We’ve been friends since college. Now that we’re in NYOBG, mas lalo kaming naging close sa isa’t isa. Although we’re working, parang gimik na rin ito para sa amin lalo pa’t we’ve met the other guys. Sabi nga, the more, the merrier.”

Bon Jovi added, “I always look forward to our performances at Pagcor. Not everyone is given the chance to perform live onstage. It also prepares us for our future activities. Plus, it’s lots of fun!”

Joining them onstage as special guests are Krazy Chikz and Pagcor artist.

Aside from being busy with their Not Your Ordinary Variety Show, these new breed of young artists have their hands full of activities in their individual careers. Carlo is the newest endorser of Yellow Cab. He recently finished taping a special role in an upcoming ABS-CBN series and is now preparing for a role in a new project. Benj is part of a forthcoming series on ABS-CBN. Avery is currently shooting a movie under Skylight Films (Star Cinema’s sister company).

Meanwhile, after appearing on Maria Mercedes, Bon Jovi is now preparing for a special project. PJ and Maui will be launched as the latest product endorsers of a leading brand. Kaye is training in preparation for her big dream.

For Inquiries, call Backroom Inc at 4351108, 4351120 and 9280717 or email us at backroominc@hotmail.com. Like Backroom Inc. on facebook at www.facebook.com/backroominc and or follow Backroom Inc. on twitter at www.twitter.com/BackroomArtists.