Advertising Campaign for Bench/

Outline:

I. Information about Bench/ (Company Profile)..............................................................................1
II. Product Category.........................................................................................................................3 A. The Textile Industry in the Philippines B. Background of Competitive Product (Analysis of Competition)
III. Product to be Re-launched.........................................................................................................6 A. Justification B. What is the positioning of the product? C. Related marketing data (as salient background information for ad campaign)
IV. Advertising and Communications Campaign............................................................................9 A. An Introduction to Bench/'s Advertising B. Problem Focus for Ad Materials (Objective) C. Strategy 1. Target market 2. Benefit 3. Brand personality D. Solution 1. Thematic Advertising a. Print Advertisements b. Television Commercials c. Radio Advertisements d. Billboard Design 2. Tactical Advertising 3. Integrated Marketing Add-ons
V. Conclusion (Synergy Rationale)...............................................................................................20
What in essence will be the effect?
How do we expect it to synergize?

I. Company Profile Tony Espejo, Bench/'s Advertising and Promotions Consultant, graced us with his presence for our interview with Bench/. He graduated with a degree in AB-BSC in De La Salle University and has been with Bench/ for the past 10-12 years. Mr. Espejo was kind enough to answer all our questions about Bench/. All the following information came from him. Bench/ is a non-political company that aims to produce and sell outstanding products, both nationally and internationally. Their first store was located in SM Makati. Initially, their products were t-shirts and walking shorts for men. Due to popular response, Bench/ continued to add items to their sales roster, eventually leading to what they are today: not only a clothing line, but a group of clothing and lifestyle lines (including Bench/ Body, *Human, HerBench/). Bench/'s target market are the young, fresh, teens and adults of the B and upper C class.
The company portrays an image of good, clean fun. Their endorsers play a huge role in the portrayal of this image; that's why all the endorsers are usually chosen by Ben Chan himself. Models should be good-looking, friendly, and without qualms to qualify for endorsement. After all, "Bench/ sells dreams and aspirations," Tony Espejo says. The first and considerably the most well-known Bench/ endorser is Richard Gomez who incidentally made it big when Bench/, as a company, made it big.
Bench/'s secret is in their merchandise. The mix started out with a wide collection of locally manufactured men's shirts, trousers and footwear. Enthusiastically embraced by the growing mall market in the Philippines, the Bench/ line has since expanded to include stationery, men's fashion accessories, women's clothing, toiletries and an extensive underwear range. The Bench/ expansions also includes a teen line called Bench/ Brats, the Bench/ Body & Bath line of fragrances and bath products, Prescribe(r) skincare products and Bench/ Bytes snacks. The ladies' line, HerBench/, now also features a line of fragrances and cosmetics, HerBench/ Colours. Their success rate in the international market is 60-70%. The only problem they encounter is with regard to their winter/fall collection, something they don't normally have being based in tropical Philippines. But all in all, they're doing well. They do minor market research, but basically they let the ad agencies handle that aspect.
Today, Bench/ is undoubtedly the country's largest retail clothing store with 53 Bench/ stores, 18 Herbench stores, 28 local franchise outlets and 120 distributors nationwide. And it does not stop in the Philippines. It has thriving franchises operating in Al-Khobar, Riyadh and Kuwait in the Middle East. The Bench/ label, through its authorized retailers, has also demonstrated quite a strong presence in the cosmopolitan cities of California, Canada, Florida, Saipan, Brunei, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Palau. With the recent opening of the Guam and Shanghai branches, Bench/ has clearly established itself as a force to reckon with in the very dynamic fashion landscape, offering premium quality products at affordable prices even in the most competitive markets. Even after all of their success, Bench/ continues to plan the opening of several more stores in the Philippines and out of the country. Not only that, Bench/ also aims to continuing fulfilling their social responsibility through their goodwill programs, like scholarship grants.

II. Product Category
The Textile Industry in the Philippines The textile and garment sector is the largest employer and manufacturing sector in the Philippines, which makes it a vital part of the country's economy. With 320,000 employees, plus 700,000 home-workers and small sub-contractors, it makes up 11% of the national total. Tougher conditions in export markets have slowed down the industry's expansion, making the ‘60s and ‘70s its golden age. A failure to invest in up-to-date manufacturing technology also contributed to this state. The Philippines used to be one of the largest exporters of garments to North America and Western Europe, examples of great textile markets. This was due to the limitation of major competitors' exports by quotas. With exports being the main source of growth in the past, the shift alteration of world trade regime in 2005 resulted in the international competitiveness of the country. Nonetheless, the textile and garments industry remained one of the top sources of income. In the same year, it was at second place with a share of 6.2% in earnings. Still, this is a drastic decline from the 10% share in 1997. At present, other Asian countries, such as China, hold the bulk of this industry's markets. In order to increase productivity and better its contention, the industry must reorganize itself into larger manufacturing units. An upgrade of its current equipment to modern high-tech machinery will amply aid in its venture of securing greater economies.
However, the past five years saw the industry's improvement and a considerable boost in foreign investment. This is because of the growing belief of Asian producers that the Philippines is a fairly desirable place for textile and garments activities. Indigenous fibers such as abaca, banana, pineapple, and silk, are garnering more research and investment for their development. This is to supply the country with more locally sourced raw materials.
1. Bench in the Textile Industry The Philippines has an abundance of garment labels in its market. Local brands have sprouted rapidly for the past ten years. The scene for Philippine-born garment companies is pretty cutthroat due to the growing number of foreign brands being imported, which are patronized by majority of the people from the A and B markets. Nonetheless, local brands do have a great following from the lower B, C and D markets. Bench/ is one of these local brands, carrying an impressive array of casual wear. Bench/ is one of the top Filipino brands in the world, founded by the legendary Mr. Ben Chan. Having around sixty store branches all over the Philippines and five abroad, there is no doubt that this clothing line will stay on the market for a very long time. So how did Bench get to its current status? Back in 1987, when the first EDSA Revolution took place, the Philippine markets were also chaotic. Everybody started lying low, afraid of the wrath of powerful individuals. However, Bench/'s founders saw this turmoil as an opportunity and chose not to retreat. Instead, the company stepped right out and made noise for itself. They pushed through with their ad campaigns and store openings while every other brand hid out. They were the only visible company during that time, hence making their mark on the Filipinos' minds and thereafter gaining popularity.
B. Analysis of Bench/'s Competition Consumers have a limited amount of purchasing power. What they do not spend on us, they will surely spend somewhere else. It is a good position to maintain to keep a company thinking competitively.
Our group feels that Bench/'s main competitor in the Philippine retail industry is Penshoppe, despite other top brands like Bayo and Kamiseta being cited as their competition.
Penshoppe is Bench/'s toughest competitor. The products that Penshoppe offer also cater to the male and female market of the B and upper C classes. Penshoppe is all about the fun of being a youth. It embodies everything vibrant about this stage - youthful energy, confidence and an active lifestyle. Its vision is to be the teens' casual clothing statement.
Penshoppe started in Visayas and Mindanao and worked its way up to Luzon. Another factor worth noting is that Penshoppe has also expanded abroad with a new outlet opening in Xiamen, China. Although Bench has covered a wider scope of the international market, it is not impossible that Penshoppe would achieve the same thing in the future since they clearly have started this venture.
We feel that Penshoppe offers similar products (especially in terms of style). Their style of advertising mirrors Bench/'s, what with the use of various young celebrity endorsers. These are the two main reasons why we believe Penshoppe to be Bench/'s strongest competition.

III. Product to Be Re-launched
A. Justification There are a couple of reasons why our group decided to do Bench as our product to be re-launched. The main reason is due to our avid interest in the retail industry. There is also our awareness of Bench advertising, due to the abundance of Bench billboards in the metropolis. We are also quite familiar with their line of products because a lot of us have purchased stuff from them before. After we were able to secure an interview with Bench/ for one of our class workshops, our connection with them was solidified.
B. Positioning
The following actions are employed so that the consumers will have a better recall of the product.
By using endorsers within the same age bracket as the target market and showing them to be doing the same activities that the target market usually does and enjoys, the advertisement and the product will have more relevance to the target market.
"Bench/ Buddies" creates a virtual community of all Bench users that gives them an opportunity to belong and stand out at the same time. Moreover, since young adults are very conscious of their individuality, Bench/ provides them with a wide variety of items to mix and match.
The activities shown also feature a very active lifestyle which is exactly the kind of summer that young adults want to have and which, being suggested by Bench, is made possible by Bench.

C. Related Marketing Data
The distinguishing feature of successful advertising is a persuasive, memorable message. The message can be spoken, printed or simply implied. The key to developing these messages is not so much to understand words and ideas but to understand people. We need to understand consumers, specifically the ones we are attempting to target.
Our group believes that past consumers of Bench/ products are an important factor for this campaign. Because Bench/ has been promoting Overhauled Jeans for nearly two years, we feel that these older consumers are already aware of the style of these jeans and would appreciate and benefit from learning about the new styles. They are also likely to be the same people to purchase this product.
We also hope to attract new consumers. It will be healthy growth for the Bench/ market to gain new customers. It will also aid us to continue spreading the fever of the Bench/ lifestyle.
Therefore, we have two major consumer objectives: to take care of old consumers and to attract new consumers.
However to achieve both objectives, the following should be deliberated for a successful advertising campaign:
* Demographic and
* Psychographic characteristics of the market.
1. Demographic (age, gender, income)
Bench/'s clothes are fit for teens and young working adults. They offer casual to semi-formal clothes for men and women belonging to Classes B and C. The clothes range in price but are affordable for those who earn their own money to spend and those who spend their allowances.
2. Psychographic (personality, motivation, attitude, lifestyle)
We can apply VALSTM, a consumer psychographic system to be used for segmenting consumers and predicting consumer behavior. (See Appendix A)
People have long projected onto inanimate objects that are normally associated with human beings. This is true for products, and especially for branded products. In fact, it is the history of a brand, and all its associations that often gives a product its distinctive personality.
The consumers seem to have a perpetual map in their minds that places, or positions, one product in relation to something else.
With this, we can say that Bench/ positions its product in the market by product characteristics or customer beliefs that Bench/ stands for a simple, clean & fresh, easy, and fun lifestyle that would fit well to its target market.

IV. The Advertising and Communications Campaign
A. An Introduction to Bench/'s Advertising
Jimenez Basic and BBDO Guerrero Ortega handles all of Bench/'s ads. Both pitched for Bench/ and got the account. The company has a very good relationship with both agencies.
Here's how Bench/'s advertising process goes:
Step 1: They sit and plan and conceptualize. What is our thrust? When they have already identified their thrust, they go over it with Ben Chan.
Step 2: Submit the tentative thrust to the ad agency and let them to concretize it.
Step 3: The agency sends their concept back to the company for approval. Again, everything goes through Ben Chan.
Step 4: Further changes and sharpening of ideas are made before sending the concept back to the ad agency.
Step 5: Upon Bench/'s approval, the material is then released.
Bench/'s first and most successful ad campaign was a TVC – Richard Gomez's "Rowing". They have had other television commercials too like Sam Milby's "Bush" and Enrico Villanueva's and BJ Manalo's "One on One". But since television commercials are expensive, Bench/ has chosen to cut down on them, focusing their budget more on print and billboard ads.
Their most recent multimedia campaign was "Bench/ Fever" where print ads, television commercials, radio ads, billboards, and a special event in the form of a fashion show were included.
Their most recent ad campaign is entitled "Wear Your Conscience". It is predominantly a billboard ad campaign, promoting goodwill. "Companies who have a lot of money have a social responsibility to give some back," Mr. Espejo explained when asked what the campaign was about.
In the creation of their ads, they contract outside production houses and photographers, although they also have their own photographer. Their official website is also handled by a separate company. Mr. Espejo confesses that they are often over budget when it comes to advertising. But he firmly insists that they will never cut off advertising completely, even if the budget gets tight.
Innovative marketing strategies delivering creative and engaging visual merchandising and display, particularly in the Bench/ brand, add up to the kind of retail clothing store that is the seed of Filipino talent.
Bench/ is no longer just a retailer selling garments but a corporation in the business of selling a lifestyle. One could easily surmise that the seemingly varied interests and the way the corporation has diversified made Suyen (the corporation behind Bench/) a very strong voice in suggesting what the current Filipino lifestyle is and "…hopefully, what it will be for the coming decades," Ong said.
B. Problem Focus for Advertising Materials (Objective) Our group believes Bench/'s advertising can benefit from exploring grounds in terms of concept, execution, and presentation, which they have previously left unexplored. We noticed that although it has been seemingly effective in the past, they have been using the "portrait" concept too much. We also feel that the campaigns still have room for improvement when it comes to broadcasting the message they want to assert. To achieve this, our group seeks to suggest another method or concept which can be used to do so.
A definite, burning need must be created. People must covet the Bench/ lifestyle, must yearn for it. It must be ingrained in their consciousness that the passport to a fantastic summer is living the Bench/ lifestyle, owning and using Bench/ apparel and products. They must see that the Bench/ lifestyle sets one apart from everyone else. They must believe that they need Bench/'s fabulous line of summer merchandise in order to enjoy the summer season.
C. Strategy
This is the strategy statement for our advertising campaign:
"To make our target market firmly believe that whatever it is they are doing or wherever they go, the Bench/ lifestyle, specifically overhauled jeans, is what they need in order to enjoy the summer season."
1. Target Market Our target market is males and females, ages 12-25 from classes B and C.
We expect to strengthen Bench's brand personality by choosing a definite target market which is male and females within the age bracket 12 – 25, centering on 18 year olds. 25 year olds would want to be hip and cool again like 18 year olds, while tweeners would want to feel mature, independent and care-free like 18 year olds. So centering on 18 year olds would be a smart and strategic decision.
2. Benefit / Differential Advantage Bench/ lords a number of advantages with regards to its product line this summer. Color. Variety. Fit. Quality. Price. These are the Bench/ advantages it applies to all its clothing, accessories, equipment, toiletries, and food all set out to make you look awesome and well equipped this summer. However, we feel that it's all about the variety. Locally, Bench/ boasts the most extensive line of summer apparel from Bench/ overhauled jeans, tees, tank tops, board shorts, bikinis, trunks, and Bench/ body underwear. It doesn't end with the clothes. Bench/ has a wide collection of accessories and equipment essential for summer with towels, sunglasses, summer sling bags, beach bags, duffels, caps, umbrellas, and flip-flops. Bench/'s vast array of personal care products to complement your summer experience includes sun block, body sprays, scents, skin care products, bath products, and other toiletries.
Focusing on variety instead of color, price or fit allows us to explore a whole new way of advertising Bench/ products. Using this wide variety of products, we can show the diversity of Bench/ and its ability to be used in any situation during this summer.
Product-wise, we think we should focus on overhauled jeans. This is because they are definitely one product that is distinctly known to be sold only by Bench. We wanted to continue their promotions for overhauled jeans because that is what the main thrust of their campaign for this summer seems to be.
Brand Personality
Bench/ gives off the vibe of being simple, clean, easy to get along with, comfortable, nice, cool, fresh and fun. Their products comprise a clean-looking line that promises to be comfortable, effortless, simple while allowing you to look good and feel good. However, this line can also become trendy if the situation calls for it. In essence, it's like saying that Bench/ can take you anywhere or be a solution to any clothing dilemma for any situation this summer.

D. Solution As we mentioned earlier, we feel that the main problem with regards to Bench/'s advertising is their lack of creativity as well as the clarity of the message. We feel like Bench/ could afford to be more creative with their ads. Also, the lifestyle they are trying to promote does not really reveal itself in the ads. We feel that improvements can be made to reach out even more to the target market of ordinary young adults.
We want to strongly say: this summer, it's all about you having the Bench/ lifestyle – fun, laidback, sexy. It's all about looking absolutely good wherever you are and whatever you do as much as having fun. It's a lifestyle everyone covets.
We considered a few things in our creation of a concept. First, we chose to focus on one specific product: overhauled jeans. Second, we chose to focus on the theme of summer. Third, we wanted to play up the strength of variety. From our brainstorming, we came up with the concepts we are going to pitch to you now.
1. Thematic Concept Our thematic concept is pretty simple, something we purposely aimed for so that Bench/ would not have to shell out too much money to create these ads.
We call our campaign "Great Summer with the Bench/ Buddies". Everyone's equation for an enjoyable summer: sun + fun + and of course, good friends. This summer, Bench/ adds one more thing to the equation: looking good. The group came up with advertising materials centered on this. Again, in true Bench/ tradition, celebrities will play a big part in the advertising. The concept basically revolves around a group of friends, three guys and three girls, whom we will call the "Bench/ Buddies", which will be played by strategically selected celebrity endorsers of Bench who have particularly strong mass appeal. The Bench/ Buddies will wear the Bench/ summer line with focus on the Overhauled Jeans, and will be shown using other Bench/ summer merchandise. The idea of using the Bench/ Buddies aims to plant in the minds of the target market that the Bench/ lifestyle is the surefire way to have a fun summer with your friends while looking good, as the Bench/ Buddies do. This thrust aims to make them covet the Bench/ lifestyle being enjoyed by the celebrity Bench/ Buddies, and want to be like them. We feel that this concept is one that many young adults, whether still in school or on summer vacation, will be able to relate to. It will definitely spark an interest in Bench/ in the consumers because we believe it will make them feel special, like Bench/ knows them very well. Also, we feel like these ads will stand out from other ads out there regarding summer activities and summer product lines.
a. Print Advertisements
We came up with two different ads for the print advertising to be part of the "Bench/ Buddies" summer campaign. The ads are actually based on the television commercials, which were the first to be conceptualized as we came up with the concept.
The first print advertisement will be a picture of the Bench/ Buddies, two guys and two girls, standing in front of their house rental for the summer. Each model will be wearing a different style of overhauled jeans. They will be unloading the car and therefore, most of them will be standing with their back to the camera. This is to shift the focus of the ad to the jeans. (The print advertisement can be found in Appendix B.)
The second print advertisement is similar to the first. The girls and guys will be taking a break from their unpacking and moving indoors to play Twister. The ad will feature the players twisted in the way you do when you play the game, focusing both on the jeans and on the fun they are having at the same time. (The print advertisement can be found in Appendix C.)
The tagline for the print advertisements (as will be the same for the TVCs and billboards) is "Bench/ Buddies. Wear one, be one." We feel that the tagline addresses the general thought that if the people wear overhauled jeans, they can be one of the Bench/ Buddies. This will be a strong selling point in Bench/'s favor.
b. Television Commercials In our conceptualization of the campaign to be proposed, we came up with the idea for the television commercial first. We believe that the television commercial is a necessity for the summer line because most people spend their time at home, watching television in the summer, especially those in the target market. The idea of the television commercials is pretty simple and shouldn't require too much of a budget. The first television commercial is the beginning of our two-part story. The Bench/ Buddies have just arrived at the beach and are moving the stuff they've brought into their rental beach house. While doing so, two of the boys decide to play catch. With a really good pitch, the ball sails up all the way to the roof and smashes through, creating a small hole. The boys and girls are determined to fix it. In preparation for the hard, sweaty work ahead, the boys remove their shirts while the girls tie their tops. They scramble to gather tools, which include nails, a hammer and a ladder. The commercial ends with them staring at the house and standing in one straight line. (The scene by scene descriptions of the storyboard can be found in Appendix D.) The second television commercial is the ending of our two-part story. The Bench/ Buddies, after sort of patching up the roof, have decided to take a break. While they are drinking lemonade, someone suggests that they play Twister. They play the game for a while only to have the floor crash from their jumping and screaming. The commercial ends with a shot of the hole in the floor while one of the buddies makes a sarcastic comment. (The scene by scene descriptions of the storyboard can be found in Appendix E.)
c. Radio Advertisements Because another favorite activity during the summer, whether or not people travel, is listening to the radio. Therefore, promoting on the radio seems to be a beneficial idea, if only during the summer. The radio ads are pretty simple as well, still tied up to the "Bench/ Buddies" concept. The ads may be performed by the chosen celebrity endorsers or by any other person. The first commercial, targeted to the guy population of our target market, is as follows. We hear running footsteps and then a group of people going "Ooooooh...". We then hear the same running footsteps, followed by the same group going "Aaaaaaaah....". The group finally ends by saying "Bench..." and the footsteps come to a screeching halt. Then, one of the guys says "Go sightseeing this summer with the Bench/ Buddies." The second commercial, targeted to the girl population of our target market, is as follows. We hear a set of click clacking heels followed by a group of people going "Ooooooh...". We then hear the heels again and the same group going "Aaaaaaaah....". The group finally ends by saying "Bench..." and the heels come to a screeching halt. Then, one of the girls says "Be the view this summer with the Bench/ Buddies."
d. Billboard Design
The billboard idea is pretty simple. It is still connected to the print advertisements and commercials in the sense that it has something to do with fixing up a property. In the billboard ad, the Bench/ Buddies are standing with their backs to the audience. They are wearing white shirts and different styles of overhauled jeans. In their hands, they are holding paintbrushes with different colors of paint. In front of them is a white wall, which they are painting with these different colors. The walls are half-done already, with artistically painted streaks and the beginnings of graphitti. (The billboard design can be found in Appendix F.) 2. Tactical Advertising We believe that the tactical advertising of Bench/ for this summer should only consist of print ads. This is because the thematic ad campaign described earlier is already slightly tactical. It's subtly tactical because it doesn't particularly separate or highlight the jeans but it's one of the main things you'll notice about the ad. Our tactical print ad still plays on the "Bench/ Buddies" concept. It will be a picture of two girls wearing bright colored shirts and different overhauled jeans. They will be doing the "bumping hips" action with their arms raised, the action you do when you're dancing or having fun with your friends. (The print advertisement can be found in Appendix G).
3. Integrated Marketing Add-ons
The other marketing add-ons to the campaign we've come up with still focuses on the idea of the "Bench/ Buddies". Instead of doing a fashion show, as Bench/ has done for a number of campaigns, we've decided to take the route of offering sales promotions. Our group has come up with three possible sales promotion ideas.
a. "Be a Bench/ Buddy for a Day!"
This promotion would require the consumers to purchase a certain price amount of products in order to get the chance to enter the contest. On the appointed day, two or three names will be drawn (depending on how many people Bench/ will decide to allow accompany the celebrity Bench/ Buddies) and they will be given to spend the day with the Bench/ Buddies, shopping, hanging out at the beach and having dinner in a nice restaurant. b. "Win a Date with a Bench/ Buddy!"
This promotion would require the consumers to purchase a certain price amount of products in order to get the chance to enter the contest. On the day of the date itself, six names will be drawn, three boys for the female celebrity endorsers and three girls for the male celebrity endorsers. All twelve will go on a group dinner date. c. "Bench/ Buddies: Are You One?"
This promotion, unlike the abovementioned two, does not require consumers to purchase a certain amount of Bench/ products. What they must do is submit a picture of their barkada all dolled up in Bench/ gear and doing what Bench/ Buddies would do during the summer. The pictures will be posted on a wall in the store where they decide to drop the picture off. The top three entries will be chosen and awarded accordingly with Bench/ products and freebies

IV. Conclusion After almost two decades since its establishment, Bench is now one of the leading local brands in the Philippines. The company, with the help of Jimenez Basic advertising agency, was able to create successful, effective and strong advertising campaigns that made them establish the brand name in the local market, and even internationally. Bench has branched out to other countries showing that Filipino brands can compete and succeed in the global arena. Since a lot of other local brands are also starting to come up with notable advertising campaigns of their own, Bench is continuously working on maintaining quality and great advertising campaigns making sure they always have an edge against competitors. Bench has become a household name in textile and garment industry and asserts an extensive exposure to its market with an all out advertising campaign. For the 2007 summer season, Bench has started the campaign which focuses on their overhauled jeans product. Our own campaign proposes to inculcate to the target market the ‘Bench lifestyle' which is all about fun, comfort, and being stylish and cool because of the great variety of OJ jeans that Bench offers. Our proposed TVCs, print, radio, and billboard plans would all circle around a group of friends who went on a summer outing. From that came the use of the tag line "Bench Buddies". Our target market, the brand personality, and the summer season were all taken into consideration to bring out a consistent message to a specific group of people at the right time. Further, our sales promo "Date a Bench Buddy" and the "Be a Bench Buddy" would elicit active participation from the target market that would make them yearn to be a Bench buddy and feel that they do belong. The advertising campaign was designed so as to generate the publicity and power of friendship or camaraderie, gunning for the loyalty of customers and the retention of the ad in their memory. Because the concept of hanging out with a group of friends is familiar to the Filipinos, we expect that the concept will definitely appeal to them. If the campaign is successful, Bench/ will gain more popularity and more loyal customers. We also hope that the Bench Buddies concept may become a standard in Filipino society.
Following the campaigns success, we also expect that Bench/ may continue using the "Bench Buddies" concept. This is possible because the public is already familiar with the concept. Also, it banks on the success and reputation of the endorsers assigned as the Bench Buddies.
Competition is, of course, something else altogether. Being the original users of the barkada concept in the world of retail is the campaign's one advantage. In order to maintain their competitive advantage, the quality and personality of the Bench Buddies must be maintained.