Topic:
An Order of JolliTrese: Jollibee and Trese’s Utilization of Cultural Heritage and Social Values to Appeal to the Consumer
Rationale:
Relatability is a fundamental tactic in branding, marketing, and advertising used by small businesses to large corporate entities. The Filipino fast food giant, Jollibee, and Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s comic now Netflix show, Trese, appear to be worlds apart but share similar or equivalent tactics in using culture, traditions, and values despite the former branding itself as family-friendly while the latter as a gritty and dark series. By analyzing how Jollibee and Trese use Filipino culture and heritage, this study hopes to show how popular culture uses sociocultural heritage to make consumers invested in commodities and to present that no facet of culture is exempted from being turned into a tool to advance engagement and profit.
Objectives:
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Identify similarities in marketing and branding between Jollibee and the comic, Trese
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Analyse how sentimentality was engineered to be monetized based on Filipino culture
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Examine how affirming national identity is used to attract consumers
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Determine which parts of the Filipino sociocultural landscape were used to attract consumers
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Assess the effectiveness of the strategies employed by both parties
Methodology:
A qualitative approach will be chosen to explore the marketing, advertising, and branding strategies of Jollibee and Trese through analyzing what themes and aspects of Filipino culture were used. The study will investigate how social values and norms were used by Jollibee and the usage of folklore and mythology by Trese not just in their narratives but also in their marketing by examining reviews, articles, fan-made content, advertisements, and social media engagement. Using Michael Hardt’s Affective Labor, this will keep the study grounded in analyzing how emotional labor and cultural memory were used in the crafting of their marketing strategy, products, and services. Eric Arnould and Craig Thompson’s Consumer Culture Theory will also aid in determining how products are not only made for consumption but as materials for identity-building and belonging.