Every business dreams of becoming an industry leader. But in today’s volatile economy and ever-changing market, that ceiling is getting harder and harder to reach.
For Filipino businesses, especially SMEs, staying competitive in that kind of market means constantly finding ways to get noticed. They chase trends, spend money on posts, and try to keep up with an endless stream of brands fighting for the same few seconds of attention. But when everyone is trying to be seen, visibility alone can only take a brand so far. It takes more to build a brand people remember, trust, and ultimately choose.
That is the conversation BRAND CON 2026 is bringing to the table this year, with RMN Networks joining as its official radio partner and one of its esteemed presenters.
The partnership was formally sealed on September 9 through a memorandum of agreement signed by RMN Media and Marketing Ventures Inc. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Erika Canoy-Sanchez and Chief Integrated Marketing Officer Tristan Nacino, alongside BRAND CON Founder and Chairman Bingo Soriano, with President and CEO Nate Quijano and Chief Executive Producer Cris Mananquil of Backstage Manila.
Now in its second year, BRAND CON is a Philippine platform dedicated to advancing brand excellence and empowering brand builders. Its five-day 2026 program brings together founders, strategists, marketers, entrepreneurs, SMEs, creatives, business leaders, and the next generation of brand builders around the ideas and experiences behind building stronger brands.
“We created BRAND CON because we believe that strong brands help build strong businesses, and strong businesses, in turn, help build a stronger economy,” BRAND CON Founder and Chairman Bingo Soriano said.
“Our mission goes beyond organizing an annual conference. We want to help raise the level of brand-building capability in the Philippines by making world-class branding knowledge, ideas, frameworks, and experiences more accessible,” he continued.
Building a Brand Means Knowing Who You Serve
A brand can look good, reach a lot of people, and have a good product, but still lose sales and fade into obscurity. That’s because branding is all about “winning people’s minds”, as BRAND CON puts it. And the way to do that is getting to know the people you seek to serve beyond the data.
But for a country with communities almost as diverse as its many islands, making that connection can be incredibly challenging. And no one understands that better than regional media.
“The RMN Networks is honored to partner with BRAND CON 2026 as their official radio partner. As a hyperlocal brand, RMN understands what it means to be a part of the local community, ensuring that our products and services have an impact on these audiences,” RMN Marketing and Media Ventures Inc.’s (MMV) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Erika Canoy-Sanchez said.
That hyperlocal perspective is also part of what Mr. Bingo sees in the partnership.
“There is a very natural alignment between BRAND CON and RMN,” he said. “BRAND CON wants to democratize access to brand-building knowledge and reach entrepreneurs and brand builders beyond the traditional business centers. RMN, meanwhile, has spent decades building deep relationships with communities throughout the Philippines.”
He went on to add that the value goes beyond RMN’s ability to promote the conference itself.
“What particularly attracted us to RMN is its strength in hyperlocalization. RMN understands that the Philippines is not one homogeneous market. Different communities have their own cultures, languages, behaviors, aspirations, and stories.”
With its presence across different regions and communities, RMN Networks has built its media network around the idea that communicating hyperlocally can mean more than simply translating a message from one place to another.
“Brands and businesses, big or small, global or local, need to connect to their audiences not just clearly but hyper-locally. This is where our ability as a network to communicate to local communities in the language that they speak and understand comes into play, whether via on-air, online, and even on-ground,” RMN MMV’s Chief Integrated Marketing Officer Tristan Nacino said.
Rethinking the Role of Radio in Brand Building
Radio has long been a part of how businesses introduce themselves to consumers. But with brands now working across social media, digital platforms, creators, and other channels, where does radio fit into brand building today?
That is one of the questions RMN Networks will answer at BRAND CON 2026, alongside its perspective on hyperlocal storytelling and how brands can build stronger connections with their audiences.
For Mr. Tristan, the opportunity is not simply about putting a brand on air:
“Partnering with a strategic thought leadership program like BRAND CON allows us to not just advocate hyperlocal connections but to also demonstrate to businesses, especially the SMEs, how RMN can be a strategic partner not just for brand building and awareness but as a strategic platform to complement their marketing efforts and needs to help grow their businesses.”
With capabilities across on-air, online, and on-ground, RMN Networks can give businesses different ways to bring their stories and messages to local audiences.
“Hyperlocal communications across all available media platforms are a vital key in making brand messages resonate stronger, clearer, and more importantly, personal,” Mr. Tristan added.
For Mr. Bingo, that local connection also opens the door to businesses that may not always be part of the country’s usual brand-building conversations:
“Brand building should not be confined to Metro Manila. Some of the Philippines’ most interesting future brands may be emerging today from Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, or from cities and municipalities that the national business community has yet to discover.”
That is also part of BRAND CON’s longer-term vision. The organization said it hopes to bring its learning experiences, conversations, and potentially regional events closer to entrepreneurs and brand builders nationwide.
Five Days of Filipino Brand-building
BRAND CON 2026 brings that mission to life through five days of learning, conversations, mentoring, and brand-building experiences at Newport World Resorts. Attendees can expect practical lessons and real-world stories from people who have built brands themselves, including the RIES Positioning Masterclass with global positioning expert Laura Ries and conversations with founders and business leaders about their own brand journeys.
The program also brings together brands and organizations interested in building better brands, with UB Negosyante, Smart x PLDT, and JuanHand x Luvit joining as co-presenters.
Participants will enjoy mentoring sessions, hands-on brand-building activities, exhibits, and networking opportunities during the two-day Brand Festival. BRAND CON 2026 will also feature “THE TAKE: Two Takes. One Conversation,” which will pair speakers with another brand leader for deeper discussions. The event wraps up with the Next Gen Brand Leadership Summit, focused on students and junior marketers.
Ultimately, the goal is to make the experience more than something people simply sit through, according to Mr. Bingo.
“We want it to become an immersive brand-building experience where people can learn, exchange ideas, connect, and apply what they learn to their own brands.”
RMN Networks will be part of those conversations, bringing its own perspective on how radio continues to fit into brand building today.
BRAND CON 2026 takes place from November 24 to 28 at Newport World Resorts in Pasay City. Passes are available for the full conference and individual experiences, while the Brand-Building Festival is free and open to all. Tickets and registration details are available through the official BRAND CON website.
For businesses looking to build their brands with a better understanding of the communities they serve, RMN Networks offers on-air, online, and on-ground solutions supported by on-point hyperlocal insights from its regional stations. For partnership opportunities, message innovations@mmv.ph or visit thermnnetworks.ph.
