This article was first written and published for Business News on Inquirer.net. – November 27, 2008
If you thought that e-commerce has not caught on in the Philippines, think again. Island Rose, one of the country’s top Internet retailers bagged an Agora Award last November 24, 2008. The ceremonies were held at the Hotel Intercontinental where the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) gave out prestigious Agora Awards to the most exceptional achievers in the Philippine Marketing scene.
The Agora Award is given to outstanding individuals and companies who pass a stringent judging process through a panel composed of top-level executives of leading Philippine corporations and institutions.
Awarded that night was Dustin Andaya founder and Marketing Director of www.islandrose.net. He was recognized for his outstanding performance in entrepreneurship – a testament that e-commerce retailing can be successful in mainstream Philippine business.
Dustin is credited as the entrepreneur who turned his father’s flower farm into a high tech distributor of flowers. He did this by convincing the country’s major couriers that the Internet is a viable medium to expand their parcel delivery services. Through www.islandrose.net, clients can send flowers fresh from the farm to any destination in the Philippines. His concept of using the Internet to provide a nationwide flower delivery system became a hit among Internet users in the Philippines as well as overseas Filipinos.
In addition to this, Island Rose also offers flowers on a wholesale or turnkey basis. This gave many online and offline retailers the ability to sell flowers without carrying expensive and highly perishable inventory often associated with having a floral business.
By combining convenience, affordability, and exemplary customer service, Island Rose catapulted its parent company, Philippine Cut Flower Corporation, from a simple farm operation to one of the Top 7,000 Corporations in the country. His business model is now a standard used by many e-commerce retailers in the country.
According to Dustin, the business model that they created can be applied across other industries and can be a good vehicle for nationwide growth and prosperity. “You just have to be creative and dedicated.†he added.
For details on the Agora Awards, visit www.Philmarketing.com. For more information or to send flowers and gifts anywhere in the Philippines visit Island Rose at www.islandrose.net.
You may want to check these related articles: IslandRose.net founder wins Agora Award, The Agora Awards – Philippines.