With Brand Republic (BR) in its 9th year, I thought it would be fun to know how each of the bosses started out in the agency. And who knows? Maybe I can learn a thing or two from the Partners of the Republic on how to start a passion project or be a leader of something as huge as our agency (especially since I want to be the next in line 👀). Kidding aside, let’s hear about their stories in BR!
Start of BR
We can’t start talking about the MPs without mentioning the overall start of Brand Republic. It was in 2014 when Jofel, Mario, and Markus bought a show, which their friend produced. And unexpectedly, even with their lack of experience, it was a big hit! And so, in true Pinoy fashion, they had their celebratory party where they spent all their earnings on booze! But losing profit didn’t really matter to them… because they won something BIGGER. They realized how thrilling it was to market and sell products… and that they truly enjoyed doing it. And so, not too many drinks after, BR was born!
Jofel Gaddi
How was Jofel chosen to be the CEO of Brand Republic? Well, the short answer is it’s the dedication and leadership he showed during the agency’s first few months.
As you’ll read later on, Mario and Markus already had experience and expertise in the industry. But as for Jofel? He was an entrepreneur. He loved numbers and all things business. And so, just like a child, he had to learn the ropes of agency life. He mentioned that one thing he did was be a sponge – he observed and shadowed his partners for 3 years. He picked up whatever discipline, idea, or skill from the other MPs every chance he got. This proved to be a success as he became an integral part of the decision-making in the business side up to the creative process (and even in handling clients!).
Honestly, from that story alone, it made me think (and probably the MPs as well) that Jofel is a passionate and dedicated guy. But more than that… he’s a man who’s willing to take risks and sacrifices not just for his business, but to help improve his people. And fortunately for us, our MPs made the right decision by trusting Jofel to bring us to new heights because Brand Republic is thriving as ever.
Markus Dayot
As previously discussed, Markus has been familiar with the industry for a long time. In fact, did you know that Markus came from a family of business-minded advertising people? And as expected, he worked for their company as an ANKA, which means “Ahente Ng Kahit Ano” (Agent of Anything). Given his experience, it became obvious to him to follow suit with a business of his own, Brand Republic.
With his background in graphic design, it was obvious that Markus would lead the creatives department. But apart from that, he also ventured into sales. He worked tirelessly to secure clients, even going as far as doing door-to-door visits just to meet with potential clients. But as charming and dedicated as he is, he sadly didn’t have everyone’s support – case in point, a close friend of his surprisingly refused his request to help get clients.
On top of that, a supplier even judged BR’s office due to a hole in the wall (which funnily enough, was a pea-sized area compared to what it is now!).
But let’s be honest, who’s Markus Dayot if those stopped him, right? Those small instances were what pushed him to secure even bigger accounts. They became his fire, which proved beneficial for the agency since it was the beginning of BR’s success.
In fact, though he currently just focuses on running the creative department, he’s now stepped into a bigger role – training the next in line.
Mario Garcia
In his late 20s, Mario Garcia had a burning desire to do something by himself and no longer be dependent on employers. Lucky for him, the stars aligned and he became one of the key founders of Brand Republic.
But before starting the company, Mario asked his co-managing partners, Jofel and Markus, a really important question, “if we do Brand Republic, how will we make the world a better place?” This question was what they banked Brand Republic on (in fact, it has become the foundation of what the agency is today) – “helping small businesses who don’t know marketing but have nice ideas to sell their products.“
After fully strategizing what the agency will be about, Mario made the decision to juggle between the corporate world and his role as the agency’s Chief Marketing Manager. And as glamorous as it may sound, he said that it was a gruesome first 2 years. That’s ‘cos he went as far as starting his day job at 8 AM, then switching to helping BR from 5 ‘til 11 PM. But thankfully, everything worked out in the end.
Today, you may rarely see him inside the office as he’s started venturing into other partnerships. Regardless, his passed-down marketing knowledge remains to be the strat team’s biggest blueprint in crafting effective campaigns and well-thought-out strategies.
Anthony Manalo
Being a true expert in his field, Anthony Manalo made quite an impact when he joined Brand Republic.
Despite Anthony’s success, he was still eager to challenge himself and see if he had what it takes to thrive in an agency. And wouldn’t you know it? Not only did he prove to himself that he can, he even managed to grow the agency along the way since he expanded BR’s services through digital and media buying.
On top of these, he also provided the perspective that every employee had to think from the client’s point of view. This started the daily challenge for the account and creative leads which, I have to admit, made everyone improve their craft. These moves brought in more profits for the company and even led to the acquisition of the Nabati Group, something he’s incredibly proud of.
Denis Gaddi
A year after Brand Republic was established, Jofel invited his brother Denis to join the company as the head of the new department that aims to specialize in manpower services. It’s great to see how BR chooses partners that can contribute to the company’s growth. And Denis was just the perfect fit to open this new service. While that hasn’t been fully actualized yet, he’s already a valuable part of the company, putting his skills in management committee meetings, which has undoubtedly earned him the respect of his partners. In fact, despite not having any advertising background, they always consider his opinions and recommendations on how to tackle company issues.
As of now, BR’s manpower services are in the works, but Denis is confident that once it becomes operational, he can lead the department to its best.
What’s Stored in the Future for them?
While nobody really knows what the future holds, the Managing Partners seem to agree to make the company even better. Jofel saw the potential of the agency to grow and expand with the recent success of MUPH-QC 2024, Markus aims to explore video production, Mario wants each employee to instill BR’s characteristics and values in and outside the office, Anton jokingly mentioned an infinity pool as his wish for the agency’s dream building, and as for Denis, it’s to fully operate BR’s manpower service.
And there you have it! Hopefully, just like me, their stories also inspired or fueled a fire within you. Though I know that all of us have a different story, but what we have in common with them is that we always start somewhere before we become “someone.” As for me? Well, just wait a couple of years ‘cos I’ll “self-insert” my name here without anyone noticing. 😉
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