Jollibee Philippines

In any business, no matter how you slice it, the more effective your advertising is, the more successful you will be. The fast food indsutry is no different, and the people at Jollibee Philippines (the division in the Philippines, as opposed to Jollibee International) definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to advertising. They know their target audience very well: the traditional Filipino family, and it caters very well towards the typical family in the Philippines.

Keep it in the Family

Focusing on the cultural tradition of the importance of family values, they have made a concerted effort to make sure that Filipinos associate Jollibee with a wholesome family meal. Not so much wholesome in the nutritional sense (it is fast food overall), but wholesome meaning that feeling you get inside your heart when you watch a “perfect” nuclear family with two parents, one boy and one girl enjoy the deliciousness of ChickenJoy on TV. Jollibee is targeting two areas: both the pallete as well as the heart. As you watch the young boy excitedly bite into his Yumburger with his insatiable appetite and his mother looking on with a friendly smile as she has french fries in her hands, you’re transpoorted to this magical fantasyland. You want to be part of that family. You want your family to be like that family. And in addition to all this, you want to go to Jollibee and eat a Yumburger. It might be a stretch to say that people will think that by going to Jollibee, their family can somehow transform and conform to this social norm.

In the Real World 

And yet, when you walk into a Jollibee, you look around and many times that’s what you see: Filipino families congregating and enjoying their meal together. So what’s this say about the advertising? Is it effective advertising? I would argue that it is, but let’s not confuse correllation with causation. But at the end of the day, Jollibee keeps selling Yumburgers and ChickenJoy, so they must be doing something right with their advertising.

The Secret?

I believe it’s that intangible factor that their targeting in a person’s heart which makes it so successful. Remember that one commercial when the boy takes his mother to the local Jollibee and then he says that one day he’ll take her to Jollibee Hong Kong? That commercial is an example of successful advertising in multiple levels. It demonstrates the family value of caring for one’s parents today. It also sends the message about taking care of them in the future. Yet, not only is the boy promising mere local fast food, but he takes it to the next level by saying he will take her to Jollibee Hong Kong which resonates with each person’s internal desire for upward mobility.

In the end, it’s clear that the advertisers at Jollibee have been doing their research and know the Filipino culture very well. In addition to knowing the culture, I would go so far as to say they are contributing to the culture and changing it at the same time, something not many companies can say. Now the trick will be to see how successful Jollibee International can be by learning how to cater to a country’s niche food desires the way Jollibee Philippines has.

Want to know more? Read about the: History of Jollibee in the Philippines.

Still curious? Learn more about Jollibee Philippines. 

I honestly wonder what goes through the heads of fast-food chain management and founders when deciding what their mascot should be. It must have been an interesting time when the creators of McDonalds came up with the idea of a friendly clown dressed in red, yellow and white. I guess things were a bit simpler for Dave Thomas when he named the franchise after his daughter Wendy, though I would hesitate to call her a mascot. We all know how bad (or maybe good?) things can get when a fast food chain brainstorms the brilliant idea of a talking chihuahua that speaks in Spanish about how much he wants (or loves?) Taco Bell. Interestingly enough, not all successful chains need a mascot (or maybe they weren’t memorable) in the case of chains like Arby’s, but many do, like Jack of Jack in the Box and The King of Buger King - all normal people with ridiculous masks or, um, heads.

Now what does this have to do with Jollibee in the Philippines? Well, many would attribute Jollibee’s success in the Philippines to its mascot, sharing the same name as the franchise: the Jollibee. Is it a coincidence that Jollibee chose its mascot to be bright yellow and red as well? Perhaps not - as gaudy as those colors may seem, they are more than vibrant enough to catch the eye’s attention. These colors exposed to children who grow up on Jollibee begin a lifelong association of bright yellow and red with delicious, affordable and fast food. Reminiscent of the memorable flavors of popular condiments for hamburgers (or Yumburgers) and hot dogs, the yellow and red bee named Jollibee is dressed in a chef’s hat along with a shirt and blazer.

Jollibee’s smiling face is friendly enough to be a favorite among kids, and his face is prevalent in many locations that include playrooms for children. Clearly, this cartoon figure is aimed at the younger generation, but it does not alienate the older generation, especially these days, when many of us have grown up eating Jollibee. It’s easy to say that this figure has been pivotal in the branding and marketing efforts that have led to such success in the Philippines.

Read more about the History of Jollibee in the Phillippines.

There’s even more to learn at Jollibee Philippines.

As mentioned in our article History of Jollibee in the Philippines, we know that Jollibee originated in the Philippines, specifically in Cubao, Quezon City. Though it was such a modest beginning, and remember that the original shops used to only serve ice cream (pretty hard to imagine, isn’t it? I know I think of so much more than ice cream when I think of Jollibee), these two locations in Quezon City with the humble precursors to arguably the most successful fast food franchise in the history of the entire Philippines. Today, Jollibee has over 600 locations in the Philippines, and over 30 locations in other countries around the world. Where exactly are all these locations? Well, we can’t answer that question for every single on of the locations, but this article will explore some of the Jollibee locations both in the Philippines and around the world.

Where is Cubao, Quezon City? Well to answer this question, let’s look at the Philippines as a whole. The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ocean, southeast of mainland China and northeast of Indonesia. Taiwan is north of the Philippines and Vietnam is west of the Philippines. Now, zooming in on the Philippines itself, it is a country of over 5,000 islands, the largest of which is Luzon. Within Luzon, the most metropolitan area is known as Metro Manila. Metro Manila is made up of several cities, the largest of which is known as Quezon City, making up almost a quarter of the land area of Metro Manila. Cubao is a significant neighborhood within Quezon City, mostly for commerical reasons. Because of its many shops, it has been compared by some to the Madison Square Area in New York City. Still with me? Well, hopefully now you know a little more about where all the greatness that is Jollibee started, and now we look at where else it’s expanded to.

To begin, lets look at where Jollibee locations are inside of the Philippines. The major areas where Jollibee exists are:

• North Luzon

• South Luzon

• Metro Manila

• Mindanao

• Visayan Islands

Some notable cities include: Makati, Malabon, Antipolo, Bacoor, Davao, Iligan, Bacolod, Cebu City and Baguio.

  Now, let’s explore where Jollibee is outside of the Philippines. There are locations in the following places:

• United States

• Brunei

• Guam

• Saipan

• Hong Kong

• Vietnam

Some notable stores from these areas include stores in San Jose, California and also a new Jollibee in Las Vegas, Nevada! Within Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, Jollibee boasts locations in areas such as  Saigon Superbowl and Thuan Kieu Plaza.

Now that you know about the locations, learn more about Food at Jollibee in the Philippines.

Find out even more about Jollibee Philippines.