ALL ABOARD OBRIGADO! 2013

Published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1, INdulge section, Edge Davao newspaper, Vol. 5 Issue 240, 06 February 2013

Martish Marketing Co. (MMC), the exclusive sub-distributor of Havaianas in South East Mindanao, opens the year with a nautical themed get together.

Dubbed as Obrigado - which is Thank You in Portuguese, the language used in Brazil – is MMC’s annual thanksgiving event for their media partners.

“The nautical theme stands for a new journey that will take us to the next 10, 20, or 50 more colorful and stylish years,” said MMC Managing Director and event host, Margarita Nograles. “This time, we are focused on improving our retail stores, the focal point of every Havaianatico’s brand experience.  We aim to make every customer’s visit a happier and rewarding shopping experience.”

The success story of Havaianas has inspired many in the fashion and business sectors. Their flip flop designs are inspired by the Japanese sandal (zori) and the sunny and relaxed Hawaiian culture. This twist in design proved to be a genius move as the products stood out and revolutionized the “poor man’s shoes” to becoming a wardrobe staple even for the rich and famous. From its humble beginnings in Brazil, the Havaianas brand grew to become the world’s most loved flip-flops.

In 2005, two young entrepreneurs in Davao, cousins Marga Nograles and Tisha Dominguez, got the exclusive sub-distributorship of Havaianas in South East Mindanao under their own joint business venture, Martish Marketing Company. Since then, the influence and following of the brand extended significantly even in cities outside of Davao region.

Marga shares, “We have been blessed abundantly these last 7 years.  As we enter our 8^th year in this business, we remember the devastation in Compostella Valley and Davao Oriental. As our way of giving back, we are donating a percentage of all our first quarter Havaianas sales to relief operations aimed at community rehabilitation, health, sanitation, and education. We continue to count our blessings and work together for a better South East Mindanao.”