Ogilvy Philippines upskills creators with return of business-focused creator camp

Ogilvy Philippines has brought back its Creator Camp for a second year, this time with a sharpened focus: transforming content creators into business-savvy entrepreneurs. Held at the agency’s Rockwell headquarters in Makati, the latest edition of the full-day programme brought together a fresh mix of creators across lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and advocacy.

This year, the camp drilled deeper into the mechanics of business-building - covering everything from revenue planning and operational management to data-driven decision-making.

“The creator economy is booming,” said Elly Puyat, CEO of Ogilvy Philippines. “But for creators and influencers to truly thrive and build lasting legacies, they need to transcend the role of content producer and embrace that of a business leader.”

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“Our Creator Camp is engineered to bridge that critical gap. We provide the strategic insights and practical skills necessary not just to amplify their reach, but to monetise their creativity effectively and build enduring enterprises,” Puyat added.

The programme’s structure was deliberately hands-on. Ogilvy’s consulting and influence teams led sessions that asked participants to define their brand stories, assess their audience data with a commercial lens, and map out revenue strategies for a rapidly evolving creator landscape.

According to Leah Huang, managing director for PR and influence at Ogilvy Philippines, the initiative is as much about creator support as it is about shaping the future of the marketing ecosystem. “We work with many talented creators, and we want to give back by sharing our knowledge to help them build an essential business skillset,” said Huang.

“This is our investment in helping transform them into sustainable business leaders, equipped to navigate the complexities of the market and build long-term success,” she added.

The day concluded with a panel titled “Beyond Likes & Follows: Redefining Influence, Social Commerce, and Tomorrow’s Trends.” Among the speakers were Raffy Casas of Nestlé Philippines, Mike Garcia and Manny Gonzales of Ogilvy, Dino Ocampo from the creative team, and Jako de Leon, a board director at the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines.

For Gonzales, who heads Ogilvy’s consulting practice, the shift towards a data-literate, strategy-first approach is long overdue. “Understanding audience analytics and identifying key trends are no longer optional for creators; they are fundamental business requirements,” he said.

“Our interactive workshop provided practical, hands-on experience that will enable our partners to make strategic adjustments that improve content performance and drive real business results,” Gonzales added.

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