Asia-Pacific Power List 2023: Dondi Gomez, Jollibee

Dondi Gomez

Group chief marketing officer
Jollibee
Philippines
New Member

Dondi Gomez held a gamut of senior marketing positions at Unilever and Ernst & Young before jumping over to Philippines' top fast-food company Jollibee in 2013. It’s here, as a marketer, that he shot to fame with a number of initiatives that led to strong business gains for the much-loved Filipino favourite.

Coming out of the pandemic’s extended lockdowns, Jollibee bounced to a fast recovery; net profits multiplied in 2022, revenue was up 38% to close at nearly $3.8 billion. Betting big on the next five years, the group is eyeing aggressive double growth in the U.S. and China through strategic M&As.

On the last count, Jollibee had nearly 6,800 branches worldwide; its main market Philippines is home to nearly 50% of those; the rest sprinkled across 34 countries worldwide. The pipeline is to take the global store count to 10,000 by the end of 2027.

Jollibee already has 18 food brands under its wings, prominent among those are foreign chains like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in the US, the Burger King franchise in the Philippines, Dunkin’ in select regions of China, and joint ventures with Japan’s Yoshinoya and Panda Express of the United States.

Consistent with the network’s steep growth goals, group CMO Gomez is incorporating a slew of marketing initiatives to help the brand thrive in the post-pandemic landscape. Rapid digitalisation by integrating digital payments and financial services into their business in the Philippines is one of them.

Taking over the role from outgoing Frances Flores in June 2022, Gomez is working toward a comprehensive digital marketing transformation roadmap that focuses on delivering effective, efficient strategies across relevant customer touchpoints. From paid and owned media to granted, leased and earned channels, his team dips into data analytics, micro-segmentation, communication and conversion loyalty to map out marketing functions in each growth area.

He also launched group meals that are optimised for off-premise consumption. The marketing action mix also included menu innovations come in the way of new on-the-go items like Jollibee Chicken Sandwich, Mang Inasal Empanada, Milksha Milk Tea among others in the Philippines. Several new group meals like Jollibee Burger Steak Platter, Chowking Siomai Chaofan Family Platter, Red Ribbon Pastry Pasalubong Pack have also been rolled out. Supplementing the success of these items, in large parts, is down to the ease of seamless digital transactions via the take-out channels.

Digital transformation was underway at Jollibee even pre-Covid; the pandemic just gave it the right nudge. Gomez’s team accelerated digital payments integration into their brands and he was recognised for the swift efforts at the local Maya Business Trailblazers Awards in 2022 in the Financial Services Ecosystem Leaders category.

With the cloud kitchen trend gaining steam in the pandemic, Jollibee was not to miss the hype train. Gomez’s team spearheaded the expansion of the brand’s discreet offerings in key locations in Singapore and the US to enhance delivery reach as well as efficiency.  

The digital-first approach is a key marketing pivot in campaigns too. The #Kwentong Valentine’s Day showing the nuanced definitions of love from different perspectives was released in three films and as shorts on YouTube and Jollibee’s official Facebook page.

A passionate marketer, Gomez’s commitment to people development led him to establish the brand’s Group Marketing Academy, a training programme that helps marketers of all levels polish necessary skills for career development.