Aboitiz Foods’ rebranding campaign was recognized as one of the Most Innovative Branding/Re-Branding at the NEXT Awards Asia Pacific (APAC) 2025 held at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City on November 27, 2025. The campaign won Gold in the Philippines and a Bronze in the Asia Pacific category. The inaugural award recognizes the brand’s creativity, innovation, and excellence in its rebranding initiative, which successfully unified a multi-country business under a single corporate identity: Aboitiz Foods.
When Pilmico acquired Gold Coin in 2018, expanding its footprint across Asia, the organization faced a significant challenge: how to bring together two well-established companies—each with its own legacy, culture, and markets—under a single identity. With thousands of team members spread across different countries, roles, and languages, the company needed a strong corporate brand that could reflect a shared purpose, strengthen its reputation, and support long-term regional growth.
“Becoming Aboitiz Foods represented more than a name change or logo refresh; it marked a new chapter for the company,” said Joeben Gamatero, Aboitiz Foods Vice President for Brand & Reputation Management and Agribusiness Marketing.
“Bringing Pilmico and Gold Coin together under Aboitiz Foods propelled our business forward, creating a distinct, singular voice that resonates powerfully with both our customers and employees. It clearly demonstrated how a unified identity can inspire teams to pursue shared goals,” Gamatero added.
A Strategic, Reputation-led Campaign Across Asia
The rebranding was first introduced internally on August 1, 2024, through a simultaneous launch event across eight countries, followed by a series of brand roadshows for deeper engagement.
The breakthrough came in the form of a reputation-focused rebranding strategy, anchored on clarity, credibility, and long-term brand equity. Instead of a mass-market advertising campaign, Aboitiz Foods prioritized leadership visibility, strategic public relations, and thought leadership, supported by a people-first approach that ensured team members understood the new brand identity before being introduced to external audiences. The refreshed brand honored the strengths of its legacy companies while establishing a forward-looking identity built for regional scale.
The strategic shift created a meaningful impact across the business. The new brand identity helped foster collaboration, sharpen organizational focus, and contributed to Aboitiz Foods achieving its strongest financial performance to date. It also led to purpose-driven campaigns grounded in Aboitiz Foods’ unified identity, namely: everymeal, the flagship ESG and sustainability campaign; Feed Your Future, its employer branding initiative; and an expanded thought leadership program positioning its leaders as key voices in the food value chain.
Aboitiz Foods: Rebranding that Drove Results and Recognition
Joeben Gamatero expressed his gratitude to the award-giving body. “We are grateful for the jury behind NEXT Awards, which recognized the brand’s remarkable efforts and achievements for this rebranding campaign. It would not be possible without the passionate people behind it,” he said.
The campaign secured a Gold award at the NEXT Awards Philippines in the Brand/Re-branding category, qualifying Aboitiz Foods to represent the country at NEXT Awards APAC 2025. There, Aboitiz Foods earned a Bronze award, standing out among seven other entries from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the key takeaway from Aboitiz Foods’ rebranding story?
A well-executed corporate rebrand is more than a name change – it is a strategic tool for driving alignment, purpose, and growth. Aboitiz Foods’ experience shows that when a unified identity is built on genuine values and introduced thoughtfully, it can inspire teams, attract recognition, and strengthen business performance across an entire region.
What is this article about and what is its significance?
This article announces that Aboitiz Foods’ rebranding campaign was recognized at the NEXT Awards Asia Pacific 2025 for Most Innovative Branding/Re-Branding. The campaign won Gold in the Philippines and Bronze at the APAC level. The article is significant because it contextualizes the rebranding not just as a visual refresh, but as a strategic transformation that unified Pilmico and Gold Coin under one corporate identity.
Why did Aboitiz Foods need to rebrand?
When Pilmico acquired Gold Coin in 2018, the combined organization had thousands of team members across multiple countries, each with distinct legacies, cultures, and markets. A unified corporate brand was needed to reflect a shared purpose, sharpen organizational focus, and support long-term regional growth – bringing two well-established companies together under the single identity of Aboitiz Foods.
What was the strategy behind the rebranding campaign?
Rather than a mass-market advertising approach, the rebranding prioritized a reputation-focused strategy anchored on clarity, credibility, and long-term brand equity. It was introduced internally first, via a simultaneous launch across eight countries on August 1, 2024, followed by brand roadshows. Leadership visibility, strategic public relations, and thought leadership were the primary vehicles for the campaign.
What measurable results did the rebranding produce?
The rebranding contributed to Aboitiz Foods achieving its strongest financial performance to date. It also gave rise to purpose-driven campaigns including everymeal (its flagship ESG and sustainability campaign), Feed Your Future (its employer branding initiative), and an expanded thought leadership program positioning its leaders as key voices in the food value chain.
