Lack of overseas partners slows MSMEs’ regional expansion, says MAP

PHILIPPINE micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are struggling to expand across Southeast Asia because many lack trusted marketing partners and local market expertise, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) said on Tuesday.

“What they often lack is trusted market access and reliable local partners,” MAP President Donald Patrick L. Lim said at the launch of the Strategic Asia Marketing Alliance (SAMA) Philippines.

“SAMA helps bridge that gap by connecting Philippine businesses with experienced agencies across Southeast Asia, making regional expansion more practical, less risky and ultimately more achievable,” he added.

Mr. Lim said Filipino entrepreneurs have competitive products and talent but often lack the networks needed to enter foreign markets.

SAMA Philippines aims to connect local businesses with independent marketing and advertising agencies in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong through a regional alliance launched in Jakarta in 2024.

“Filipino brands are no longer asking whether they can grow beyond our shores,” SAMA Philippines Country President Enya Reyes said. “They are asking how.”

Ms. Reyes is also managing partner and business development consultant at M2.0 Communications, Inc.

She said the network enables companies to work through a Philippine-based team instead of hiring separate agencies in each market or paying for large regional agency networks.

“Instead of assembling separate partners market by market or paying for a regional network they may not fully use, brands can now work with one Philippine team that connects them to proven local specialists across Southeast Asia,” Ms. Reyes said in a separate statement.

SAMA said its partner agencies provide market knowledge and help brands tailor campaigns to local consumer preferences and business conditions.

MSMEs account for more than 99% of businesses in the Philippines and have become a major driver of e-commerce and digital payments, but many continue to face high marketing costs and the complexities of entering overseas markets.

The Philippine chapter has nine founding members: BBX Collab, Blogapalooza, Curiosity, Evident Integrated Marketing and PR, Inventie Marketing Services, LiveCatch PH, M2.0 Communications, RedAnts Media, Inc. and ThinkBIT Solutions. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz