THERE are so many things RepublicAsia has to learn and accomplish as a new player in the news and media arena. But looking back from the moment it entered the industry in November 2022 to where it stands now, the digital platform can proudly say that it has indeed come a long way to serve the young generation, particularly the millennials and Generation Z.
This is what chief executive officer Bran Reluao had in his mind when he was just visualizing how RepublicAsia would create an impact in local media. As a millennial, Reluao wanted the digital platform to reach more young individuals and be a bridge to connect them to the general public by amplifying their voices as they share their narratives.
“I envisioned RepublicAsia to become a newsroom that not just entertains and educates the younger generations, but speaks in their language, telling stories in a way that sustains their attention, and providing them with a platform to speak up,” the digital disruptor said.
Despite being a newbie, the organization has achieved greater lengths because of the collaborative efforts of young individuals that make up its newsroom.
But all of these accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without the guidance of veteran journalists who look after this Gen Z-run digital platform and, of course, the support of its collaborators.
In its bid to equip more young individuals with knowledge and strategies, RepublicAsia has also conducted different seminars in partnership with other organizations.
Such collaborations have been a big help to the start-up media outfit in reaching a wider audience and sharing essential information with them, while also learning from its partners’ expertise and vice versa, said Reulao.
“When we join forces, we are able to offer a unique product that the younger generation gets to learn from,” he said. “Partnerships also allow us to do more even with our limited resources.”
As it ends its week-long anniversary celebration, RepublicAsia wants to thank its collaborators who helped the platform reach all these milestones throughout its one-year journey:
Lead Like A Pro
Perhaps one of the biggest achievements of RepublicAsia this year is its partnership with iAcademy and Kumu for Lead Like a Pro, a media workshop conducted by the company last May 12th, aiming to give knowledge to the public with topics related to digital media.
23-year-old Danica Ulanday, the Sales and Marketing Officer of RepublicAsia, explains that she and the rest of the heads at the company choose their partners by evaluating the vision and target audience of those with whom they wish to collaborate with, ensuring that their goals are in line with those of Republicasia’s to make content for the new generation.
This is exactly why Republicasia’s collaboration with iAcademy proved to be such a huge success.
The event featured a number of talented speakers like Say Alonzo, KC Montero, Hiyasmin Neri-Soyao, James Rumohr, Kerwin King, Lou Sanchez, and several others to discuss Data Science, the Social Media Algorithm, New Meia, Content Creation, as well as Online Entrepreneurship.
Several performers such as Drei Sugay, Maki, Lloyd and the Chongs, Eunice Janine, and DJ Astrid were also invited to participate in this event to keep the crowd pumped up all night long.
The event estimated over 700 attendees in total, not only listening to the speakers but also interacting with one another and making connections that will hopefully last a lifetime.
Next Up!
Following Lead Like a Pro was RepublicAsia’s second collaboration with iAcademy, NextUp, conducted on October 27 of this year. This event focused on preparing for the evolving landscape of digital media, aimed toward both journalists and people who hope to become journalists in the future.
The main purpose of releasing this event is to give tips and lectures in order to excel in online journalism.
Aside from discussing the evolving landscape of digital media in this modern age—NextUp had also discussed the potential and threats relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence. Upon tackling this topic—journalists, broadcasters, and other people who were involved in the media industry had also taken the time to spread awareness regarding the AI epidemic.
While RepublicAsia and iAcademy’s NextUp mostly focused on the topic relating to Digital Age Journalism, it also tackled the topic of Data Science and The Social Media Algorithm, New Media, Content Creation, and Online Entrepreneurship.
Aside from providing tips and lectures for aspiring journalists—NextUp also provided great advice for digital advocates, industry professionals, as well as content creators.
Performing at this event were the likes of OPM singer Rhodessa
Meanwhile, a number of extremely well-versed people were given the opportunity to share their wisdom with the attendees of the event, such as Dr. Vanessa Tanco, the President and CEO of iAcademy, and Reluao of RepublicAsia.
Beloved journalists Howie Severino, Susan Enriquez, and Gretchen Ho also spoke at this event, alongside Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan, the Deputy General for Operations of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.
Over 300 people attended this event; similar to Lead Like a Pro, the crowd consisted of a mix of students from iAcademy as well as ones from other schools, as well.
UAAP
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) was founded in 1938 and is a well-known collegiate league. The UAAP is an athletic association in the Philippines made up of eight well-known Metro Manila institutions.
Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, National University, University of the East, University of the Philippines Diliman, and University of Santo Tomas are among the eight members.
Varsity teams from the aforementioned colleges will participate in the league’s 14 different sports on an annual basis.
Furthermore, the UAAP is one of the country’s oldest sporting conferences. The league has proven to be the most popular inter-university sports association in the country throughout the years.
Despite just being in the media field for a year, RepublicAsia was fortunate to obtain accreditation. Giving the organization access to all game results, images, statistics, and other information after each game or press conference.
RepublicAsia has already covered various UAAP press conferences and games since September. From the much-anticipated start of the UAAP to highly anticipated basketball games such as the ‘Battle of Katipunan,’ rival games between ADMU and DLSU, and the UP-DLSU finals game, you name it.
Given the UAAP’s large audience reach, partnering with a prestigious or established collegiate league would surely help the company achieve a larger audience.
A collaboration with a collegiate league is particularly suitable for RepublicAsia, considering that its target consumers are the younger generation, who are also interested in sports and other activities that they may partake in on a regular basis.
Future Forward launch
RepublicAsia took a big leap towards empowering the younger generation when it launched its digital magazine “Future Forward” in September, featuring 50 fearless student journalists from across the country in its first edition.
This digital magazine cover, titled “The 50 New Plaridels,” got its inspiration from the country’s observance of National Press Freedom Day.
The success of its debut issue pushed RepublicAsia to greater heights when it tapped the country’s first multilingual and multiethnic Filipino boy group ALAMAT for its second issue in October.
RepublicAsia partnered with Viva Records and Viva Artist Agency to allow these up-and-coming artists to “promote and honor the cultural significance in our country,” according to Ulanday who is also the executive producer of “Future Forward.”
With the help of its collaborators, RepublicAsia aims to inspire the new generation more and leave an impact on the digital world with “Future Forward.”
RepublicAsia is currently working with another organization for its third digital edition.
Celebrity coverage
As part of its efforts to widen its reach, RepublicAsia joined forces with several talent and entertainment agencies, which gave the platform a lot of opportunities to cover various stories that cater to the interests of its young audiences, including celebrities.
One of the big events where RepublicAsia made its presence known was the Sparkle Spell 2023 in October. It was attended by actors, social media influencers, and content creators, among others, where they showcased their exceptional Halloween costumes.
Apart from local artists, its partners also gave RepublicAsia the chance to cover international artists such as Korean-American multifaceted entertainer Eric Nam and Welsh singer-songwriter Jamie Miller during their fan meetings in Manila in August and October, respectively.
Through these exciting celebrity coverage, RepublicAsia was able to connect more with the young generation, especially the ever-supportive fans of these artists.
Dashcon 2023
The latest accomplishment of Republicasia is its collaboration with content platform DashoContent for the artificial intelligence-focused roadshow called “dashcon 2023.”
This convention gathered professionals from different industries, specifically those in the business and marketing fields, to further educate them about AI and how it should be ethically incorporated into their careers.
“Dashcon 2023” was a four-part event that began in Cebu City in October and concluded in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on November 29.
The roadshow opened a door for RepublicAsia to share its mission to “revolutionize” storytelling by combining the powers of advanced technologies like AI and human insights.
All these milestones that RepublicAsia has achieved in months are only the beginning of many achievements to come as the platform aims to put out “more in-depth, unique, and impactful” stories concerning the young generation with the help of its partners, according to Reluao.
“I am also looking forward to more partnerships and collaborations for magazine features and educational seminars. I really love sharing knowledge so that we [can] keep on enhancing the knowledge and skills of the younger generations, who will be the leaders of the future,” he said.
For her part, Ulanday said RepublicAsia will continue to widen its reach “with the right organization.”
“We wanted to connect through academic partnership, social partnership, and community participation,” she added.
