www.AlexisChua.com

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I believe that social media is essential in the survival of the fittest in today’s world of business.
In the Philippines, with the increasing number of Filipinos online, every business must make its presence known in the cyberspace. This is because a huge percentage of Filipinos online visit social networking sites (some even know the internet as being composed of Facebook and email!). Considering the viral nature of social media in the Philippines, any firm desiring to capture more market share must utilize the unharnessed potentials of social media! Especially now where Filipinos are finding more and more ways to access information from the Web (see the State of the Mobile Web Report for Southeast Asia), it pays to make an online presence because Filipinos make it a necessity to access the Web, whether socializing in the Metro's upclass business districts or sniffing for 3G signals high up in the rural areas.

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I believe that social media is changing the rules of engagement
In the Philippines, whenever one has access to a computer with an internet connection, it is a ‘sin’ to not have a at least an email address and a social networking account! A study released by Universal McCann declared the Philippines as "the social networking capital of the world," and as of date, the extremely viral Facebook is the top site visited in the Philippines. As for myself, whenever I start my online life, the first open tabs are Facebook, Twitter, email, and a tab for managing my blogs. Being a person whose daily life won’t be complete without interacting with others on social networks, microblogs, my blogs, the experience itself has given me what I need to understand social media and the beauty of doing business and socialization through it.

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Yahoo-Nielsen Net Index 2010

I believe that the social media provides a more personal approach for introducing change and improvement.
The desire of people for change are endless. But thing is, of the many entities claiming to provide better online lives, people are becoming more and more wary of which offers to believe in, and which ones to consider as crap. And with the epidemial nature of information over the Web, those that do not deserve the praise make ugly waves in all forms of social media! Social media has slowly transformed into platforms to connect, interact and communicate with people with the same ideas, likes, rants, woes, among others. So when one says that “a certain browser with the huge ‘E’” is pure awfulness, the experience spreads like wildfire and people with related experiences become the catalysts for change, to a better browser, in this case.

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I believe that the interaction of individuals in dynamic and diverse communities can bring forth success in a firm’s quest for betterment.
I am one of the relatively few Opera Campus Crew members in the Philippines. Being one who has done quite a number of activities in the Campus Crew has led me to meeting new people with different ideologies, concepts, and impressions (and even different browser loyalties!) about stuff related to my, and my team’s, marketing of the browser. Even just the community of those interested in Web browser usage is beaming with life! The beauty of social media is that through the words that we put up on the Web, we can influence others in pursuing better Internet experiences! Forums, live chats, and even bloggers’ meet-ups can create a lasting impact in every netizen!

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I believe that the power of the web and the interactions happening within works better than conventional media.
I have been blogging since last year, and I belong to my city’s bloggers’ group, as well as the network of blogging groups all over the second largest (Mindanao) of the three main islands of the Philippines. Small as the Philippines may be, but it is a 90 million-strong force that never fails to make headlines in the world media! Just today, when the 15th president of the Republic was proclaimed, the news of his proclamation was trending on Twitter worldwide! This is truly a feat that no small nation can do with the good ol’ print and broadcast media. Social media just does the thing – even better!

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I believe that I have what it takes to be a Marketing Trainee for my home market, the Philippines.
Social media has been a part of life ever since the day dial-up Internet access reached our shores. Being an advocate of the usage of social media for positive change, I believe that presenting Opera in my locality would be a challenge, but a doable feat. Having understood the market and the surfing habits of Filipinos online, I can see that Opera and its browsers has what the Filipinos need for an better Internet experience. Being connected with other communities in the vast social media would greatly help in expanding the reach of the great news of fast and secure Web browsing. As I have learned in my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, in the extremely competitive world of business, every connection counts - the very essence of social networking. Being a part of a news organization in the last five years, the vast network of journalists that I have been in work with has provided me with extensive experience in communicating with people from all walks of life. Of course, my Opera Campus Crew experiences has indeed taught me a lot in spreading the word about Opera, its browsers, and its advocacies. I believe that social media works, and I am a part of it.

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