Since its inception, the Media Arts System and Services Company, Inc. (MASSCOM), has always had a unique relationship with consumer products giant, Philippine Refining Corporation (PRC) which is now known as Unilever Philippines. And this one-of-a-kind link is the core of the celebration, as the exclusive media buying agency of Unilever will soon mark its 25th year in the industry that it helped define.

MASSCOM’s Chairman of the Board, the quintessential media marketing man, Norberto H. Timbol states, “It was only when MASSCOM started that media got the full attention because Unilever wanted it to be one of the key aspects of marketing. As it is in a manufacturing company, raw materials take the first slot on expenditure and media takes the second place.”

The decision to develop an independent media buying unit for the Philippines arose from a dire need to have financial control and management of media monies as Unilever’s media expenditure scored significant growth worldwide during the early 80’s. The problem has reached critical levels for its subsidiaries in Western Europe, Latin America, South East Asia and even in the USA.

Unilever London and the local PRC committee led by former Chairman and Marketing Director Clive Butler, Former Marketing Director Peter Dart and Former Chairman Cesar Bautista initiated the development of the independent media buying unit and pinpointed their choice to head it.

They had their eyes on one person who passed all five of the company’s tenets: Trust, Confidence, Loyalty, Expertise and Unilever Experience. And they were bent on having one of their own to spearhead the unit. Their choice: PRC’s Senior Manager Norberto H. Timbol - one of only three Filipinos to hold a major position in the company.

Timbol’s Social Science and Research and Teaching background served him well in the 26 years that he has been with PRC. He held several managerial posts from marketing relations, media and advertising. At that time, Timbol was neither ready to retire nor leave the company because he was one of its highest officers.

The new company marked the birth of MASSCOM and the first ten years were crucial. Being on top of it all, “Mang Bert” as he is respectfully and fondly called, experienced the major change in the media advertising setting in the country.

To begin with there was really no media expertise in marketing in the mid-80’s. MASSCOM assisted the brand managers in marketing and media vis-a-vis advertising agencies whose primary concern were creative outputs and account management which has nothing to do with the marketing of Unilever philosophies and principles.

From the late 90’s fast forward to now, Mang Bert took big steps back to pass the baton, so to speak, to his children. Lorraine, Elaine and Raymund – handle tactical level management and introduced new trends in media negotiations and strategic media planning.

The five principles of Unilever: Trust, Loyalty, Confidence, Expertise and Unilever Experience flow through almost the same vein in MASSCOM from then till the next 25 years and beyond.