We’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through your feed, and you see it: the “perfect” post. It’s a photo of a minimalist cafe with pristine white walls, a single Monstera leaf in the corner, and a flat white that looks like it was painted by an angel. It’s beautiful. It’s “estetik.” But after a two-second gaze, you keep scrolling.
Then, two minutes later, you stop. You’re watching a shaky, vertically-shot video of a guy trying to cook sinigang while his younger brother makes faces in the background, or perhaps a “POV” of a commute in a crowded Jeepney during a sudden downpour. You laugh, you tag your best friend, and you hit share.
Why? Because that shaky video felt like your life.
In the local digital landscape, the “perfect” feed is losing its grip. As the market matures, relatable content in the Philippines is consistently outperforming highly curated, high-budget aesthetic content. For brands and content creators, understanding this shift isn’t just a creative choice; it’s a business necessity.
The “Estetik” Burnout: Why Perfection is Polished but Passive
For years, the gold standard for social media was “The Grid.” Influencers and brands spent hours planning their color palettes to ensure every photo transitioned perfectly into the next. While this creates a beautiful brand image, it often creates a “museum effect.”
In a museum, you look, you admire, but you don’t touch. You certainly don’t feel like you belong there.
For many Filipinos, overly aesthetic content has started to feel like a barrier. It feels like “advertising.” In a culture that values pakikipagkapwa (the shared inner self), perfection can feel cold and exclusionary. When content is too polished, the audience subconsciously thinks, “That’s nice, but that’s not for me.”
The Rise of Relatable Content in the Philippines
So, what is relatable content, Philippines style? It’s content that embraces the “mess.” It’s the “Ugly-Pretty” aesthetic, where the value lies in the message, the humor, or the shared struggle rather than the filter used.
Filipinos are world-class observers of the “everyday.” We find humor in the struggle of the MRT, the absurdity of family reunions, and the joy of a simple merienda. When a creator captures these nuances, they aren’t just making a post; they are validating the audience’s reality.
Authentic marketing thrives here because it builds a bridge instead of a pedestal. When a brand admits that things aren’t always perfect, it becomes human. And in the Philippines, we buy from humans, not corporations.
1. The Trust Factor: From “Endorser” to “Friend.”
The traditional celebrity endorsement is changing. While big names still have power, the real “budol” (persuasion to buy) happens in the comments sections of content creators who aren’t afraid to show their “haggard” side.
Think about the last time you bought something because of a TikTok video. Was it because the lighting was cinematic? Probably not. It was likely because the creator showed the product actually working in a real, messy, Filipino household.
- Aesthetic Content: Shows a vacuum cleaner in a house that is already clean.
- Relatable Content: Shows a vacuum cleaner picking up actual dog hair and cracker crumbs while the creator’s kids are screaming in the background.
The latter wins every time because it’s believable. Authentic marketing is built on the foundation of shared experience. If I can see that your life looks like mine, I can trust your recommendation.
2. The Power of “POV” and Cultural Nuance
One of the biggest drivers of relatable content in the Philippines is the “POV” (Point of View) trend. This format has allowed creators to tap into specific cultural archetypes: the strict but loving Tita, the “sabaw” office worker, or the “pa-mine” live seller.
These aren’t just funny videos; they are mirrors. By using local slang, Taglish, and culturally specific scenarios, creators signal that they are part of the “in-group.” This creates a sense of community that aesthetic content simply cannot replicate.
Aesthetic content is global and generic; relatable content is local and specific. And in marketing, specificity is what drives conversion.
3. High Engagement via “Tag-a-Friend” Culture
Let’s look at the metrics. Aesthetic posts might get a high “Like” count, but relatable posts dominate in “Shares” and “Comments.”
When a Filipino sees something relatable, the immediate reaction is to share that experience with their circle. We are a “Tag-a-Friend” nation. We tag our siblings, our coworkers, and our barkadas because the content reminds us of a shared memory or an inside joke.
From an SEO and algorithm perspective, these “high-value” engagements (shares and long-form comments) signal to platforms like Facebook and TikTok that the content is valuable. This pushes relatable content Philippines further into the viral territory, giving brands more organic reach than a paid, polished ad ever could.
How to Balance Relatability and Brand Identity
Does this mean you should start posting blurry photos and low-quality videos? Not necessarily. The goal isn’t to be “low quality,” but to be “high reality.”
Here is how you can pivot your strategy:
A. Document, Don’t Create
Stop trying to “produce” every piece of content. Sometimes, the best performing post is a behind-the-scenes look at how your team handles a busy Monday. Use your phone. Skip the ring light occasionally. Let the natural environment speak.
B. Speak the Language
If your target audience speaks Taglish, your copy should too. Professionalism doesn’t mean being stiff. At Thinkable Box, we believe that true professional insight can be delivered in a way that feels like a conversation over coffee.
C. Embrace the “Fail”
Did a product launch go slightly wrong? Did you make a mistake in a video? Don’t always edit it out. Showing how you handle mistakes is the pinnacle of authentic marketing. It shows you have nothing to hide.
D. Collaborative Storytelling
Empower your content creators to tell their own stories about your brand. Don’t give them a rigid script. Let them use their own voice, their own humor, and their own “messy” setups. Their followers follow them for them, not for your brand’s logo.
Be the Friend, Not the Billboard
The digital space in the Philippines is crowded. If you’re just another “pretty” face or “pretty” brand, you’re easily replaceable. But if you are a relatable voice, one that understands the heat, the traffic, the humor, and the heart of the Filipino, you become indispensable.
The “estetik” might get the first look, but relatability gets the last word. In the battle between perfection and connection, connection wins every time.
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