Cosmic Technologies Incorporated (CTI) is the company behind Cherry Mobile, the fastest growing handset brand in the Philippines today. What started in 2009 as a mobile phone brand with only four units to showcase has swiftly overtaken its rivals in the entry-level market and is now considered a game changer in the industry. In its first year, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Maynard S. Ngu, envisioned Cherry Mobile to become a brand that has “Everything for Everyone” providing products that serve across age groups and cater various lifestyles. Their tagline ‘Values Your Lifestyle’ promises to bring products that are at par with high-end devices at reasonable prices.
Overcoming the early obstacles and challenges, such of minimal resources and market penetration, Cherry Mobile now stands as the number one smartphone brand in 2017 in the Philippines, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). The company also embarked on expanding into several key markets, widening its distribution network into Thailand and Papua New Guinea.
In 2015, Cherry Mobile has launched its own network service – Cherry Prepaid – in partnership with telecommunications giant, Globe Telecom. The company also expanded their operations to include a camera testing lab to test the quality of their phones; making them the only local brand with this capability. And just recently, Cherry Mobile ventured into another innovation through its CherryRoam, a pocket travel WiFi device with affordable data packages. The factor of their success, according to Ngu, is their ability to tap into the pulse of the market, and to give customers what they truly want and need, while being adaptable to the changes in the mobile tech industry.
Started with a team composed of fifty (50), to date, Cherry Mobile employs almost a thousand employees. Ngu proudly acknowledges that his team often exceeds the company’s expectations because they cared enough for the brand’s growth. Thus, it has been that their rise to success has been a collective effort. He believes treating his people well also helps establish good working culture and a team that will value the company and its mission. By valuing staff insights, the team is encouraged to contribute more. Cherry Mobile also give its employees opportunities to grow through in-house development programs and trainings. Programs for personality development ranging from leadership, communication skills, and wellness are conducted regularly to ensure the healthy professional and personal growth of all staff.
The company shares its success by giving back through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative called Cherry CaRES. Since 2011, the brand has woven social responsibility into the company’s culture and foundation even before it became profitable. This lays the groundwork for the establishment of the MSN Foundation which highly focuses on Education through the “Be Cool in School” project, Adopt-a-School, and Scholarship program. The foundation also extends assistance to the most underserved Filipinos through health, environment, livelihood, and community development projects in order to help improve lives and ignite change in various communities. Further, CTI encourages their employees to volunteer in these activities, as this gives them a first-hand grasp of what the grassroots communities face. These personal encounters also provide staff with the realization that each member of the organization has the ability to give and share.
More and above the success that Cherry Mobile has achieved over the past years, the proudest achievement of the founder is the number of Filipinos whose lives were made easier because of affordable, accessible technology, and the continuous diversification of the company to create an ecosystem for its target market.
