Cebuana Lhuillier’s three wins at the 2026 Marketing Excellence Awards show how the financial services company is using marketing to do more than promote products. It is using the discipline to build trust, strengthen customer relationships, and make a growing financial ecosystem more relatable.
The awards recognized leadership, customer experience, and teamwork, giving a snapshot of how the company is evolving its marketing strategy as it expands beyond its traditional pawning business.
Emirosco Michael Sena, First Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, was named Marketing Leader of the Year for leading brand strategy, creativity, communications, and purpose across Cebuana Lhuillier’s portfolio of pawning, loans, money transfers, savings, insurance, business support, and investments.
“This recognition is a testament to what we can achieve when strategy, creativity, and purpose come together,” Sena said. “We want every campaign to strengthen the brand and create value for the people we serve.”
The company’s Pasasalamat campaign also won Silver for Excellence in Event Marketing. The initiative gives selected customers the chance to reclaim pawned items with sentimental value, turning a financial transaction into a more personal moment of gratitude and reconnection.
It is a useful reminder that financial services can be intensely personal. A pawned piece of jewelry, for instance, may have little value on a balance sheet but carry plenty of meaning for its owner.
Meanwhile, Cebuana Lhuillier’s Integrated Marketing and Communications Group received Bronze for Marketing Team of the Year, recognizing the team behind campaigns and communications across products, platforms, and customer segments.
President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier credited the people behind the brand for keeping it relevant.
“I am proud of how our team continues to make Cebuana Lhuillier more relevant and relatable while strengthening our connection with the communities we serve,” he said.
The awards come as Cebuana Lhuillier broadens its financial services offering, making customer engagement increasingly important as the company competes across more categories.
The marketing challenge is straightforward but significant. More products mean more reasons to reach customers, but also more complexity to explain.
Cebuana Lhuillier’s latest wins suggest it is betting that clear communication, emotional connection, and a familiar brand can help bridge that gap.
