Today, many businesses rely heavily on social media, influencers, and digital advertising to attract customers. In the beauty and wellness industry, it is common to see brands investing heavily in Instagram campaigns, celebrity endorsements, and online promotions to build awareness.
When Dr. Aivee Teo opened her clinic in 2007, however, none of those tools played a significant role in her growth.
There was no Instagram. Influencer marketing did not exist. TikTok was years away. Yet over time, some of the country’s most recognizable personalities began visiting her clinic, helping establish what would eventually become one of the Philippines’ most prominent aesthetic and wellness brands.
The story of how Aivee grew offers an interesting lesson for entrepreneurs and business owners. Long before social media became a marketing necessity, she built her reputation through relationships, referrals, and trust.
The First Celebrity Referrals
According to Teo, her earliest celebrity clients did not come through advertising campaigns or public relations efforts.
“One of my friends who was a long-time client referred Gretchen Barretto to me,” she recalled. “And then Gretchen became a dear friend.”
Another early supporter was Karen Davila, whom Teo had known since college.
“Karen Davila was my friend all the way from college. When she found out I opened a clinic, she started coming as well.”
At the time, Teo was transitioning from hospital-based practice to running her own clinic. While she already had professional credentials and experience as a dermatologist, opening a standalone clinic made it easier for patients to access her services.
“I was in the hospital, so it wasn’t convenient for them to visit me. But when I opened the clinic, no matter how small it was, they started saying, ‘We should see her.'”
The referrals soon created momentum.
Unlike many businesses that launch with extensive marketing plans, Teo said growth happened largely through personal recommendations.
“It’s just really by referral,” she said.
The timing also proved favorable. She believed there was a growing demand for dermatology and anti-aging services in Bonifacio Global City, which was still developing into a major business and lifestyle district.
“I felt that there was a need for a dermatologist in BGC.”
Yet demand alone does not explain why a relatively new clinic gained attention so quickly.
According to Teo, relationships played an important role.
“Most of these patients became my friends. You know, there’s a relationship.”
That relationship-based approach became one of the foundations of the brand.
Why Word of Mouth Worked
In today’s digital environment, businesses often focus on maximizing reach. Marketing discussions revolve around impressions, engagement rates, clicks, and followers. While those metrics can be useful, they do not always translate into trust.
Trust is often built differently.
People tend to place greater confidence in recommendations from family members, friends, colleagues, and people they admire than in advertisements. This was especially true before social media transformed the marketing landscape.
As more patients shared positive experiences, word-of-mouth referrals continued to grow.
Dr. Z, Teo’s husband and business partner, observed that many of their early clients were not only visiting the clinic but also actively recommending it to others.
“There’s a difference when a big personality goes to you and they keep quiet,” he said. “But these people come and they talk. If they find something good, they will say, ‘Try this. This is good.'”
Those recommendations created a powerful multiplier effect.
One satisfied client could introduce several others. Those clients, in turn, could introduce more people. Unlike advertising, which often stops generating results when spending ends, referrals can continue creating opportunities long after the initial service has been delivered.
When the Media Started Paying Attention
As referrals continued to grow, the clinic also began attracting media attention. One of the earliest features appeared in the Philippine Star in 2007. Additional interviews and magazine features followed as journalists became curious about the young dermatologist attracting a growing number of high-profile clients.
“They were asking, ‘Who is this girl?'” Teo recalled.
Newspapers and magazines began featuring her practice, her professional journey, and her growing client base.
In many ways, the media attention was a consequence of the growing reputation rather than the cause of it.
A Timeless Marketing Lesson
The story offers an important lesson for entrepreneurs operating in an era dominated by digital marketing.
Technology has changed the tools businesses use to communicate, but it has not changed the underlying importance of trust.
A company can purchase advertising. It can hire influencers. It can invest in sophisticated marketing campaigns.
What it cannot easily purchase is genuine advocacy from satisfied customers.
The strongest brands often emerge when customers voluntarily share positive experiences with others.
That appears to have been the case with Aivee.
Looking back, Teo attributes much of her early growth to relationships and referrals rather than promotional spending.
“There was no Instagram then,” she said.
Instead, there were friendships, professional relationships, satisfied patients, and recommendations passed from one person to another.
Years later, social media would become an important communication tool for many businesses, including those in the beauty and wellness industry. But Aivee’s early success serves as a reminder that long before likes, followers, and viral content became marketing buzzwords, trust remained one of the most powerful drivers of business growth.
In an age where companies are constantly searching for new ways to attract attention, the story behind Aivee’s rise highlights a timeless principle: people may discover a business through marketing, but they often stay because someone they trust recommended it.
