Kendall Thaddeus Roa, a Certified Marketing Professional, has led campaigns across industries and continents—but few experiences have shaped his branding philosophy as powerfully as his time with the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).
“I’ve always believed in the power of branding to move people. But with CCLEX, it was more than that—it was about shaping a national symbol,” Roa shared.
As Marketing Assistant Manager at Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation, Roa wasn’t just promoting a bridge—he was helping position one of the Philippines’ most ambitious infrastructure projects as a source of national pride. At 8.9 kilometers long and the tallest bridge in the country to date, CCLEX connects Cebu City and Cordova in Mactan. But for Roa, the real story wasn’t the scale of the engineering—it was the emotional connection.
“We had to go beyond technical features and talk about what this bridge meant for the people of Cebu and the country,” he said. “Connectivity. Progress. Pride. These were the messages that mattered.”
Roa helped shape a campaign that aligned public infrastructure with public identity—an approach that crystalized his belief in purpose-driven branding. “The bridge wasn’t just concrete and steel—it was a promise. A symbol of what’s possible when vision and collaboration meet.”
That experience transformed how he saw marketing’s role. For Roa, branding isn’t just about market share—it’s about meaning. “Brands today can’t just sell products or services. They have to stand for something. They have to make people feel something.”
After CCLEX, Roa took on international leadership roles, including as Head of Marketing at Gilton Valeo Lawyers in Australia and as Marketing Manager at Coinut, a fintech company with presence in Singapore, Switzerland, and Canada. In each role, he brought the same principle: lead with purpose, then back it up with strategy and empathy.
One campaign he’s especially proud of is “Coins U Trust” for Coinut. “In an industry filled with jargon and skepticism, we focused on transparency and education. That’s what connected with people. That’s what built trust.”
Now, whether working in infrastructure, immigration, or fintech, Roa integrates data with emotional insight—always looking for what resonates at the human level. “We can measure almost everything in marketing today. But real connection? That still comes from purpose.”
For fellow marketers, his message is clear: “Don’t just market what you do—market what you mean. That’s what people remember.”
