The barber community united as Pablings Barbershop marked its 6th anniversary with the first-ever Barber Battle at Elements, Eton Centris in Quezon City on July 21.
Michael Padayao, the owner, was present at the event and eagerly engaged with the media, responding to questions from the sidelines. He then recounted the barbershop chain's journey over the past six years, which started in 2019, describing it as a 'roller coaster.' "Siguro na-manifest ko. Nasabi ko nung first branch ko, babaguhin ko yung barber industry, which is already happening right now."
He articulated that this Barber Battle event is designed to bring the industry together, closing the divide not only for the barbers but also for the brands; they are all in the same situation, working collectively to elevate and enhance the industry.Pablings has seen a significant increase in the number of branches since its inception in 2019. However, they feel that they are still in the honeymoon phase and should think about franchising in the future. In addition, Michael was questioned about the manner in which his company recovered from the sudden pandemic that took place in the year 2020. "Ang ginawa namin ng wife ko, ‘hindi natin pwedeng isara ‘to, na isha-shutdown natin’. So what we did is sinagot lang namin yung kabuhayan ng mga barber namin, kasi sabi ko once na mag-open ulit ‘to, makaka-bounce back tayo. Kasi, we truly believe na quality yung ino-offer namin na services e!"
There are currently 93 branches, with two located in Mindanao and the rest in Luzon. The first branch is in Marilao, Bulacan. Each location is designed to provide exceptional service and cater to the unique needs of the community.
Michael also mentioned how his background in Facebook marketing and e-commerce was a big help when he first started his company. "Pinag-aralan ko muna bago ko itinayo. Hindi basta-basta na nag-bandwagon na ko na. 'o ang ganda ng negosyong ito, magtatayo ako.'"
Pablings made the competitive decision to prioritize brand strength and quality over price competition. "If your only strategy to compete in the market is to lower your price, you don't have a brand," he said. Michael found immense satisfaction in knowing that their marketing stands as the company's greatest asset. “Sabi nga ni Anne Curtis, ‘I know the market because I am the market.”
Additionally, he made certain that their barbers were fully trained to satisfy Pablings' exacting standards before they could cut any client's hair.