The digital space is increasingly saturated with content; thus, standing out requires more than just talent – it demands authenticity, relatability, and a bit of luck. This insight comes from TV and social media personality Mikee Reyes, known online simply as Tito Mikee.
Once a basketball player and fitness instructor, Tito Mikee has transformed into a popular content creator, alongside his girlfriend CK de Leon, who shares this creative journey.
In an interview with Manila Standard Life at a Watsons event in SM North Edsa, Quezon City, Mikee, the “poster boy” of the brand’s “Himtayan” campaign, happily answered our questions. He talked about how he tries to make looking after your health and appearance seem cool online.
“I make sure to take care of myself,” Mikee said, “I pay attention to my body and my clothes. As more people noticed me, they found my journey inspiring. I think everyone should feel confident about themselves.”
“With the right set of products and through my content, I want men to feel cool and confident about taking care of themselves.”
For Mikee, the support from their community has been a key to his success as a content creator and social media influencer.
“I’m very appreciative of our communities, CK and I don’t take people for granted. We’ve come a long way, and that’s because of the people who follow and support our content online,” he pointed out.
“We appreciate it when people tell me stories that they bought something because they saw me wearing it. Those are heartwarming stories,” he added.
The shift to content creation was unexpected for Mikee. The pandemic served as a pivotal moment for him.
“I entered the content creation space at the right time during the pandemic. I never thought that I would be a content creator. I was a basketball player and a fitness instructor, but even back then, papansin na talaga ako,” he said in jest.
“I was just lucky that I got the ‘titos market.’ I always enjoy interacting with people,” Tito Mikee went on.
Despite having the “pang-diinang recipe” of hard work and luck that has made him a social media star, Tito Mikee remains grounded because he firmly believes that online popularity is fleeting and will not last a lifetime. At the same time, he doesn’t want to be complacent as his passion for content creation is fueled by his “being paranoid of not doing something good.”
“I understand that hard work plays a significant role, but luck also plays a crucial part. CK and I deeply appreciate what we have and our current situation because we know it can be taken away from us at any moment,” he explained. “The more you appreciate, the more you don’t want to let go. When you reach a certain level of success, you need to keep going; you become paranoid that it might disappear, so you do better each time.”
For Mikee, authenticity is also important in content creation.
“I want my audience to find me as a friend online. Alam mo yung kapag pinanunuod ka nila eh para kayong close?” Tito Mikee beamed and then offered advice to aspiring content creators saying: “You just have to start. You have to gain the experience. You don’t learn something if you don’t start.”
There’s no better teacher than experience. You won’t be good at something unless you start. You need to start and educate yourself. Sometimes we think too much about whether someone will watch it or not. With content creation, you just keep putting out content and see what works and what doesn’t. You get to know yourself a little bit better: what you can do and what you can’t until you understand how the content space works,” he carried on.
Meanwhile, as one of the faces of Himtayan Club, Tito Mikee is proud of the campaign’s achievement. He’s honored to be part of the campaign and the accolade it received.
“It’s our second year, and I’m happy that it even won an award,” he said alluding to the campaign’s Silver Award in the prestigious 59th Anvil Awards.
During the Himtayan event, which Tito Mikee hosted, three men shared inspiring stories of how Watsons has helped them enhance their confidence and well-being through grooming routines and self-care.
Migs Venegas, a Gen Z newbie and courtside reporter, credited Watsons for bolstering his confidence with grooming products that suited his lifestyle, inspired by lessons from his grandfather.
Christian Cocjin, a busy financial consultant and content creator, highlighted how Watsons supports his grooming needs amidst a hectic schedule, aiding him through life transitions.
Renowned photographer Wig Tysmans, celebrated as Lolo Idol, emphasized timeless values of self-care and healthy living, finding all he needs at Watsons across different life stages.
The event showcased interactive segments by different brands focused on men’s grooming essentials.
Sharon Decapia, SAVP of Marketing, PR, and Sustainability at Watsons Philippines, expressed pride in normalizing self-care and healthy living through these stories, aiming to inspire others.
“At Watsons, we embrace all men, whichever generation they’re in. This has inspired us to showcase stories of men from different generations for this year’s Himtayan Club. Our Watsons men are normalizing self-care and healthy living, and we hope they will be able to inspire others to also look good, do good, and feel great by finding products that suit their lifestyle here at Watsons,” shared Decapia.