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Susan Joven Tribute

<p>In Spanish, the word <em>juventud</em> translates to youthfulness and zest for life. And for me, with her trademark oversized white (or red) spectacles, her funky, chunky sneakers, and her irrepressible greeting, smile, and deep laugh, <strong>Susan Joven</strong> will forever epitomize this vivacious love for life and for one’s work. It’s her singular, signature brand of ‘Joven-tud’. </p><p>Susan may have left the room, but she leaves it brighter, more evolved than it’s ever been. Her departure may be the beginning of the end of an era in retail PR and how it intersected with lifestyle journalism and today’s social media. The company she founded, <strong>Visions &amp; Expressions</strong>, will certainly carry on, but one can’t help but accept that there will never be another Susan Joven. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761108648755susan joven 1.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>She trail-blazed retail and lifestyle PR, with the likes of fellow pioneers Joy Buensalido and Edd Fuentes. They transformed what was then seen as the cookie-cutter corporate and brand PR of the late 1980s and early 1990s into something more customized, lifestyle-oriented, and downright glam! In short, they helped make Philippine retail and brand marketing ‘sexy’. </p><p>I won’t go into the details of her career prior to setting up Visions &amp; Expressions, or the meteoric rise and challenges she faced while running Visions PR through its more than three glorious decades. That’s been written about countless times, and others writing now will refer to those facts to fill up their tributes. What I’d rather do is study the ‘Joven-tud’ magic, and why it worked so well. For those into PR today, or those about to enter the arena, it will hopefully provide you with insights on how true success can be achieved. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761108960616susan joven 4.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>Part of the Susan Joven magic was that she wore many hats, and donned each hat with vigor, love, perseverance, and full commitment. She understood that to succeed in PR was to take all these ‘hats’ seriously, and with a full, sincere smile. That it wasn’t about what you achieved or created yesterday, but a constant awareness of what you will bring to the table tomorrow. </p><p>To her agency’s clients, she was the trusted advisor and sought-for sounding board. She had nurtured strong relationships before setting up Visions, and parlayed that into a jumping start for her agency. Unlike others who think PR is just about relationships, she knew that two to three prestige clients had to be sewn up before even putting up the signboard for the agency. Via her work experience, she found that readily in <strong>Rustan’s</strong>, <strong>SSI</strong>,<strong></strong> and <strong>Ayala Malls</strong>; and they afforded her that initial leg up in the industry. Those three steady accounts would take care of the monthly overhead and keep other brands curious and eager to sign up.</p><p>She valued the relationship with these clients. She accepted that there would be moments when they would be contentious, refuse to listen, think they know what’s right, or insist on the best way to spend their marketing budget, but she would not let those instances frustrate her. And trust me, I’ve been in the industry long enough to know how so many agencies will make snide comments about their clients behind their backs—you never got that with Susan. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761109200355susan joven 3.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>With the events groups, directors, designers, and production companies involved with or contracted for the events she would publicize, she would be the master planner, curator, and ‘partner’. Too often, I’ve watched how agencies or entities will clash during a single event, blame some ‘<em>palpak</em>’ instance on each other, or shirk from taking responsibility. Susan would expertly manage the course, navigate the field, and ensure everyone was on the same page. This is a special skill, and it endeared her to all the parties. There are event directors who showed up at Susan’s wake on succeeding nights, ready to make ‘<em>kwento</em>’ about how they owed so much of their career to her. </p><p>To the lifestyle editors, she was their supreme enabler, and I say this in a good way. She would introduce them and build them up when introducing them to the owners and upper management of her accounts. She would nurture lasting friendships among them, so that both sides, client and media, would feel how fruitful the relationship could be. It was about creating potential and harnessing that so that her client, the editors, and even the media platform’s owners, would all be happy ‘partners’. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761109338194susan joven 2.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>For the lifestyle writers and journalists, Susan and her media team would always be super-attentive and friendly. As the social media landscape evolved, and bloggers and social influencers arrived on the scene, Visions was quick to respond and include them in their invites and guest lists. For more than a handful of these media representatives, Susan was mother hen. I’ve spoken to several of these writers, and an often-repeated tale is how they would approach Susan for career advice, and be so thankful for the ready ear and words of wisdom she would impart. </p><p>As a result of all this, Susan touched many lives, helped forge the careers of today’s editors and lifestyle luminaries, established solid and lasting friendships with so many—from diverse walks of life, and leaves us with so much laughter and happiness to recall. </p><p>That was the special gift Susan brought into our lives. She was many different things to different people, but consistent with everyone was how valuable a person and friend she was to us all, and how the world has suddenly grown dimmer with her absence. It will take time for this to really sink in, and I know that as far as I’m concerned, when I now attend an event handled by her Visions team, I’ll still be hoping she’ll sashay into the event and beam her contagious smile my way. I’ll be missing that forever, wishing the Joven-tud magic never left. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761110613422564252819_18533488768052893_6591428958673858337_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The Visions &amp; Expressions team at Susan&#x27;s wake | Photo from Jenny Gapan</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Lead photos from <strong>Ginggay Joven Dela Merced</strong></p>

<p>In Spanish, the word <i>juventud</i> translates to youthfulness and zest for life. <b>Susan Joven</b> will forever epitomize this vivacious love for life and for one’s work. It’s her singular, signature brand of ‘Joven-tud’. </p>

In Spanish, the word juventud translates to youthfulness and zest for life. Susan Joven will forever epitomize this vivacious love for life and for one’s work. It’s her singular, signature brand of ‘Joven-tud’.

The Magic of ‘Joven-tud’—Honoring the Memory of PR Trailblazer Susan Joven

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The Magic of ‘Joven-tud’—Honoring the Memory of PR Trailblazer Susan Joven

Philip Cu-Unjieng

Published Oct 22, 2025 01:30 PM PHT

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