Jason Domantay: Why Community, Not Virality, Wins in the New Economy

For much of his career, Jason Domantay has been betting on where attention would go next.

Long before video became the dominant language of the internet, he saw its potential. In 2009, while many media organizations were still trying to understand how digital platforms would reshape consumer behavior, Domantay made a move that would later prove prescient.

He left traditional media and joined Yahoo Southeast Asia, convinced that the future of storytelling would increasingly live online.

“Video belongs to the internet,” he recalled during a recent appearance on Aliw Broadcasting’s NegoShow.

It was hardly a speculative wager. During his time at Yahoo, weekly video viewership across the platform reached as high as 44 million views, offering an early glimpse into the content-driven economy that would eventually transform industries ranging from entertainment and retail to education and entrepreneurship.

Today, Domantay stands at a different stage of his professional journey.

As founder and CEO of Domantay Consulting, he has become one of the region’s most sought-after advisers on digital strategy, social media, online reputation management, content marketing, and brand storytelling.

His path to entrepreneurship was built upon an unusually diverse career spanning media, technology, content creation, startup ecosystems, and digital innovation.

An award-winning media executive, Domantay spent years at ABS-CBN as a director, writer, executive producer, and on-air talent before helping shape Yahoo Southeast Asia’s digital content operations.

He later joined Voyager Innovations during a formative period for the Philippine technology sector, contributing to digital innovation and content strategy initiatives that helped organizations navigate an increasingly connected world.

Those experiences eventually converged into Domantay Consulting, where he now advises executives, entrepreneurs, startups, and institutions seeking to build meaningful digital relationships with customers.

Yet despite his impressive credentials, Domantay’s message to entrepreneurs remains remarkably simple. “People buy your story,” he said during the NegoShow interview.

That philosophy has become the cornerstone of his consulting practice.

While many business owners continue chasing viral moments, Domantay argues that sustainable growth is built differently. The most successful brands, he believes, focus on cultivating communities long before they launch products.

“The moment you think of a business, you must be building your community,” he explained.

It is a perspective shaped by years of observing how digital audiences behave. Consumers today are inundated with content. What cuts through the noise is not necessarily polished marketing but authenticity.

According to Domantay, customers increasingly gravitate toward brands that reveal their journeys, share lessons learned, acknowledge setbacks, and communicate with sincerity.

“Perfect is boring,” he remarked. “People connect to content that they feel is true.”

That emphasis on authenticity extends to another area where Domantay believes many businesses fall short: listening.

One of the strongest themes from his interview was the importance of social listening and market validation.

Rather than assuming what customers want, he encourages founders to actively monitor conversations, analyze feedback, test ideas, and gather data before making major investments.

“Your market is telling you something,” he said. “You just have to mine the data and analyze it.”

For Filipino entrepreneurs in particular, this discipline matters. Unlike many startups in Silicon Valley that may gain access to venture capital early, local founders often need to bootstrap operations and stretch limited resources.

Every marketing peso must work harder. Every product decision carries greater consequence.

That reality is precisely what inspired the Ateneo Digital Marketing Accelerator Program, a new four-module learning initiative that Domantay is leading in partnership with the Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO) through its Blue Nest Program.

The accelerator is designed to help entrepreneurs, startup founders, students, professionals, and business owners navigate the modern digital landscape more effectively.

The program begins on June 6 with Module I: Social Media & Digital Marketing 101, followed by sessions on Digital Market Validation, Go-To-Market Strategy, and Growth Hacking throughout the month.

Participants will gain practical exposure to social media strategy, audience engagement, digital storytelling, market validation techniques, AI-powered tools, content frameworks, and scalable growth strategies.

In many ways, the curriculum reflects the same principles that have guided Domantay’s own career: understand audiences, validate ideas, tell compelling stories, and adapt continuously to changing technologies.

As artificial intelligence, social platforms, and digital channels continue to evolve, Domantay believes entrepreneurs should embrace innovation without losing sight of human connection.

His advice remains as relevant as ever. “Businesses and consumers have to be a team.”

For founders navigating an increasingly competitive marketplace, that may be the most valuable lesson of all.

Digital Marketing Accelerator ProgramModule I: Social Media & Digital Marketing 101June 6, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMAteneo de Manila University

Led by Jason Domantay, Managing Director of Domantay Consulting.

Interested entrepreneurs, professionals, startup founders, and students are encouraged to register before June 6. For inquiries and program details, contact aipo@ateneo.edu.

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