As it appeared in adobo Magazine’s May/June 2013 issue.
As the Philippines enters another election period, adobo asked a panel of senior journalists, ad men and PR practitioners for their views on the the anatomy of political campaigns in the Philippines.
ADOBO With the changing communication landscape, what can we expect from this year’s campaigns?
01 Charlie Agatep | Group chairman and CEO/president of Havas Worldwide Manila and Havas PR Agatep
This year’s campaign practices will be essentially the same as in the past: Candidates will exploit all channels of communication to establish name and face recall. One difference is that, in addition to buzz and traditional communication, digital and social communication will be intensified.
02 Maria Ressa | CEO of Rappler.com
It’s tougher with social media. Rallies, where the message is tailor-fit to the DE market, are being livestreamed. People are tweeting it and so there’s great cynicism in a social media world and the internet world because there the ABC1C2 market are jumping into a discussion where the message that the politician is trying to send to a DE market is going to the AB so they’re developing greater cynicism among AB. So it’s interesting to what will happen in 2013. This will be the first test of social media
03 Third Domingo | CEO of IdeasXMachina
There will definitely be an influx of digital and interactive campaigns, but contrary to what we’d like to believe, political campaigning here in the Philippines is still on TV. The digital arena, while mostly ‘free’, is a double edged sword in that netizens can be very antagonistic. ‘Epal’ is very much in their consciousness. This is a tricky situation to let your candidate be exposed in. So the target is the lower CDE market. Do we talk to them on Facebook? My answer is why not. But do TV.
04 Luchi Cruz-Valdez | Chief of NEWS5
It’s more or less the same. There are already a lot of mudslinging going on [with UNA and LP], name-calling even.
05 Aurelio German | Head, Agents International
Social media will definitely be used by those running the campaigns of the candidates. This new development in communications cannot simply be overlooked by those seeking to reach out to and exchange views with a wider range of voters.
ADOBO What do we, ideally, want to see from this year’s campaigns?
Agatep I can only speak for myself. Ideally I would like to see candidates presenting their programs of governance. Then I would make comparisons and vote for the candidates who seek to serve the greatest good for the greatest number.
Domingo I’d like to see ads with substance and meaning; ads that elevate and uplift the audience, make them happier and more hopeful and confident about voting. [Also] ads that are funny.
Ressa It’s hard when you ask me that question, “What else you’d like to see?” I’d like to see greater discussion and debate about policies. But we know that that’s like living in a glass ivory tower. In the end, and neuroscience [will support this], 80% of people make decisions based on how they feel. Politicians will cater to that
Cruz-Valdez I would’ve wanted to see new faces but the new faces we’re seeing are scions of the same people. So it’s the same name. Not that they’re bad but, to use the words of [President Benigno Aquino III], it’s really about being inclusive. I like that concept.
German I’d like to see a serious presentation of candidates’ positions on relevant issues.
ADOBO And what don’t we want to see?
Ressa Personality-centric campaigning. Unfortunately, that’s the way we, Filipinos, vote. With the lack of political parties and a weak political party system, we have nothing to go on but personalities. We just did a story on the campaign tactics of UNA, which used teleserye, drama and personality-centric. It’s emotionally manipulative to a degree.
Domingo In advertising, we all frown upon the hard sell. And we’d probably rather see more intelligent communication that makes us think. This is not the case with political communication where you have to be direct, straightforward, with a clear call to action and most importantly, a very, very big logo. Sounds like bad and uncreative advertising, right? Nope. This is about knowing your audience.
German Candidates making out like clowns, singing, doing Gangnam moves during rallies.
Agatep I don’t want to see candidates being voted for because of their progeny, or the popularity of their names. I’d ask myself, what have they done in the past? Their track record? Their integrity? What are the indications that they will serve in the public interest?
Cruz-Valdez What we are already seeing! It’s dirty. One party files cases one after the other. I wonder, it’s been three years since they came to power. This could have been done on the second year.
ADOBO Sen. Koko Pimentel’s zombie campaign has garnered attention because of its novel storyline and creative execution. What can you say about it?
Agatep It was a shrewd and creative way of campaigning without violating Comelec’s rules. Clearly, his objective was to project his name and face ahead of everybody else (remember: Name and face recall?). He may not admit this, but to ask voters to register is not his job; it is the Comelec’s. And yet, he is not liable. On the contrary you could say he did what he did for the national interest.
Cruz-Valdez I think it’s very creative. The younger voters can relate to it because most of them watch The Walking Dead and play Plants vs Zombies. It’s a great way to educate them on the systems of zombie voters.
Ressa It was a great way to do an ad without doing an ad. It was a great way to do public service, yet it was clear that it also helped him. Execution was great. But if this kind of creative execution would be transferred to a political ad, it would be effective with a certain class of people, with a certain demographic; it won’t be effective with others.
Domingo It has created buzz in the internet. I hope it is creating buzz in the barangays. I like Sen. Koko Pimentel’s commercials.
ADOBO Political dynasties are once again taking the spotlight. What are your thoughts on these dynasties?
German This is political reality. The public’s familiarity with names is a definite advantage.
Ressa Political dynasties are not the main problem for me because they’re just the tip of the iceberg. In general, the Philippines is a small country and the people who have held power is a small group. We have to address access and education. We cannot change political dynasties until you give greater opportunities to more people so that they can then be in a position to challenge it. It’s a vicious circle. Still the problem is good governance and equitable distribution of wealth. The minute we address equitable distribution of wealth, then we address the stumbling block to breaking dynasties because breaking dynasties will happen once you have educated people who make coherent choices and who are not afraid to challenge the electoral process.
Cruz-Valdez We already have the anti-political dynasty act. It’s so ironic that the people who are supposed to be implementing guidelines for the law are not working on it because they believe that because they have been voted by the people, the people must like them. It’s the politicians’ blind side.
Agatep I am not against political dynasties per se. But I am against electing a candidate who is the son, daughter, cousin or close relative of a person in power. It’s sad that there are so many brilliant people out there who could make this country move fast forward, yet we are deprived of their potential because our party system favors candidates for their kinship with reigning government officials.
Domingo It is a notion proliferated by challengers, not by market leaders. So yes, expect candidates to bank on their family names. We FGD’d two groups: ABC+ and C-DE. Surprisingly, both groups don’t have a problem with political dynasties. In fact, the C-DE group see political dynasty as a plus. To them it means ‘good track record’, ‘may experience na’, and ‘alam mong maaasahan’. Don’t get me wrong here; I don’t like political dynasties myself. But as long as they give the service due to the people, I don’t care what their surname is.
