MANILA, PHILIPPINES — When you see the words “Public Relations”, you think of reputation management, making brands look good, bringing awareness–everything about getting brands out in the public. But how can Public Relations (PR) be utilized by organizations that are not selling products and services, but rather are fighting for a cause— an advocacy?
It is not easy to communicate a problem and ask people to join the fight with you, especially if they are already struggling on their own. Organizations that are pushing for their advocacies must develop communication strategies that will compel the public to act now.
This is where PR comes in handy. Public Relations Director Cid Santillan from TeamAsia, an integrated marketing experience agency, shared his insights on how PR can be one of the most powerful tools an organization can take advantage of for their campaigns.
PR is for everyone
Being in the industry for over 10 years, Santillan expressed that PR is not limited to businesses. Any kind of organization can use PR to effectively communicate a certain issue or advocacy they want to bring awareness to the public.
PR practitioners are experts in setting the tone and creating trends that can generate a lasting social impact. Many brands benefit from this and many more can as well.
“Just like our process for consumer-led and corporate-led campaigns, PR practitioners do the same when executing an advocacy campaign but just more extensive,” said Santillan. “They delve into research, data gathering and analysis, immersing themselves in the topic or issue at hand to better familiarize themselves. This helps them develop an effective strategy for the success of the campaign.”
PR connects you to your allies
For advocacy organizations, the primary audience is the stakeholders–people in positions of power like legislators, big brand owners, and opinion leaders because they have the influence to spark change be it in policies or the public’s mindset. According to Santillan, PR is one of the best tools that organizations can utilize to reach these audiences.
“PR is all about building relationships. Through PR, organizations are linked to government institutions, legislators, and pertinent media outlets to make them their allies,” said Santillan. “This is important because for change to happen, you need the right people on your side to be your ally.”
Through constant awareness building in the public, organizations start to influence their primary audience and little by little create change.
PR is a powerful advocacy tool
“PR is your organization’s partner. It helps you set your goals and objectives. It houses an efficient set of tools and practices such as news monitoring and social listening to determine what messages to communicate, who to communicate them with, how to communicate them, and when to communicate them for maximum visibility and awareness,” explained Santillan. “It is your extended leg that helps you reach your target audience.”
Santillan also noted that a successful advocacy campaign can result in a big and lasting impact on society. This is why an effective PR system is crucial in helping organizations advance their advocacy efforts to spark change and push forward solutions that can produce a better future.
“PR is so much more than just reputation management. It is more complex than that and it holds great power as it has the ability to inform, pique interest, influence, and most importantly transform the public’s perception towards your goals and objectives,” said Santillan.
TeamAsia PR under Cid Santillan
Santillan oversees the operations of TeamAsia PR, TeamAsia’s public and media relations and editorial arm. He leads his talented team in creating communications strategies for various brands, ensuring their message impacts their target audience.
TeamAsia has always had a heart for pushing forward advocacies for various brands. The agency even formed its own campaign to aid children with their education needs. The My Dream In A Shoebox (MDIAS) campaign began in 2009, collecting a modest 200 shoeboxes to support less fortunate Filipino students with their school needs. Through PR and other marketing disciplines, the campaign grew yearly and was able to attract sponsorships and partnerships with various organizations.
Now in its 13th year, MDIAS partnered with Yellowboat of Hope Foundation to build e-Hubs and sponsor students to ensure learning continuity during the pandemic. The campaign attracted big sponsors, among them is the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP). The organization pledged to fund two e-Hubs in TeamAsia’s adopted communities in Bohol and Capiz.
Being in the industry for 30 years, TeamAsia believes in the power of making a difference and helping brands through stories that impact the lives of the people who read, hear, and see them. With Santillan at the helm of TeamAsia’s PR team, the agency has created a team dedicated to serving society through powerful storytelling.
TeamAsia’s heart and passion for advocacies enabled the agency to partner with different organizations. Among them is the Department of Health and its advocacy campaign on raising awareness about Tuberculosis or TB in the Philippines. Named #TBFreePH, the campaign wants to break the stigma on TB patients and survivors. It also aims to communicate to the public that despite the ongoing pandemic, there are other diseases that need similar attention and protection from such as TB.
Santillan and his team used a mixed media strategy wherein different platforms were used to effectively communicate this cause. Beyond traditional and digital media, they were also able to secure an earned engagement on a popular noontime show, specifically on one of the biggest segments on Philippine TV this pandemic, Bawal Judgmental. Through this, TB survivors were given a nationwide platform to share their stories of hope and success.
For non-government organizations, they created campaigns for the Forest Foundation Philippines’ Best Friends of the Forest or BFF movement, sparking conversations on forest conservation online and offline. They raised awareness through Facebook trivia postings as well as on-ground events. These included painting sessions, a hike through La Mesa Eco Park, and trivia nights which immersed media practitioners more on this cause.
Other organizations that TeamAsia PR has worked with are the U.S. Agency for International Development, United Nations Development Program, League of Corporate Foundations, and IBPAP wherein they utilized various PR strategies to effectively bring awareness to each organization’s campaigns.
Santillan believes that with research and curated insights, TeamAsia PR develops effective strategies that would best communicate an advocacy campaign to the right audiences. This kind of system, he shared, helps ensure that the campaign is seen, heard, and experienced.
“We have a single principle that is guiding us in everything we do — that is to always elevate each advocacy by outdoing our work, pushing boundaries, and seeking opportunities we can take advantage of. We always aim that our work resonates exponentially with expertise,” concluded Santillan.
Many thanks, Adobo Magazine for the feature! For 29 years, TeamAsia has been helping people, brands, industries, and communities succeed. And powerful storytelling for advocacy campaigns that spark change and make people’s lives better is something we love doing.