(This post is my latest article on Filipino Voices) The results from the latest SWS Survey that asked who would be a good president to succeed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2010 was published by Inquirer.Net yesterday. It looks like those who have invested on early political advertisements (masked as advocacy campaigns) are on the right track when it comes to playing the survey numbers.
Senator Villar and the OFW
The person with the most noticeable gain is former Senate President Manny Villar. If you check the surveys last year, Senator Villar was always at the fringes of the top 5. Millions of pesos later in television advertisements, billboards, event sponsorships, and PR, he now stands as one of the strongest contenders for the top post in the land. The C5 scandal, which Senator Lacson exposed, barely made a dent on his numbers as he only slid down 1 measly point from 28% to 27%. I assume that the number of people who watch noontime shows and Telenovelas (where Senator Villar places his ads) is much higher than those who watch the news.
Bayani Fernando and the Film Festival
MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, though not high in the survey, registered a slight increase in his ratings to 2%. Personally I’d attribute this to the insane exposure he’s getting from the abuse of funds of the MMDA and even the Metro Manila Film Festival. Did any of you watch a movie during the MMF? There were like 2-3 advertisements of Bayani Fernando before the movie actually showed. There was one explaining the MMF and another on the projects of the MMDA. What’s even more mind-boggling is how government funded tarpaulins of the METRO MANILA Development Authority end up in the provinces.
Senator Loren Legarda and Estrada’s Endorsement
Senator Loren Legarda was sliding in the rankings for the past few months but she’s finally back on track with a 2% increase. There are so many factors that can be attributed to this but I’d like to point out three major events that might have helped. First is the exposure she got in the Ces Drilon abduction. She played a “crucial” role in the release of the veteran broadcaster. Another would be her advocacy television advertisements which have aired in the past month. I can’t remember what exactly she was talking about in the ad though (hehe). Last, but not least, would be former President Estrada’s “endorsement”.
Oh I also remember seeing Senator Legarda’s street lamp tarpaulins all over EDSA when she was still endorsing Lucida (which Gabby Concepcion picked up after).
Senator Lacson and Facial Care
I’m not sure if the billboard is still there but there was this huge ad of Senator Lacson endorsing a facial care product. Talk about a radical change in brand equity! Here’s a guy that’s supposed to be one of the most aggressive and no-nonsense politicians and here he is endorsing stuff that will make you look er… prettier. Anyway, it looks like the billboards and the newspaper ads aren’t working for Senator Lacson since he slid down 3% in this survey. The ad says “Results Matter”. If that’s the case, I highly suggest you drop this campaign sir since it has obviously backfired.
On a side note though, Senator Lacson looks 10 years younger in the advertisement, hehe. I found this picture I took of the ad in my other blog.
Vice President De Castro
By staying clear of all the problems hounding the current administration, Vice-President De Castro has found a way to maintain his top rank in the surveys. There was also a time where he was used as an endorser in one of the housing programs of the government. More than anything, I think he’s playing his cards right. The moment he becomes too involved with GMA is the day his ratings plummet to the bowels of hell.
Senator Roxas and Expletives
In the rally against charter change, Senator Roxas really surprised everyone when he hurled expletives. While this should have supposedly helped him in the surveys since it made him more human and brought him closer to the masses, it actually didn’t. He’s down 3% from 13% to 10%. I’m sure now would be a good time to cry out with expletives if I were him. Note though that Senator Roxas has also started playing the media game for 2010. I remember seeing his advertisements on television (noontime show in GMA 7 I think) a few days ago.
I have this bad feeling that the political advertisements will continue to spam the airwaves for the coming months. This trend will definitely make the 2010 candidates believe that spending as early as now is the key to ensuring victory come the elections.
I’m also fairly sure that a lot of these candidates will tap the internet for early campaigning as well. US President-elect Obama made such a huge impact with his online campaign that it wouldn’t be too far fetched for local politicians to do the same. Maybe we’ll see more political/advocacy ads on Friendster, Facebook, and Multiply soon.
It might be too early to declare a winner, but there’s one group of people who are definitely raising their arms and shouting out in victory – the major television stations: GMA 7 and ABS-CBN. 2009 will be a record breaking year for their sales in terms of political/advocacy ads.
*Disclosure: I used to work for Senator Roxas as his consultant for New Media. However I am no longer in his employ and I am not connected to any politician mentioned in this article (er… well for the mean time, hehe).
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Tags: 2010 Elections, Bayani Fernando, Senator Lacson, Senator Roxas, Senator Villar