On that note… let me just share that we’re hiring.

Account Director
Account Managers
Digital Strategists
Kick Ass Programmers and Creatives
Social Media Specialists

Send your CV with Cover Letter to carloople@dm9-js.com.

Cheers!

Digit

With TV5 Chairman Manny Pangilinan (MVP) and TV5 President Ray Espinosa (RCE)

Lesson 1: Hit the Heart

Sometimes digital marketers get lost with the technical or creative aspects of their campaigns and their materials. At the end of the day it boils down to your message resonating and connecting with your audience. Regardless if you’re using pictures or text you need to be able to tell a story and build an emotional bridge to the heart of your target market. The temptation to go all-out with features and complex executions will always be there but sometimes a single image can even be more powerful than a website that took months to create.

Lesson 2: Web design is not just about creatives or user interface, it should also be about user emotion

When people come up with sites they usually zero in on the creatives, the programming, and the user interface. Sometimes the problem with the creative side is they stick to much to templates and stops them from creating something that’s really innovative. Adopt a “there can be no wrong” attitude during brainstorming and let the wildest ideas fly. Ask yourself if this kind of execution will illicit or evoke a certain emotion that you want to tap for your message.

Lesson 3: Crisis is inevitable, have a crisis management plan

Social media has arrived. It is part of communications now and those that ignore it can do so at their own peril. While social media offers so many promotional and marketing benefits, it can also be the biggest source of headaches for companies. Here’s the bad news: crisis is inevitable. The question is: are we prepared for it? Be preemptive. Create processes and systems for dealing with crisis online.

Lesson 4: Never assume everyone understands digital

Not everyone can understand and appreciate digital yet. This goes for your target market, your co-workers, and most especially, your bosses. Be patient and relentless in explaining digital. Be the champion, evangelist, and authority in your company. Never ever give this up because the moment you do you will end up being an order-taker. Keep sharpening your mind and always learn the latest trends. Be in the know so you are ahead of everybody else.

Lesson 5: Collaborate because you will fail if you do it alone

I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds in the TV industry in my stay at TV5. Not all of them are digital folks and in fact some of the best learnings I’ve had are from people who haven’t “bought into” the digital craze yet but they have so many insights when they question our work.

I know I only said 5 lessons in the the title but I will add one last. And this one is for everyone in TV5 New Media.

Lesson 6: Give ownership to your team and let them spread their wings

To those asking where I’m going next, stay tuned! Can’t say yet but it’s definitely exciting! Happy 2013 everyone! Cheers!

3 Things We Can Do to Change the PH in 2013

Yep, I’m talking to YOU — the young Filipino “idealist”. You’re probably under 35 years old, have regular access to the Internet, and probably in the middle class? We’re very much the same. We go about our work everyday, earn a living, and every now and then go out to have fun with friends. We also probably get the news via social networks or through TV and each time we hear of certain politicians doing stupid things we think to ourselves:

“Why the same faces keep winning in elections? Siguro dahil yung masa yan ang binoboto. Hay nako.”

You’re probably thinking that my one single vote doesn’t matter and that there’s nothing I can do to change the situation because the masses will vote for the same old faces or the celebrities and they will always win.

Here’s my message for you:

SCREW THAT WAY OF THINKING.

Times have changed. You know why I say that? Because unlike a decade ago, we can now talk to each other with just one click of the mouse. The simple fact that you’re reading this article without knowing who I am personally is proof.

Next thing I want to say: hindi ka nag-iisa. Madami tayo. According to Facebook there are 16M registered accounts in the PH that fall within the age of 18-25 (hindi na ako 25, I’m 30 years old pero you guys get my point, lol).

Using the Facebook Advertising Tool

We can make the country better. We can change things around this place. Here are three things you can do to make that happen.

1. Get to know the candidates. Google them. Research about them. Check out their track record. Also understand that Cong. Jack Enrile who’s currently ranking 5th in SWS surveys IS NOT Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. Congressman Sonny Angara also isn’t Senator Ed Angara. Also, don’t get swayed by surveys. Find the ones that are truly worth voting for. Ipagdasal niyo rin kung sino ba dapat ang iboto ninyo. Don’t base your vote just on names. Base it on merits, track record, and values.

2. You NEED to REGISTER and VOTE. Understand that your VOTE actually counts. We keep saying that the only traditional politicians keep getting elected because the masses vote them in. Well screw that. Why? Because like what I said earlier, we have the numbers. We just don’t use them. Madalas tinatamad or walang pakialam. Tama na yang way of thinking na yan. I want to see a better and brighter Philippines before I die. I want to leave the world knowing that we did our share in making the country a better place to live in for the next generation.

3. You need to share who you’re voting for on Facebook. Your post will be more credible to your friends than advertising that they see. You can affect how they will vote as well. Let them know who you are voting for and most importantly, WHY.

Simple lang naman diba?

I don’t know about you pero sawang-sawa na ako manood ng balita about corruption, ridiculous laws (like the inclusion of Libel in the Cybercrime Bill), and seeing the several faces again and again in leading the country.

I have one last tip that I want to share pala and I hope those who have the calling for this will take it to heart.

There is nothing wrong or shameful about public service. If you feel that you are being called to be a public servant, then pray about it and then be the best at what you’re doing right now. Over time build your character, values, and integrity so that when your time comes (and it will come), you will be ready to answer, we will vote for you, and you will win.

Anyway, I parked the car and we started to walk towards Music Museum. I can still remember thinking to myself that it was just 1 hour and I’d just have to go through it once. Boy was I wrong.

When we entered the Music Museum lobby, a fairly old man approached us with a bright and warm smile. I had no idea who he was but it felt like I knew him since forever. He went up to me, shook my hand firmly, and then gave me a hug. I almost broke down in tears. It was as if a sledgehammer hit the stone wall around my heart and mind and made an opening wide enough that made me receptive and open to the preaching later on. To make a long story short, the message of that day was about relationships and at the end of it the pastor did an altar call and we gave our lives to Jesus.

Uncle Delfin. Photo from Abijov Ong’s Facebook Page

I eventually found out that the man who gave me that life-changing hug was one of the volunteer ushers and he was called “Uncle Delfin” by a lot of people. Sunday after Sunday he would go and greet people coming to church with that trademark smile and hug of his. I can’t count how many times I felt reassured of God’s love each time he’d come up to me and give me that hug and I’d feel as if a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Sadly it’s been a while since I last saw Uncle Delfin though because he moved to Victory Fort and I stayed with Victory Greenhills.

Last Sunday during the Sunday service, Pastor Dennis Sy said that one of the volunteer ushers was in the hospital battling it out with cancer and that he was dying. Despite how sick he was, the man kept on saying that he wanted to keep on serving Jesus as much as he can. That he wanted to get up from the hospital bed, go to service, and keep on serving as an Usher. I had a bad feeling when I heard this.

Fast forward to today. I just found out from Abijov Ong that Uncle Delfin is the usher Pastor Dennis was talking about and that he was dying from pancreatic cancer (click to read Brix Briones’ account of his experience with Uncle Delfin as shared by Abijov). As soon as I read the update my heart broke and I found myself in tears. Just like Brix, I never really knew Uncle Delfin but I felt God’s love through him.

I’m writing this because I know that a lot more people have been touched by Uncle Delfin’s kindess and love. Even if you haven’t met him I hope that this short entry will give you at least an idea of how great this man is. Please do say a prayer for his complete and total recovery.

Uncle Delfin is proof that random acts of kindess can change lives. He changed mine.

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. – Psalm 91:3-4

TV drives conversations on social media and social media feeds content to TV.

I’ve been working in TV5 for almost two years now and this has given me a deeper appreciation for the relationship of TV and Digital, especially social media. If there’s one conclusion I can draw it’s that TV and Digital are connected at the hip. They are inseparable and as internet becomes more pervasive it doesn’t actually eat into the audience of TV but rather enhances the entire content consumption experience by adding interactivity.

Symbiotic relationship of TV and Digital
If there’s any profession that’s at par or even more connected to social media than digital marketers and social media managers, it’s journalism. Newsrooms have social media desks now whose sole responsibility is to gather news from social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. They also follow influencers like celebrities, government agencies, and politicians. A tweet from one of these individuals or organizations is almost as good as a press release! Other than the social media desks, almost all reporters and news personalities are on social media as well.

This unbreakable connection between News and Social Media completely shifts how Public Relations is done. It’s a push and pull relationship. News drives conversations on social media (TV as the catalyst, then audience responds via Twitter/FB/Blogs) and at the same time News culls what they can from social media and they feature it as content on their programs which air on TV. The amplification that happens is two-way. Each platform expands the audience of each other making it a symbiotic relationship between the two.

A Case Study: “Sotto Plagiarism”
To illustrate how this relationship works let’s take a look at how social media reacted to Senator Sotto when the plagiarism issue exploded. We plotted out how many times “Sotto Plagiarism” was mentioned on Twitter on a daily basis below.

As it is you can already draw so many conclusions. It becomes much more interesting though if you plot out the key events that happened that drove the conversations. See below.

Here’s how it happened in the context of the relationship of TV and Digital:

- Senator Sotto delivers his speech on August 12 but conversations only took place on August 15 when the Filipino Freethinkers’ blog entry surfaced and picked up by the social media accounts of TV, Print, and Radio news teams (after vetting).

- Conversations reach an all time high when Senator Sotto, during an interview with one of the most influential social media journalists Karen Davila, mentioned the killer phrase “Blogger lang yun”. It was obviously taken out of context by a lot of people but that’s irrelevant since the nature of social media is one that you cannot control.

- Conversations keep going and when the chief-of-staff of Senator Sotto goes on media rounds and drops controversial replies, especially this one: “Copying is common practice in the Senate.”

- Conversations spike again when Senator Sotto retaliates against his critics in his speech on TV.

Throughout this timeline traditional media was informing the public using their mediums, expanding the reach of social media. At the same time TV drove the content and the conversation happening on social media.

Listening and Analytics is CRITICAL for 2013 Campaign
More than social media presence, a critical piece of digital strategy for the 2013 campaign is how politicians will do listening, monitoring, and analytics. Without a scientific and strategic approach to how they will listen, they will not be able to nip problems at the bud and these “small issues” can suddenly blow up in their faces when traditional media picks it up, features it, and gives the issue a nationwide audience.

Listening and analytics will trump black operations. If you have solid monitoring you can find out plotted fake issues and address them quickly. When Senator Pia Cayetano was blamed for plagiarism as well all she needed to do to quash it and kill the issue was tweet a reply.

How can you censor reactions?
Here’s the thing that a lot of politicians don’t understand: you cannot control the internet, especially social media. The medium itself is all about conversations and reactions. It’s about commentary and opinon. That brings me to my last point. The Libel clause in the Cybercrime Act is a dated and irrelevant 80-year old law. It cannot simply be expanded to digital because it is second nature for people to react to current events and news items on Facebook and Twitter.

We can probably create a specific law for Cyber Bullying and Online Defamation but to simply “copy-paste” the Libel clause in the Cybercrime Act goes against the very spirit of the law (which was meant to curb Cybersex, child pornography, hacking, etc.) and the nature of social media.

As long as there is TV, Radio, and Print, there will be conversations about contentious issues and topics on social media. It’s the public’s way to react and respond. It’s their way of saying if a certain politician is doing a good job or not. Yes, sometimes some people go overboard and maybe those extreme cases are the ones that should be included in the revised defamation clause but anything less than that infringes on our fundamental right to express ourselves.