Aspirants to political office know that the key to electoral victory is to have their names to be top of mind and favorably so, and in a manner not too different from selling haircare products and laundry detergent they must themselves be marketed in a positive light. However, the Philippines’ laws and customs being what they are and thus unlike laundry detergent companies, rival politicians can and do find means to sling mud at each other as a means of reducing whatever gains each have had in marketing themselves.
Trimedia continues to be the best means available to candidates to market themselves, but with advertising always being a mere fraction of the content of a radio station’s daily program, a television network’s broadcast day, and a newspaper’s printed content. Thus, ignoring cost as a factor, contemporary means of advertising are limited by the amount of time and space that can be used to put the candidates message across. Broadcast ads are limited by the number of airtime minutes a candidate can play within a given broadcast day; in a similar manner, ads on print media are limited by the amount of column inches that can be allocated for such a purpose. Including cost in the equation would be to stagger ourselves over the going rates for broadcast and print media ads.
In this day and age, however, and despite the Philippine digital divide the internet is becoming more and more influential in marketing products and people. Not only can a candidate establish an online presence that can reach potential voters 24/7, the candidate can do so for a pittance; better news for the candidate is that he can target a specific audience with less effort and less cost than in broadcast communications. Without having to spend much, a candidate can build a website or several; increasing his budget, he can use online advertising that is even targeted to the audience he wants to capture. It is no surprise, therefore, that we have been spotting online advertisements promoting some candidate or other — some even attacking some candidates, directly and otherwise.
Let’s take a look at some of the cyberspace means that may be used by candidates to further their candidacies, and some relevant issues that come with them.
[Full post is on BlogWatch.ph]
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Teach me how because I am running for congressman in the First District of Antipolo City where there are not TVs, radio (except those privately owned), and local newspapers (being limited to the stuff they want to publish) – in any case.
I wish the greater number of young voters really access through the internet and to find in the atmosphere only the good candidates based on what they read.