Interview for ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs on Social Media and the 2010 Campaign
Mar 11
I was recently interviewed by Beth Morrissey from ABS-CBN (News & Current Affairs) about how the Presidential candidates are using Social Media and the internet in the 2010 campaign. It was a pretty interesting discussion we had since she was genuinely interested in internet marketing and she had a pretty good grasp of the topic. It was really more like an exchange of ideas than an interview. Anyway, let me just share the share the article which was posted on the ABS-CBN News website.
New media consultant Carlo Ople is skeptical that politicians in the Philippines will be able to replicate Obama’s success. “Social media is not a one-night stand. It’s a long term thing,” said Ople, noting that the candidates in the Philippines started their online campaigns only a few months before election day.
Ople, whose client list at one point included Sen. Mar Roxas, says that someone who connects to a candidate on a social networking site will not necessarily vote for that candidate. Ople says he is not working for any of the presidential or vice presidential campaigns this election season.
“It depends on how you use your existing fan base,” said Ople, when asked how social networks may influence the election. Ople believes that growing the number of connections on social networking websites, such as fans on Facebook or followers on Twitter, should only be part of a politician’s social media strategy. According to the consultant, the presidential candidates should try to engage and mobilize their social networking connections.
“If each of your 700,000 [Facebook Fans] gets 10 people to vote that’s 7 million, that’s the swing vote right there” he said. “700,000 people can turn into 700,000 soldiers.” Ople says that the Aquino campaign is the presidential campaign that is best engaging its social media networks, as its online campaign encourages people to participate in offline activities like wearing yellow on Fridays to show support for the candidate.
Ople is skeptical that the online strategies of the presidential campaigns will change much before election day. “Since we’re in the campaign period, you won’t see more innovation,” he said.
I’ll expound on this interview in my next few posts. Thanks again to Beth and ABS-CBN for the chance to share my thoughts on the topic. Read the complete article here.
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