How political dynasty apes brand marketing

By Minyong Ordoñez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:39:00 05/16/2010

Filed Under: Elections, Politics, Markets & Exchanges

A law against political dynasty is anachronistic in a democracy where electoral laws and human rights are fundamentals for constituency. Political succession in a democracy differs from succession in other forms of government.

In a monarchial rule, succession is effected automatically by the closest degree of blood consanguinity. It’s a family affair.

A similar thing happened in the 2010 elections. Mass media are in control in determining the choice of candidates with voluminous TV commercials.

Media’s business partners, the marketing and advertising companies, comprise the power tandem in influencing the voter’s decision making process in choosing candidates.

Politicians employ the professional help of advertising creative teams to define their campaign strategy and to craft their advertising messages. Look at all the TV ads for politicians. They all walk, swim and quack like toothpaste advertising.

In marketing terms, political dynasties (Osmeñas, Roxases, Marcoses, Aquinos, etc.) correspond to established consumer brands (Colgate toothpaste, Tide detergents, Nescafe instant coffee, Lucky Me noodles). Branded products and political dynasties employ the same marketing techniques to maintain continuity and dominance in the consumer’s memory and patronage.

The dynamics for generating market share (voter garnering) are similar.

Brand presence is achieved by:

a) Top of mind brand awareness (candidate’s popularity),

b) Widest brand distribution in sales outlets (candidate’s frequent appearances in civic and social events and plentiful sponsorship ID’s in public works billboards)

c) Perceive good product quality (candidate is approachable, sociable, helpful, and a good orator) and

d) Brand is revitalized by launching new product variants (wife, daughter, son grandchildren, cousins, in-laws run for elective positions.)

The success of political dynasties is driven by mathematical and sociological forces. The late president Ferdinand Marcos, pride of Ilocandia, married the beauteous Imelda Romualdez of Leyte that resulted in combining homogenous block votes of the Ilocanos and the Warays.

Pride of ownership (kinship or regionalism) is consistently displayed by Cebuanos when an Osmeña runs for a national office. The brand Osmeña was launched by the late Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. when he emerged in the 1930s as a nationalist during the commonwealth government.

Party loyalty is inheritable in political dynasties. It transfers from one generation to another. Chances are Capizeños and liberals campaigning for Mar Roxas are also descendants of ward leaders who supported the late president Manuel Roxas, Mar’s grandfather and the late senator Gerry Roxas, Mar’s father.

The Laurels and Rectos of Batangas, Rodriguezes of Rizal are some of the pioneering national brands with long shelf life. Some of the regional brands, alive and kicking today, are the Dimaporos of Lanao, the Plazas of Butuan, the Ortegas of La Union, the Singsons of Ilocos, the Chipecos and San Luises of Laguna. Our political landscape is littered with political dynasties, including the hegemonic Ampatuans of Maguindanao.

I doubt if we can fight the realities in political dynasties.

Filipino culture glorifies salient dynastic values such as close personal and regional kinship, common dialect, pride of ownership and inherited loyalties. These sociological factors breed political dynasties and it’s difficult to separate the chaff from the grain.

The onus is on us constituents. We must acquire the racial maturity, enlightenment and the ability to use critical thinking when we vote. It’s the only way to disable the cultural factors that breed political dynasties.

 ———-

Our country had taken a nose-dive in recent decades, from being the 2nd riches country in Asia, next to Japan, to being one of the laggards in the region.  The two main factors would be due to our politicians for putting their interests first rather than our country, and due to the citizenry as well by being immature in selecting our leaders and many more.  Many things have already been written about the former, so let’s talk about the latter.

Pinoys as immature voters

Come election day, most voters does not even know why they are voting for a candidate aside from the reason of being “sikat” or well-known.  Instead of voting for a candidate because of the platform and credentials, our people have been voting the celebrities or the ones that has “political pedigree.”  There have been good leader-celebrities; Governor Vilmas Santos-Recto and Mayor Mon Ilagan to name a few.  We also have a handful of young leaders from known politician clans like governor LRay Villafuerte and Mar Roxas who have shown their worth, but still a greater majority are just no good at all.

Regionalism and political patronage

As seen in the recently concluded elections, we as a nation are divided.  Ilocos is still the bailiwick of the Marcoses and the Singsons, the Central Luzon for the Aquinos, Cebu for the Osmeñas, Davao for the Dutertes, and the list goes on.  It is still the Ilocanos who voted for Bongbong Marcos, still the Cebuanos who voted for the Osmeñas (I have nothing against the two, I personally voted for them due to their merits), and the same Mindanaons who voted for Pimintel and Tamano (although the 2 are trailing).  Let us not forget that this mentality had been used by our Spanish conquerors in quelling local uprising; They will get the Caviteños and employ them against the Pampanguenos who are revolting.  The point is,we should be united.  We should be voting for a senator who can bring about progress by enacting timely laws for the country as a whole even if he is not from your place.  What will happen when all senators are from Luzon or from Visayas or from Mindanao?  Political patronage comes in the form of supporting the same party or family even if you know that the candidate/s is not anymore as good as his forefathers and that not have the heart to serve.  Take a look at the Ampatuans and the Lapids who enriched themselves using their public office.  How about Masbate, Abra, and many others who continuously vote for the same family but among the poorest provinces?

It is we –the people who allow the breeding of these political dynasties.  It is us who continues to be adamant in changing our views that is to be blamed on what is happening to our country.  Let us all change for the better, we only have one Philippines – let’s move forward.

Sources:

 *Article lifted from Inquirer

 **Photos from senate.gov, animomagazine.com, philippinesfunwall.files.wordpress.com