From being a back-of-the-house operation, the media business has evolved to become the house itself.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., exclaimed this in his keynote speech at Media Congress 2015 of the Media Specialists Association of the Philippines at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.
This year’s theme is “Confluence” which is an act or process of coming together. In his speech, Jimenez shared the merging of media and the public which been instrumental for the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” tourism campaign.
He said that the campaign is evaluated as a media campaign more so than an advertising campaign for allowing Filipinos, with the help of social media, grow its identity, reach and global appeal, making them “the biggest fan of [their] own country”
Its More Fun in the Philippines started with three or four versions of their slogan. But, as of last count, there are now 178,000 versions that the DOT has seen.
This support has even translated into actually business results, with the volume of domestic trips improving from 28 million travelers a year to 52 million travelers in 2014.
“Because we launched in social media, because we left it to the crowd, the Filipino became the biggest fan of its own country. And the biggest insight therefore in the new world of media is that the public is the source of the message.”
In everything that agencies and brands will do, Jimenez recommends that the public should first agree, leaving the them to decide on all the rest – an ironic situation with all the technology around.
“For the first time in the history of mass communications, we have improved the tools but gained less control over the campaign you started. but you are doing so willingly because in a permission based social media system, you must get the public to agree.”
In this new age of media, Jimenez said the role of media is to stimulate participation, leaving the public “to question your stimulus and to participate even more.”
“Congratulations! You have every reason to celebrate. The entire country is in the media business now,” he concludes.
