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Sunday, March 28, 2004

How the 11th Election was Won

Many have pointed out that the massive win by the BN in the recently concluded GE2004 was because of one man, Pak Lah and the 'feel good' factor associated with him. But who were those involved in the successful marketing of this man and his 'feel good' factor?
Bernama has this to report :: BN Effectively Used "Soft-Sell" For Election Advertising Campaign.
The "soft-sell" campaign was coordinated by two of Pak Lah's aides and to carry out the media blitz, three or four advertising companies were utilised to run adverts on TV, radio, print media, billboards and, for the first time, direct mail :: the Pesanan daripada Pak Lah.
According to Leo Burnett Advertising's chairman and executive creative director Ali Mohamed :: "Soft-sell has greater appeal, if you don't talk bad about other people but talk about what Pak Lah is trying to do for us, for a better Malaysia." Leo Burnett Advertising worked on the TV commercials used for this election.
AsiaTimes online in its article entitled :: Abdullah: Real change or rhetoric in Malaysia?, also mentioned about the advertising blitz ::

The BN win is also a triumph for the advertising and marketing firms, which coordinated the public relations blitz. The intensive advertising campaign - from the billboards to the full-page ads to the glossy pamphlets - bore all the marks of professional marketing techniques.
For this campaign, the BN reportedly used at least three different advertising agencies. Its television commercials were reportedly produced by the ad agency Leo Burnett, while two other agencies (who are they, i wonder?) coordinated the print and poster campaigns. The ads consistently hammered home the theme that only the BN could ensure "stability" and "development". Tried and tested commercial methods were used to tug at voters' emotions to urge them to "buy" the product (BN).

Malaysian Election Media Monitors' Diary also touched on this aspect of the BN GE2004 campaign and has this to comment ::

It is obvious too that capitalism and Big Business are creeping into the electoral process in new and unhealthy ways. Look at the "feel-good" ads taken out by MAS, Tenaga, etc. Look at the number of fawning full-page ads congratulating the BN on its victory. These ads were taken out by various businessmen/firms who probably want to ingratiate themselves to the ruling politicians. Look at the growing prominence of ad agencies and the coordinated advertising campaigns.
And they say they are trying to wipe out money politics? Gimme a break...

GE2004 is not the only election where well coordinated advertising blitz had been in use but in the previous ones, the fear factor was mainly used, there were less persuasion, rather the ads made the voters afraid of voting non-BN candidates. GE2004 was about 'soft-sell' techniques. It is obvious that Malaysian election campaigns of the future would have more of this form of media blitz and the spin doctors and the advertising agencies chosen to carry out this work will in the future use different techniques to mesmerise the electorate to vote accordingly as the situation demands. With the BN having the money, the willing big business sponsors, the willing print media, most self-owned, the friendly TV stations, the BN will obviously have the upper hand. How then will the alternative parties be able to compete effectively. The electorate will have to be made aware of such advertising blitz campaigns during election and to see behind the messages they carry and not to be taken in. Media monitors will have to look out for unfair advertising blitz and timely warn the electorate accordingly.
Looking back, it was not only in that very short campaign period that the advertising blitz was present, the campaign must have started subtlely as soon as Pak Lah came on as the new PM on 1st Nov 2003. The Mr Nice Clean Guy with the 'feel good' image must have started by the latest then. The GE2004 campaign was just a continuum and having an electorate that was willing for a change, any change as the former PM of 22 years had overstayed. Most fell under this 'spell' ever so unconsciously and the rest is recent history.
Apart from all this, the alternative parties will have to contend with the role played by the EC in elections. The EC has really been roasted this 11th election. It role as an impartial conductor of election has been questionable, ranging from 8 yearly gerrymandering to unclean electoral rolls to ensuring short campaign periods favourable to the BN and turning the blind eye when the occasion demands. In view of all these, can the alternative parties ever fight an election with a near level playing field let alone a level one? Is a Royal Commission on the EC and all things associated with elections themselves the answer?

~~H0ME! | ¶ 3/28/2004 10:19:00 PM

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