They say the traffic in Manila is the worst in the world. I’ve spent 6 days in the Philippine capital on a speaking tour with the US State Department, so I can say this is true: from 8 in the morning til 10 o’clock at night, be ready to sit stock still for much of your journey through Manila’s weaving urban highways and narrow by-streets. It’s not acrimonious, just slow. Drivers won’t betray any flashes of frustration or real anger, and the colorful, custom artwork adorning the Jeepneys (along with the driver’s music of choice) lends an overall sense of amicability to the inefficient progress. My trusty guide from the Embassy summed it up thus: “Everyone is always happy to change lanes, even though we aren’t going anywhere.”

If the Manila traffic is an easy metaphor for standard Filipino politics, it stands in stark contrast to the nation’s dynamic social media landscape. Forget Jeepneys – no jetliner could keep pace with the Philippines’ explosion of access and activity online. While just 32 million of the 90 million+ citizens have web access, Google expects that number to double within 3 years – an important factor in their recent decision to open a Manila office.

The rise of social media here is due in large part to the onward march of smartphones into the daily lives of millions. At 111% penetration, there are now more mobile phones in the Philippines than there are Filipinos.

Combine mobile web access with the opinionated culture and you will start to understand why nearly all web-connected Filipinos have accounts on social networks. The young bloggers, journalists, and activists that I met in Manila showed off an intuitive sense for the conversational, dialogue-driven realm of digital – good representatives of what locals like to call “The Social Media Capital of the World.”

It isn’t just young people either – legacy leadership is starting to pay attention. Based on my discussions, all the major traditional news organizations are working hard to understand the value and opportunity that digital media represents (this was true for reporters and business leaders alike). Crucially, the national election commission (COMELEC) is also beginning to invest in digital tools to improve voter access and election accountability – even if they are taking cautious first steps.

Over the next few days I’ll share more thoughts and insights from my time in the Philippines, including a closer look at the role of social media in the upcoming May elections.

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]]> http://talbotdigital.com/blog/dispatches-from-manila-introduction/feed/ 3 http://talbotdigital.com/blog/digital-politics-in-brazil/ http://talbotdigital.com/blog/digital-politics-in-brazil/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:27:10 +0000 TD Squad http://talbotdigital.com/?p=352 This month founder Chris Talbot had the chance to visit Brazil and meet with various government and political organizations. Below he shares some notes from the trip:

Tip O’Neill said all politics is local. Anyone who abides by that maxim should consider political work in Brazil and make the necessary voyage to the field: what an amazing country. There is great enthusiasm springing from the concrete jungle of São Paulo and optimism on the beach in Rio (host of the 2016 Olympic Games). The wonderful lifestyle and culture combined with an ambitious economic project makes Brazil an interesting global destination on many levels, and the political opportunities are growing. Processes, funding, opacity, and a web of arcane (often vague) media laws make the political and government relations world a veritable Wild West in comparison to the US. Some highlights:

• Digital is becoming a basic part of campaigning in Brazil, though there is a wide range of quality and investment.
• Mobile is huge: there are more mobile numbers in Brazil than there are people. This is a bit misleading though, in that most numbers are prepaid, and many individuals have multiple phones. Our maid in São Paulo had two phones!
• Facebook has won: it recently passed Orkut in usership and will be the dominant social network in Brazil going forward. The catch phrase in Ipanema? “Face-y-book me!”
• In general Brazilian politics and campaigns are laden with corruption and behind-the-scenes dealings.
• Campaigns cost money. Brazilian political campaigns and parties spend aggressively to win, hiring many staff and consultants. There are no “volunteers” in these campaigns, everyone gets paid.
• Brazilian laws on media make it literally impossible for campaigns to invest in online advertising (the same is true for certain Brazilian public sector promotional campaigns that the government runs). Advertising in traditional media outlets is extensive and required.

There are some very smart digital consultants on the ground in São Paulo and Brasília… they are making strides to bring Brazil into the 21st century of political marketing, but there’s a long way to go.

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