Change: basta lang?

Change in our context is often good… but not all the time. Sometimes continuity is important too… more important than change for change sake… the tourism marketing campaign, for instance.

There are reports the new secretary of Tourism has decided to junk the It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign of her predecessor, Mon Jimenez. The campaign has its flaws, but it should only be tweaked and not totally changed.

For one thing, we have invested heavily on it. DOT insiders told Stella Arnaldo of Business Mirror the Tourism Promotions Board, spent approximately $61 million (about P3 billion), spread over four-and-a-half years, for developing the campaign and media placements.

By totally changing it, we lose whatever it has already started to establish in the minds of our markets. Advertising campaigns like that one take years and billions of dollars to take root. Anyone with an elementary understanding of marketing and advertising should know that.

Take the Malaysian campaign, Malaysia Truly Asia… it has been running for years with only tweaks now and then to show new elements to support the overriding story of why someone should visit Malaysia. Same thing with India’s Incredible India campaign, or Thailand’s Amazing Thailand… 

A change in government leadership shouldn’t mean a change in the tone and character of the campaign theme. All of them, Malaysia, India and Thailand attract several millions more tourists than we ever had. Consistency of message pays.

I realize the new team at the Tourism department is eager to show how great they are. But they have to understand, hindi puedeng basta lang in introducing change.

Indeed, frequent changes in our country’s tourism campaigns are at the root of our failure to deliver a consistent tourism message. They also have to realize they are taking a big risk that their new creative approach will fall flat on its face… and be mercilessly barbequed on social media. The resulting controversy will divert attention from the real work at hand.

Then there is the reality that we never have enough tax money to properly finance an international campaign. Foreign media costs in dollar terms eat up too much of the national budget in peso terms. That raises questions on whether such big money is better spent in more tangible things with more visible social impact. Thus, we have to build on whatever goodwill the existing campaign has already established.

Advertising after all, is repetition. That is why the great marketing companies from Colgate to Unilever and P and G or Coke and Pepsi do not whimsically change their advertising themes when they get a new CEO.

Think of advertising as an investment in the image of the brand rather than as an expense. Investment is long term, expense is short term.

The country’s taxpayers have invested quite a bit on the countr’s brand/image/message that It’s more Fun in the Philippines. By completely changing it, we start from scratch. Rather, we should build on what we already have.

 Indeed, the problem with successions of tourism secretaries up until Mon J, is a general lack of appreciation of how to promote our tourism potential. The emphasis is on the slogans, the foreign junkets that go with tourism conferences and exhibitions and now, the Miss Universe hosting. It is the glitz and not the product.

There had been little effort to improve the product beyond what Mother Nature has given us. There is little effort in doing our homework in terms of providing the tourism infrastructure that will make our country a tourism haven beyond its natural beauty.

Our gateway airport is reputed to be among the world’s more horrible airports. The airports in the tourism areas are often even worse. The job of the Tourism secretary is to make sure the Transport secretary, as well as the Public Works secretary, put up the needed infrastructure to make a visit to our country easy and fun.

Our people are naturally friendly and hospitable until they see a tourist as a quick way to make dishonest money. Taxi drivers, airport staff, baggage handlers and even some hotel owners often paint a distasteful picture of our country and people. The Tourism department must have an extensive domestic educational program to get our people to see tourism as more than a means for a quick lunch.

I am concerned the Miss Universe hosting will divert so much attention from tourism officials that the more basic tasks of assuring fun and safety for our visitors will be neglected. In fact, the Miss Universe hosting is a double edged sword… it can put us on the map alright, but if something untoward happens, we will get attention for the wrong reasons and erase whatever goodwill we have.

Mindless promotions will do nothing good for the tourism industry long term. Unless we have the tourism infrastructure and the right tourism attitude as part of our package, we will be unable to improve our visitor numbers.

To prematurely focus on advertising/marketing/Miss Universe is a mistake. A half-baked product would kill fast an attractive advertising/marketing campaign.

There are many things the last administration failed miserably in delivering. But the tourism program under Mon Jimenez is definitely the one bright spot. The road map Mon prepared goes beyond his watch and it would be a waste if the new folks at DOT discarded it just because it isn’t theirs.

Mon J’s team also left some low hanging fruits in terms of projects they couldn’t complete for lack of time, but which the new administration can continue and eventually deliver. The Intramuros projects come to mind.

It would be a pity if the work started by Marco Sardillo is not completed. The vision for a restored Intramuros as a heritage district had long been there and Marco had done the spade work for it. It is sad they were unable to keep him and deliver a finished project.

I don’t know if they realize it but the challenge for the new guys at Tourism is to hit the 10 million visitor mark soon or at least within their watch. If they are not more strategic, if they get distracted by sexy promo projects that go nowhere, they are liable to miss the numbers that count.

Change is good. But never underestimate the value of continuity specially if something good had already been started. Such is the case for tourism.

Troll movie

Apparently, social media trolls working for some candidates in the last election were not told the election is over and it is time to unite as Filipinos. That explains why there is so much viciousness in social media today.

This inspired a movie script. The writer visualized the fighting between the trolls in terms of a sword fight. There are many sword fight scenes in the movie. Bloody scenes with metal piercing skin. 

Working title of the movie: Saksakan ng tanga.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco