AS SEEN ON TV
Goodvertising towards a better world
I came across the term GOODVERTISING at the 21st Philippine Advertising Congress held in Subic Bay Freeport last week. Goodvertising is advertising that’s “responsive to the problems of the world” according to Mike Schalit, chief creative officer of Network BBDO South Africa, who spoke before delegates of the Ad Congress about this shift in campaign trends. The world’s marketers have come to their senses after realizing that they can have a more profound and noble purpose aside from promoting cuteness and inanities or exploiting their consumer’s multiple vulnerabilities.
A couple of years ago I have noticed that shift in various advertising campaigns by leading brands. Shell for instance, has been running an ad copy about itself not just as a major oil driller in the world, but as a company that helps to meet the world’s growing demand for energy in economically, environmentally and socially responsible way. Advertising with a mission! As much as brands need to maintain their usefulness to the consumers, they must also be relevant in sustainable development and building communities. This in turn builds a stronger affinity or loyalty of consumers to the brand, resulting in longevity and better business.
In the light of the recent typhoons that hit the country, Philippine advertising has made a major shift from plain creating a need or a market for products, into promoting companies and products as socially relevant brands backed by corporate citizens. I even remember a retail chain offering portions of a determined minimum purchase for flood victims. An airline company ran a newspaper ad offering promo fares to victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. A bank waives fund transfer fees of donations to typhoon victims. That’s Goodvertising at work!
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I’m happy for Efren Peñaflorida whose conquest of CNN Heroes has hogged local and foreign headlines. Efren has been a Facebook friend and news contact since the early days of his “Pushcart Classroom” up until he caught international attention. In the streets of Cavite, his “kariton” academy would beckon out of school children and take advantage of free education courtesy of Efren and his volunteer teachers. Doing this everyday with no promise of financial compensation is a clear act of heroism, and CNN agrees.
Efren the teacher has been a regular feature of our newscasts on ABS-CBN and ANC. His story tells about the noble beginnings of his street education advocacy and his lofty dreams for children who cannot go to school. Efren Penaflorida and his admirable mission redeems the overdose of bad news in the Philippine education system such as the poor quality of teachers, the diminishing standard of teaching and uninhabitable school buildings and other facilities the government claims to have spent billions on.
Efren represents a new breed of simple Filipinos wanting to make a difference (not by running for office which the default public service in this country) but by taking the road less traveled by public servants—- the streets—- where he can reach out and teach the country’s growing legions of street children and out-of-school youth. Perhaps what made Efren stand out against his contenders is the simplicity of his idea of a “Pushcart Classroom” and yet the impact of such an undertaking is far reaching. It addresses two of the country’s biggest challenges: poverty and lack of education.
Efren’s win in the CNN search for Heroes came in the heels of Manny Pacquiao’s 7th Boxing Title giving Filipinos another fill of “feel good” news stories. Partly, Efren’s CNN Heroes win is also courtesy of the overwhelming support of Filipinos (and even non Filipinos) worldwide.
Efren’s nomination spread like wildfire on the internet, where social networking sites were used to feverishly campaign for him. People posted and reposted Efren’s story on their profiles until word spread about this simple man and the monumental good deeds he has accomplished in the streets. That’s online goodvertising at its best.
