Gibo’s P400-M political ads fail to connect with poor

An administration party official is blaming Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro’s P400-million infomercials for his poor showing in surveys.

The infomercials, which show Teodoro switching on the controls of a plane to prepare for takeoff, have failed to connect with the poor, Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president Prospero Pichay said Wednesday.

“We’re not satisfied with the ratings. That is a signal that you have to double-time as far as campaign is concerned so the ratings will improve by the end of March,” Pichay said by phone.

But in Pichay’s view, Teodoro’s poor ratings have more to do with the message that he’s trying to get across to the voters than with his ties to the Arroyo administration.

“That’s not part of a stigma of the administration. I believe we’re not delivering the right message to the people as far as TV ad is concerned,” said the former Surigao del Sur lawmaker, who lost in the senatorial race in 2007.

Pichay said the infomercials, which try to deliver the message of an economic takeoff in a Teodoro administration, appealed more to the ABC class than to the D and E classes.

“The message has to be understood by ordinary Filipinos. They don’t understand what an airplane taking off is all about,” he said, noting that the poor could relate more to ads tackling gut issues like education, hunger and nutrition.

Teodoro has spent P407 million on ads, next to Villar’s P1 billion, according to the AGB Nielsen Media Research.

In the Taylor Nelson Sofres survey, conducted from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, Teodoro slightly improved to 5.21 percent, but still lagged behind Senators Benigno Aquino III, Manuel Villar Jr. and deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Observers have attributed Teodoro’s poor showing to his ties to unpopular President Macapagal-Arroyo.

Mike Toledo conceded that the main criticism against the infomercials was that it appealed to the ABC crowd, and agreed that future ads should be “tweaked” to appeal to the other classes.

The spokesperson for Teodoro disagreed with the observation that the infomercials had failed to connect with the poor.

The poor are not dumb, Toledo said. “They are attuned to the times. It’s our responsibility to treat them equally as the AB class,” he said.

Besides, the infomercials’ message was clear. “It sends a message that we can [take off] with him,” he said.