SIRS: What a candidate needs to win

The political air brings back to the consciousness of the electorate the word "propaganda." Generally, it is defined as the dissemination of information. But more specifically it connotes the distribution of data, truthful or otherwise, with the goal of persuading people about a commercial brand or a political product, or advocating an issue, a position or a program. To be effective it must carry the basic communications elements summarized as SIRS – Simplicity, Imagery, Repetition and Sentiment.

Simplicity requires crafting messages that connect with, or are readily understood by the masses. Imagery is projecting pictorial or descriptive images that can evoke emotions and provoke actions. Repetition is the continuous propagation of selling propositions to promote collective consciousness. Sentiment is designing an emotion-led projection that attracts a strong feeling – empathy, sympathy, anger, support or love. The SIRS concept dovetails what veteran international political consultant Joseph Napolitan said that to win every campaign, "decide what you are going to say, decide how you are going to say it, and say it."

There are seven propaganda techniques identified by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis, and by researchers and authors on the subject like Carl Dorje, Alfred McLung Lee and Elizabeth Bryan Lee. The current proliferation of multi-media political communications applications in the forthcoming election can be scrutinized against these identified methods. See which one can allow for an impressive, competitive, and efficient projection of the candidate’s SIRS elements.

Claiming Full Or Half-Lies

The first technique is called Assertion. It is an enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although it may not necessarily be true. It often implies that the declaration requires no explanation or support for any claim, but that it should merely be accepted without question. Talk about badgering our way in, armed with half-truths and half-lies. Political advertising, unlike brand communications does not pass through a review by the Advertising Board. Thus, there is no way to check the veracity of any protestation used by a candidate. Another contender usually challenges a questionable claim by making a statement contrary to what has been communicated.

Linking Highly Valued Concepts

The second approach called Glittering Generalities entails the use of words that have different positive meanings for individual buyers or voters, but are linked to highly valued concepts such as honor, glory, and love of country and freedom. When these words are used, they demand approval without much rationalization simply because such an important concept is involved. This mode helps in making messages resonate with constituencies but only if the goose bumps they get from hearing or seeing a highly charged message is translated into concrete, realistic, and applicable platforms.

Using Derogatory Language

The third method is Name Calling, or the use of derogatory language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing an enemy. It attempts to arouse prejudice among the public by labeling the competitor with something that the public dislikes. Most often, it is implemented using sarcasm or ridicule, and shows up in editorial cartoons, radio commentaries, video clips or column mentions. When examining name-calling propaganda, the electorates, although at times difficult, must be able to separate feelings about the name, and impressions about the manifested idea or proposal.

Simplifying Complex Cases

Pinpointing the Enemy, otherwise known as Simplification or Stereotyping, is the fourth approach. It tries to simplify a complex situation by presenting one specific party or person as the enemy. Although there may be other factors involved, the public is urged to merely view the situation in terms of clear-cut right or wrong, black or white. No middle point. No gray area. In this case, the audience is encouraged to seek for more information or clarify hazy pronouncements. An informed choice usually results from an accurate understanding of key messages.

Shielding From Stains

Transference is the fifth mode. It attempts to make the target voter view a certain item the same way a candidate sees the same item. In politics, transference is most often used to move away the blame or bad feelings from one politician to another of his friends or party mates, or even to the party itself. In the end, the political product is sheltered from getting stained and is protected from negative associations.

Getting Help From Celebrities

Testimonials, the sixth in the roster, are quotations or endorsements, in or out of context, striving to link a famous or credible person with a product or a political candidate. The use of celebrities in mainstream or political advertising is a common communications strategy. The brand or candidate gets a lot of help from personalities that possess certain phenomenal characteristics to tell the story. All the popularity, glamour and charisma attached to a movie star, a sports hero, a TV personality or even a co-politician are sold and bought as the brand’s or candidate’s own. There are upsides and downsides to using testimonials, but the technique has been proven to be effective in generating sales, gaining more market shares, or making a candidate win elections.

Jumping On The Bandwagon

Bandwagon caps the list of seven basic propaganda techniques. As Wikepedia reports, "It is a form of information that exploits the desire of most people to join the crowd or be on the winning side, and avoid winding up on the losing side. It is essentially trying to convince people that one side is the winning side, because more people have joined it." People are meant to believe that since a large majority has thrown in the much-needed support, that victory is inevitable and defeat impossible.

Literally, a bandwagon is a wagon that carries the band in a parade. Riding on its popularity, one can enjoy the music, conveniently without walking. The phrase "jumping on the bandwagon" is therefore used in the sense of "joining an increasingly popular need." In modern-day practice, bandwagon has taken a new twist. The public is to be convinced that since everyone else is jumping in, they will be left out if they do not hop in. This is, effectively, the opposite of the earlier practice, but usually precipitates the same results. It is also seen as an appeal to buyers or voters, authority of the many, argument by consensus, a plea to the gallery, a supplication to popularity or an argumentum ad populum.

The bandwagon effect is very much evident in the electoral process in the country. Voters support those candidates or parties that are likely to succeed. Fund contributors put their money on seemingly winnable seekers. They are called llamadistas – those who bet on aspirants who lead in credible surveys, have consistent following or who project stable political machinery.

In the 2004 Philippine presidential and senatorial derby, the use of the bandwagon is a major propaganda tool. It is aimed at three types of bandwagon fans – the frontrunner, the follower and the uncommitted. The frontrunner switches gleefully from candidate to candidate, always in search of an opportunity to associate himself with a winner. Any political communication aimed at him must provide assurance that the candidate being projected is a victor that he must support.

The follower is somebody who has already given a large amount of emotional investment on the candidate. Any propaganda material directed at him should strengthen his resolve to help bring the candidate to the political office he is aspiring for. The uncommitted or the undecided, on the other hand, needs to be guided and enlightened in making the choice. His support can be earned if a candidate brings to fore his vision and program of action.

Advertisers or propagandists use the bandwagon effect to sell products or make a candidate win. Getting a critical mass of people to consume a product or put a candidate’s name in their ballots is quite difficult, but with the right balance of emotion and reason, winnability comes much easier. Elections are won by whoever is gaining towards the end of the race. And everyone likes to be associated with a winner. Political communication, in whatever form, provides the additional fuel for the grueling political dash. Let’s see which among the current crop of political advertising, leafleting, postering, and the like can bring an aspirant to the position being eyed.

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E-mail: bongo@vasia.com or bongo@campaignsandgrey.net for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for your helpful feedback.