Mediaboss Marketing

By: Willy E. Arcilla

Now that Filipinos here and overseas have embraced the new DOT slogan Its More Fun in the Philippines, allow me to offer some comments and suggestions possibly to enhance the campaign.

First of all, I join the entire nationhood in congratulating DOT Sec. Hon. Ramon Jimenez (Mon J to friends) for his leadership role in guiding BBDO Guerreros Tony Harris to craft a very promising slogan.

At the same time, I wish to offer the following with the intention of helping strengthen its effectiveness.

Test it also vs. other competitors advertising campaigns and comparative costs of a vacation. Testing will validate, or show areas of improvement. If we worry about costs, let us remind ourselves of the words by educator Derek Bok, if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

This begs a question, Do we really need to claim superiority vs. others to promote tourism? The Top 10 countries by destination are France (77M), USA (60M), China (56M), Spain (53M), Italy (44M), UK (28M), Turkey (27M), Germany (27M), Malaysia (25M) and Mexico (22M). I dont recall any one of them claiming superiority over the rest of the world in attracting those millions annually. Even our more successful neighboring countries never claimed More Amazing Thailand, More Incredible India, More Remarkable Indonesia, or Kingdom of More Wonders for Cambodia. In translating IMF PH into a domestic campaign, how can we now claim IMF Cebu vs. IMF Bohol? IMF Boracay vs. IMF Palawan? IMF Banawe vs. IMF Taal? without sparking regional conflict?

As the saying goes, theres no place like home, so no home nor country is better than ones own.

Could this be why IMF PH has also been a subject of cynical fun in executions showing kidnap victims under Vacations, hostage-taking under Pictorials, massacres under Elections, and even colonies of illegal settlers built on stilts by the coastline under Waterfront Properties as IMF PH?

Perhaps we can also ask in the research study even more fundamental questions like, Is FUN the only thing prospective foreign tourists are looking for in tourism? Is FUN all that Filipinos can offer foreign tourists? How do they/we define FUN? Is FUN all that we want PH to be known for? Are tourists willing to pay several thousand dollars to experience More Fun than other choices?

Follow this link:
It’s More THAN Fun in the Philippines: It’s the Republic of Happiness