Filipinos have a penchant for bombarding social media feeds with their thoughts and comments especially when it comes to celebrity faux pas and current events that are appealing to the mass market. Though Facebook has been a major social media hub, Twitter is emerging as the leading social networking site when it comes to breaking/hot news items.
Last year alone, you can almost hear the Philippines “roar” on Twitter with 6.7 million tweets during the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant when the wrong beauty queen was crowned. Then there was the global phenomenon “AlDub” with Maine Mendoza’s tweets that got 76,000 retweets and were viewed nearly 2.4 million times on Twitter. The AlDub charity concert in October got over 41 million global tweets while the Kalyeserye segment on noontime show Eat Bulaga generated one to two million daily tweets. During the visit of Pope Francis in January, about 3.3 million tweets were generated while there were 2.7 billion global tweets related to the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather bout last May.
The Philippines has been an amazing success story for Twitter in 2015, with the site helping Filipinos regardless of age or background connect to one another. More importantly, it also allows the rest of the world to touch base with our country’s vibrant culture. This year, Filipino users can expect a whole lot more from Twitter in terms of partnerships in the media landscape.
Last month, Twitter entered into a partnership with the Commission on Elections, with expectations that the use of Twitter will become even more aggressive as the political season gets hotter. While there will be a lot of focus on the turnout, there will also be high interest on developments in the political landscape as seen in the presidential debates that started this weekend. Twitter can be used in a powerful way – such as listening to the audience, sourcing questions from the audience, and understanding the current mood of the country.
Recently, Twitter installed #TwitterCityPH at the Mind Museum, the first one in the Asia Pacific region. It is comprised of different structures and interactive zones – a photo-booth area #SelfieMuna, a classroom with #FightSchool training, a #Trending Frenzy Wall, an AlDub TV booth, a basketball court, a #FoodStrip, and #PilipinasDebates2016 podiums, to name a few including city street signs and local transportation. The installation allows visitors to immerse themselves into the local culture and discover facts about how Twitter is integrated into the daily lives of Filipinos.
Rishi Jaitly, vice president for media in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, is convinced that Twitter’s product and platform will continue to be essential in livening up interest in mass culture and entertainment. Twitter will help brands create a live connection to customers and will raise heightened awareness on people’s passions and ultimately, the Filipino culture. This kind of connection is possible because of Twitter’s influential live audience, premium live reach, and live creative canvas. No other service offers this combination to marketers, especially with 92 percent of users in the Philippines watching videos on Twitter – something that the latter is increasingly becoming associated with. Twitter is now the fastest growing video platform, and the video is all about interaction, virality and global optimization.
As Richard Alfonsi, vice president for Global Online Sales observes, a story happening in the Middle East remarks: “If you are a publisher looking for public high speed and fast traveling, engaging interactive video, Twitter is the place to do it.” – Charmaine Loveria