Presidential candidates take part in presidential debates held at
Brookhouse School in Nairobi on February 28, 2013. There is need to
invite other actors to play a role in the managing of presidential
debates. FILE PHOTO | JOAN PERERUAN | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Summary
- All Kenyan media owners are participating in this project with the aim of widening the democratic space and hopefully to make some money in the process.
- It is a common tactic of campaign managers to lower the expectations of their candidate in weeks prior to the debate so that they can carry the day even with a mediocre performance.
The first presidential debate of this
‘silly season’ was meant to be broadcast this evening, but it was
cancelled last Friday after the two main presidential candidates
threatened to skip it.
A presidential debate is
nothing without a bit of controversy, and the media owners should have
called the candidates’ bluff and went ahead with it.
Not
only will everyone with a set of eyes and ears be glued to their TVs
and radios on the night, but it is also projected to be the highest
rated broadcast.
All Kenyan media owners are
participating in this project with the aim of widening the democratic
space and hopefully to make some money in the process.
It
is a common tactic of campaign managers to lower the expectations of
their candidate in weeks prior to the debate so that they can carry the
day even with a mediocre performance.
This is usually
done by convincing the masses that they won’t do a good job on stage, or
in this case, that they won’t turn up for the debate.
Finally
when the expectations are extremely low, all they have to do is to turn
up for the debate on time to score major points with the electorate.
So,
I imagine the communications teams in both camps are currently cursing,
grinding their teeth and swinging their arms in disappointment at this
turn of events — “who came up with the plan to lower expectations
anyway?”
Advertisers of mass market brands can use
these moments to boost their visibility and spend at least 30 seconds
with the members of the family that don’t take a bathroom break or rush
to the kitchen for a snack.
It will get more viewers
than the World Cup finals because it is not skewed to males, and more
viewed than an episode of Simply Maria, because it is not just enjoyed
by women.
Major
media events such as this are not included within the media plan in the
usual manner, but must be seized for the opportunities they offer. At
the 1984 Super Bowl, Apple placed an ad that defined their future and
helped to position the brand as number one in the minds of Americans.
Instead
of shying away from the ‘dirty politics’ and vowing not to get any of
the negatives associated with your brand, ride the wave and use it to
launch a big initiative that will benefit from exposure to 23 million
sets of eyeballs.
It better be a good idea too,
because the media owners are certainly not sleeping on the job and have
created a special rate card for this momentous occasion.
Thanks
to the postponed debate you can now get your ad agency to develop a
great idea, shoot the ad and edit it in studio within the next 14 days
so that it can be flighted on 24th July during the presidential debate.
If you miss this opportunity, not all is lost,
because there will be a set of presidential debates organised in 2022
and if you’re still in the same job, that will give you plenty of time
to plan.
You might otherwise consider the world cup
next year as another chance for category dominance using this tried and
tested technique.
To the media owners, when the
campaign teams threaten to pull out of the next debate, just call their
bluff and watch what happens.
Mr Otin is a digital marketing expert and CEO of The Collectiv, an interactive ad agency.
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