In analyzing the campaign materials of the presidential candidates, a semiotic approach will be adapted. Semiology is the study of signs and meanings of language and communication. Similar to the science of Linguistics, semiology also deals with the study of the contexts and structures of communication and how it relates to the society. As described by Roland Barthes, semiology is focused on explaining the significance of specific elements of language and communication. It does not simply deal with the superficiality of the text but, more importantly, the underlying values behind it.
Roland Barthes discussed semiology by describing its three important elements: a signifier, a signified, and a sign. The signifier is the object of language and communication that aims to express and represent the signified. The signified is the thing itself, and it contains the meaning which people try to understand through the signifier. The sign is the total interpretation of the meaning of the language based on the relationship of the signifier and the signified.
Such an approach will be the main technique used in analyzing the different elements and symbols in the commercial advertisements of the presidential candidates in the 2016 Presidential Elections. The researchers will not only look into their literal meanings but also give in-depth significance and values to these objects in the attempt to describe how these construct every candidate’s image of their voters.
Marketing starts with research on the voting public, but since most of that goes on behind the scenes, this study aims to work backwards. From the platforms and promotional materials, the target market can be determined and each candidate’s reason for choosing that market can be conjectured. The methods used by the researchers are expounded in the following paragraphs.
A. Research Method
This study utilized visual and aural analysis. It looked into the different campaign materials of the presidential candidates of the 2016 presidential elections to extract the representation of Filipino voters by each candidate. Specifically, it focused on how the characters were visibly portrayed in the campaign materials, as well as the language used in them.
B. Sampling Method
This study will use non-probability and judgment or purposive sampling.
C. Sampling Frame
The sampling frame of this study are the political advertisements of Philippine presidential candidates in the recently-concluded 2016 national elections that are in video format of any length and uploaded through their official social media accounts and/or aired on national TV.
Since premature campaigning is prevalent in the Philippines especially during national elections, the team decided to include the premature campaign materials in the sampling frame as long as those political ads were still aired during the official campaign period (February 9 to May 7, 2016) set by the Commission on Elections.
D. Samples
The samples of this study are the first and last official video advertisements of the presidential candidates of the 2016 presidential elections which were aired before and during the official campaign period. As much as possible, only the ones produced by the staff/campaign team of the candidates were considered; however, ads endorsed by the campaign team was taken into account as well for some candidates who had little to no official television advertisements. The first and last videos of each candidate’s campaigns were chosen for analysis because: (1) Due to time constraints, it was impossible for the group to analyze all the campaign materials, and (2) The materials allowed for comparisons to be made between the voters the candidates were trying to appeal to at the start of the campaign period and to those at the end.
E. Unit of Analysis
This study focused on two units of analysis.
1. The Actor
Particularly, these roles of the actor/s were scrutinized:
Projected Socioeconomic Status
2. The Setting
Special attention was given to the following details of the setting:
Infrastructures/Background
F. Methods of Data Gathering
In gathering the materials to analyze, the first step done was a survey of all the campaign materials from the candidates’ social media accounts. Second, the dates when the media were uploaded and aired on television were noted. Third, the videos that fulfilled the qualifications set above were reviewed. Finally, the units of analysis were deconstructed by answering the following questions and indicators:
Who are the characters present in the political ads? For the purposes of this study, what qualify as characters are names of jobs (driver, teacher, engineer, etc.), tambay, or what they are specifically doing at the political ad (buying something, talking to neighbors, etc.).
What was the language used?
Depending on the values above, what are their socioeconomic status?
Where was/were the scene/s shot?
What was/were the setting/s of the political ad?
What time of the day was the ad shot?
G. Data Analysis
To analyze the data gathered and to answer who the Filipino voters are, the team answered the following questions:
What can be inferred from the data gathered above?
What kind of people has the candidate’s political advertisement focused on? What can be implied from this?
Who is the Filipino voter according to the candidate? What can be implied from this?
