Methodology overview

at theur social media footprints, as this is the easiest method in connecting with them to get insights and derive market descriptions.

Social media research can be conducted in two ways: either actively by interacting directly with the participants of the study, or passively, by gaining insights from the participants that is already generated. This study will facilitate the latter through the method of buzz mining, which entails extraction of user data and footprint that are related to the research questions.

4.3. Instagram as the locale of the study

As mentioned in the previous sections, the study will be using both primary and secondary data. As for the primary data, it will be gathered from the official Instagram account of the Department of Tourism (@tourism_phl) and/or used the hashtag

#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines. To date, the account has more than 42,300 followers. The page also follows 101 accounts mostly influencers, media outlets, and other government agencies.

The page also has 408 posts, since first utilized in 2017.

Using the website www.picodash.com, it was found out that there is 52,867 user tagged posts. This figure indicates the number of posts that tagged @tourism_phl and will appear on

‘tagged photos’ section of the account. Using the same website, it was also found out that there has been almost 5,300,000 uses of #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines.

4.4. Methodology overview

The research will be using a combination primary and secondary data from various resources. The previous chapter established that brand, brand imagery, and brand image, albeit related, are three distinct phases in brand recognition. These three phases will be the areas of focus of this study. These steps are summarized in Table 11.

Table 11: Methodology Summary

Areas of Focus Framework Data Data Processing

4.1.1 Branding Associative Neural Network (Story, Concept, Guidelines)

Brand Brief/Brand Story

All of the areas of focus will be procesed 4.1.2 Brand Imagery Sensations and Perceptions

(Visuals, sounds, taste, texture, smell)

Offical video ads and video campaigns

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4.1.3 Brand Image Ascribed meanings (Feelings and Expressions)

There are limitations in exporting data in a closed platform such as Instagram. These limitations will be discussed futher in the last section of this chapter.

4.4.1. Branding.

In establishing the used associative neural network to map out the brand story, the research will be using internal government resources and related agency resources. Two materials will be used in this part of the research. First is the campaign guidelines that was authored by the Department of Tourism in collaboration with BBDO Guerrero in 2013. This internal document aims to guide departmental agencies locally and abroad, local government units (provinces, cities, and municipalities), and the private sector in implementing the brand.

This encompasses the brand usage, colors, typography, variations, and renditions among others.

Second is the book written by Tony Harris entitled Advertising: It’s More Fun in the Philippines. Tony Harris, together with David Guerrero lead the team behind the It’s More Fun in the Philippines Campaign. This includes the story and concept behind the campaign. The narrative, albeit an anecdotal one, gives insight on the intial intent of the campaign, the idea that started it, and the themes revolving its concept.

These two materials aims to determine the values and intentions behind the brand before its implementation. As branding and brand story determines the brand imagery as portrayed in advertisments, print materials, and other media releases, this gives the research an overview of the the themes behind the campaign.

4.4.2. Brand Imagery.

As for theming sensations and perceptions to map out brand imagery, the research will be looking at the official videos and video campaigns of the Philippine Department of Tourism, as published in the department’s YouTube channel. From the inception of the original It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign, up to the time of writing this research (May 2020), initial research shows that there have been a total of six video campaigns, namely:

 It’s More Fun in the Philippines Intro

 It’s More Fun in the Philippines Sustained Campaign

 Fun Facts PH

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 iTravel Pinas

 Tourism Decade

 Wake up in PH

The objective of the research is to course through these video campaigns, and to derive themes from them. Sensory patterns will be used as theme guides: visuals, sounds, taste, texture, smell. Since the methodology focuses on online media, in this case videos, the last three senses will be taken note on face value as “appreance of such.” This may take in form of the feeling of taste (gusto, spice, savory, etc.), the feeling of texture (i.e roughness of sand, coldness of water, smoothness of river stones, etc.), and the feeling of smell (i.e smell of the sea, fresh air, etc.)

4.4.3. Brand Image.

Lastly, for illustrating the brand image, the research will be utlizing social media posts, particularly Instagram posts which tagged the official Instagram account of the Department of Tourism and/or used the hashtag #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines. Social media footprints may closely be related to feelings and emotions felt by the user (the account owner) towards the subject (The Philippines). Three data groups are lifted from each photo: hashtag used, visual themes, and captions. Posts were selected by random through number skipping by 45. A total of 200 Instagram posts were lifted from the pool of 9000 recently tagged photos. Photos and photosets are the only posts included, and excluded videos as they are only relatively few and would pose challenge in analysis.

The post will be dissected and each part will be taken note of. This includes the visual themes (location and scenery), ascribed meanings through the captions, and hashtags that are used. Data will be then grouped into categories and then, ultimately, themes. An example of the post dissection is shown in Figure 11.

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Figure 13: Example of Instagram post dissection