Here is an interesting Smart Campaign Edu Manzano DDB Cares Campaign on Ako Mismo... Stand up and be counted in helping our country. Just thinking about and shouting out what you will pledge to help the country would already go a long long way.
You can submit your personal pledge here : AkoMismo.Org
Update 5/6/09: Unfortunately Smart denied to have any involvement with the website.
I think it was a really good campaign despite the privacy issues but
without any ownership, it would cast a doubt on the legitimacy of the
entire campaign.
Update 5/7/09: Finally, DDB Cares admitted owning the site and released an FAQ. Edu Manzano was quoted by PEP to be behind the campaign. Also read Maxine’s FB Post in support of the Ako Mismo Campaign.
Live an Awesome Life,
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2009.
blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
prof. blog: AntonDiaz.com
mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
email: anton@diaz.ph
Very One Tama ang execution….
Anton, could you please describe in more detail what this is all about? We saw the print ad and TV commercial yesterday — it’s obviously a campaign with a big budget! But both ads just served as teasers, and didn’t really explain the concept. You have to go to the website to find out. Which is fine, except that it requires you to register before you can learn anything. We were hesitant to register, because if it turns out *not* to be a cause we believe in, then we’d regret adding to their numbers. Now that you tell me it’s Smart that’s behind it, and it seems that you really don’t have to do anything but make a “pledge,” then I wonder if this is just a new way for them to collect a database. I do hope not.
I also hope that there will be more to this effort later on than just making up a pledge. Not to sound like a wet blanket, but I don’t agree with you that just *saying* what you will do will go “a long long way.” For people like you, who are really nationalistic and are determined to make a difference, then it’s additional inspiration to do so. But for the vast majority of apathetic people, it’s just another pa-uso battle cry that won’t lead anywhere UNLESS some sort of action is asked of them. So for now, I remain skeptical of this Ako Mismo campaign, until I know more about it.
Right after I posted my comment above, I saw this e-mail posted on a friend’s site. I hope you don’t mind if I post it here, Anton. Fair warning to all. 🙂
________________________________________________
From: jaime garchitorena
Subject: A friendly warning to all who signed up with SMART’s AKOMISMO
To: gang.badoy@———-
Date: Monday, May 4, 2009, 3:37 AM
To all those that signed up with AKO MISMO!
You are now part of SMART telecoms network for potential campaigns in 2010.
The amount of information they have asked is so detailed that they can track you down to your zip code and contact you any time. In all my years of signing up for information I have never had a site require so much information AS REQUIRED FIELDS.
This makes for a perfect voter mapping database and campaign tool for anyone that wants to pay SMART for the information.
Did you think SMART would pay MILLIONS in production and advertising and talent costs for nothing?
If you refer to their privacy policy that no one ever reads, it states:
AKO MISMO MAY use the personal information you provide to:
• Contact you – either in response to a query or suggestion, or to mail newsletters, documents, publications, etc.
• “Remember” your online profile and preferences;
• Help you quickly find information that is relevant to you based on your interests, and help us create site contents most relevant to you;
In other words the can PUSH information to you which is an important tool in making sure that you can receive even unwanted campaign messages.
• Undertake statistical analysis.
They can use your answers to this PUSH for other mapping and trending purposes.
They also wash their hands of any person “accidentally” cracking the site and getting all your info. If you read privacy policy, again, which no one reads:
AKO MISMO shall not be liable under any circumstances for damages resulting from unauthorized use of information collected from visitors to the site.
AKO MISMO may change this privacy policy to reflect changes in the way we collect visitor information.
As a final warning, their privacy policy claims that you can still access this site even if you do not sign up (again from the privacy policy page):
What if I don’t want to provide personal information?
Providing personal information on the AKO MISMO web site is optional. If you choose not to provide personal information, you can still browse and use the AKO MISMO site, but you will not be able to carry out certain actions.
This is not true. None of the pages are viewable unless you have signed in. This is already a sure sign that their intent is to make you sign up and not just to make you a part of a youth reform activity.
A friendly piece of advice: Go back to the site and change your details please change all the details that pertain to AGE, SEX, and, LOCATION.
Also change your phone number if you like. This is to protect your privacy.
And remember you are still holding on to your pledge of participation in making our country great and they promise not to bar you from accessing the site even if you change your details so you will lose nothing but you will take back your security.
Please pass to all the people you know who may have signed up.
Ingat lang tayo po sa mga ganito.
Salamat!
Hi Katrina,
Thanks for posting this. I don’t mind really and we can use the blog to
reveal the truth behind it if there was a “catch” behind it.
Anton
makes sense… its scary what they can do with all the information required just to be registered. i decided not to join instead.
with all the causes coming out even in facebook, one can never be sure if indeed it would matter. there are still lots of ways to help directly or indirectly.
ako mismo hindi magpapaloko!
🙂
Hi Enteng, haha… I wonder if somebody actually put your last statement as
a pledge 🙂 hehe.
Anton
Hey Anton! This sounds so like One Tama!!
Nice to know that more and more people are using the internet to maximize, mobilize, and inspire nationalism. I do hope though that this is purely out of love of country and nothing else. And of course, that there is a way for them to transform the pledges into concrete action. Since Smart is behind it, I’m sure they’d have more budget to move mountains than we (Duyan ng Giting / One Tama) do. Haha! 🙂
Smart has denied owning the site: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090505-203271/Smart-denies-owning-patriotism-campaign-site
Hmm…it’s getting more and more mysterious. PLDT/Smart’s logo was on the TV ad, but they deny ownership. If this effort is really legit, then why won’t anyone admit to being behind it? Shouldn’t they be proud of such a nationalistic campaign?
What bothers me is, over 45,000 people (probably mostly youth) have registered, but what is it really for? I know that many joined just for the dog tag, or because they were curious, not really because they want to make a difference (pledges like throwing trash in the bin are so useless; shouldn’t they do that anyway?!); but with that kind of database, I really hope something good will come out of it.
kuya anton,
pde mag ask? bkit nung binigay nasakin ung activation code nung sa ako mismo tapos nilagay ko sa Akomismo.org d2 sa net, tapos biglang sinubmit ko na then ayaw na… panu kaya makapagregister…. ayaw kc eh… please help me
Wow Interesting turn of events 🙂 First the privacy issue and then now Smart
is denying ownership of the site. That was a bad move for Smart. They are
really scared now of the online revolt about their campaign.
Anton
I registered for akomismo.org. According to the wizard, I’ll be receiving a notification email to activate my account *which I never did*. I tried to login using the information I provided when I signed up and then there, I was able to login without even activating my account. That’s silly..why would they notify you that you will be receiving this activation email when you can login even without it..
Sometimes its really hard to identify what is right and what is good. Sometimes you are being exploited without even recognizing it. As an individual who only wants to contribute to the progress of our beloved country, it’s really hard to hit the very first button to convene all the efforts into a right direction. There are a lot of people out there who are said to be willing to do everything for the nation but the problem is how to start and where is the right venue for this passion to regain the “Lost Glory”.
mine was a conditional support pending more transparency from the website’s owners.
I’m not sure, but it’s been said that it is DDB’s (the agency behind it) initiative. Maxene Magalona, one of the ambassadors promoting it, has gone as far as to defend the whole campaign on her Facebook page, and she credited DDB with rolling out the campaign as its own (without mentioning a financial sponsor).
Perhaps we need to hear a claim of ownership from DDB to restore trust in the campaign?
DDB already answer all your questions.
they already open the FAQ and the ownership on the site.
Thanks Judd for the comment,
The online community cannot be fooled to believe that an agency by itself is
running the campaign. I admire DDB for putting its reputation on the line.
This would mean they don’t know how to handle privacy issues with campaigns
like this, how to handle “ownership” questions, and how to handle online
reputation crisis. These things cannot be answered by just an FAQ or a blog
post from the endorsers.
It would have been easy just to fix the website and all of these things will
go away. Here is an unsolicited advice: Hire a good new media consultant
like Carlo Ople 🙂
Anton
Just try again Carl, para may loading error lang during the time you visited
the site.
anton
Finally, they realized that the lack of transparency on the website was creating a backlash, so they opened up the FAQ and answered the burning question of who really is behind the campaign. It turns out not to be anything sinister at all. 🙂 The intentions seem pure; I actually know these people quoted and don’t think they’d do anything underhanded. But it was a big miscalculation not to have been open about it from the start. They lost a little steam because of that, but nothing that can’t be salvaged. Maybe, as you said, they should’ve paid more attention to the intricacies of new media.
I’m still skeptical about it effecting any real change, since it just asks too little of people, and many register just because they want the dogtag. But then again, maybe it has to start very small and offer a cool incentive, because people are already so apathetic that to ask more would be fruitless. if they follow this up with actual socio-civic activities, which they say they intend to, then it might really be worthy of support. 🙂
FAQ:http://www.akomismo.org/main.php?s=faq
WHO IS BEHIND IT: http://www.akomismo.org/main.php?s=whois
Yeah finally, being a PR agency they should know how to handle Digital PR.
Trust is very important online.
The right way to really handle the issue is just fixing the privacy issues
which they are starting to do. Like all the pledges are now visible without
loging in. Cool.
AKO MISMO NDI NANINIWLA S CNASABI NYO
….there is no companies globally who has public o media customer relations who are not interested in what philippine companies are doing all international companies almost do the same when it comes to the need of knowing what clicks what the public wants/desires/prefers bcoz that is called a business ‘common senses’ but since so many internet websites crimes going on around the world filipinos are actually expected to be more vigilant more concern about all informations being released in public but that doesnt mean i do not trust every single one of them..filipinos should asked for minimal o simple info requirements if internet-websites are concerns bcoz international crimes tagging along personnal infos like your personnal photos comments can be maybe are being access used thru undesirable internet links so sometimes we are shocked to find out that sometimes ours-yours one{1]picture are spread & used a thousand times from fully cloth to almost no cloth when distorted unknowingly thru advanced high tech so i like the simple no log in but just sign in coz more filipinos who doesnt owned computers but know how can at least enjoy how to express themselves thru blogs that way oppressed/suppressed individuals can enjoy the rare therapeutic of gaining their loosening confidence self esteem coz they are afraid to talk to open up to get involve even as groups so the filipino family anton diaz are at least there so we can express ourselves if spouses like mine manipulated my own existence to prevent me from having family or just outside communications i am feeling i was almost in jail lol
….oopps i meant both with or without the log in sign in options so long we can communicate with others co-our awesome plant viewers that is fine with me
ho-humm…..hey people, i do not see anything wrong with making a pledge….ako mismo…..so why engage in so much unnecessary comments. If you do not like to put your personal info, then don’t give your true name, mag-imbento ka.(Palagay nyo ba totoong pangalan koang nakalagay dito?) The more important thing is…. “mayroon ng kumiliti sa damdamin mo na Ikaw Mismo ang magbabago sa sarili mo…”
Ito na naman tayong mga Pinoy…. I can see and feel the “talangka mentality” working again….Naunahan lang sila sa magandang idea na yan, ang dami mo ng naririnig na di maganda tungkol sa campaign na yan. Kailan ba talaga tayo magbabago? Ako Mismo dapat magbago…. haaay naku. Let’s all grow up. Let’s live according to the cliche……change comes from within…. maliit man yan o malaki, pag pinagsam-sama, malaki rin yan, di ba?
Hi Anton…. are you now saying that Smart really is behind all of these?….May evidence ba? anyway, I commend who ever is behind this campaign. It’s actually not a matter of giving out your personal information ( as I said, pwede mong di ibigay , di ba? Alam din ng mga nagsimula ng campaign na yan), it’s actually giving your commitment to change something for the better, kahit gaano kaliit yan….
skagger (not my real name, of course….:-))
….to viewer above mine: even if you used aliases o cartoon names they{high tech companies will know who you are i do not believe that some famous good natured discipline filipinas will put their pictures on line while they sit in the toilet but people do take photos of themselves doing that but they erased those stuff but no matter how you erased them high tech has the know how to get-put them back i was shocked here in america how can something like this happens to young filipinas bcoz it is a lifetime embarrassments the hardest hit to me was when i saw my high school mates daughters in bed as if just done having sex in bed with another guy strangers are using their pictures to embarrassed them globally but probably it was shown-done continent to continent one at a time i am shocked to see decent girls privacies exploited unknowingly where music o fun videos are used as decoy to embarrassed some of these good families
i know some high tech like youtube broadcast yourself downloading pictures i watch but i would never download anything but i was also shocked to see my high schoolmates videos & i know i believe they did not know that it will be posted in youtube for them to be watch by different countries one at a time to control who will watch bcoz they are decent people/families they ‘treasures’ their privacies ‘private’ filipino millionnaires in the philippines do not show their faces in public nor their social life in the world to see bcoz of kidnappings political repercusions holdaps akyat bahay rapes blackmails legal consequences or just plain privacy issues coz of the job they hold so anything seen in internet websites if not controled are very very dangerous calous malicious in nature to innocent others so all people should be concern bcoz you have reasons to be concern just check crime rates where internet/websites are part of the resources of the problems/crimes o unrests
….viewer above us: just to let you know that a lot of us-viewers we did we do use imbentos o using other names for protection-fun din but that is the worst suggestion if you only know how some viewers only prefers perfections only pure honesty if not they’ll trashed you lol i was trashed here in one of our awesome planet topic{about barbara-tagaytay}bcoz like of your suggestion i was called a person with multiple or more personality disorder coz i used other aliases to lessened some unsavory comments here in OAP lol!.. OAP has some mobs-filipino mafia like viewers in the past trashing me here bcoz i was’nt-i am NOT perfect lol kaya pala so many filipinos in the past decades or even now has severe inferiority complex easily intimidated-discourage and blamed colonizations for that but NOT their co-filipinos who are quick to INTIMIDATE DISCOURAGE even thrash anyone whose english grammars are imperfect to even try or at least practice expressing themselves here & those filipinos-foreigners alike who are not perfect in english or any foreign grammars these mob-mafia like viewers only prefer to read those filipinos whose english are always correct they only want PERFECTIONS i do sense some viewers disturbing behaviours here lol
luckily gmmahoney who’s english is not perfect happens to be a cool citizen BUT JUST IMAGINE WHAT if the viewers who are trashed here in OAP site by some arrogant perfectionist filipino mob ‘like’ belongs-has terror connections or a wacko.. that is something filipinos should think o consider meaning we should stick to non-personnal attacks instead maybe we should try use genuine sense of humors
sana nga ‘magbago’ na rin itong mga ‘disturbed’na trashing mob like filipino viewers they should let o leave alone those viewers{new-old}who are-has imperfect english grammars but better person coz slapping anyone filipinos or any non english speaking foreigners coz of their english imperfections o preferred vocabularies ay harrassments din yan kasi it is better to sweat-work at pakialaman yung needs ng enviroments neighborhood associations political discontent or even on finding hard core-violent criminals & help locked them up instead na discouraging imperfect OAP topics o mga english grammars ng mga viewers to join to express themselves to co exist NOT just show your insecurities kasi personalan naman ang gawa nung ibang mob like viewers tapos they want a better philippines but
in reality a better philippines means a better filipinos eh kung meaning hindi masakyan common senses na yan eh papano ma advanced kaagad eh if citizens are behaving ‘inferior'{bullies-detractors}sa ugali at attitude pa lang hindi maganda yung ugali nila pag na-challenged sila tapos they expect too much on outcomes ‘bizarre’ hhmmm
This is a patriotic move for those who endorses it and to us who support it. Gusto kong tularan yung apat na example nila sa site. Gagawin ko lahat para maging kapakipakinabang sa bayan.
One such inspiring story is Efren Penaflorida, who has spent the last ten years of his life travelling the country to teach street children. He does this with very simple implements: a kariton bearing his teaching aids, books and monobloc chairs. Another is Susan Fernandez, a sociologist, teacher, and women’s rights advocate who has spent her life using her music to uplift the plight of women. And we have Filipino talents who have become international stars bringing pride to our country, like Charice Pempengco and Arnel Pineda. Their stories and their humble circumstances are an inspiration to everyone.
hi Anton, I would normally check out your website for resto recommendations, and boy, youve been a great help whenever I’d come home, super thanks! Anyway, re the “Ako Mismo” ad, I couldnt help but notice the similarity in concept and layout in the “Ako Mismo” ad and the video made by Ashton and Demi during US Pres. Obama’s inauguration. Just thought of sharing this video with you. It’s still a great concept, though! Have a good one!
http://www.oprah.com/media/20090119_tows_ipledge
totoo po ba ang issue na smart is behind the campaign of ako mismo?
No, it is DDB Cares, a PR company social responsibility arm, who is behind
the campaign.
limited editon dog tag give away at my blog!! 😀