Media agencies involved in political campaigns hide from exposure

For fear of attack or show of any kind of aggression on their businesses or person, integrated marketing communication agencies handling political parties are hiding the identities of their political briefs.

A media observer notes that the media operators, who had political campaign briefs, are not interested in exposing their relationship with the political parties for fear of being ‘attacked’ if their parties do not make it. Such fears, the observer says, is justified in the face of political vituperations, especially hyped by the media and the likely prone negative consequence.

The observer also notes that the agencies are also trying to avoid later days witch-hunting that could come because of their involvement in political campaigns for any of the parties, believing that a media agency could lose an account of firm belonging to the opposition if the agency is working for another political party.

“Many agencies in public relations or creative agency, or below-the-line are involved in one project for the political parties but may not want to reveal their involvement. With the high tempo in the propaganda, people are afraid agents of politicians may identify you and mark you out,” the observer, who does not want his name in print, says.

Another media operator believes that the hidden identity by agencies over political jobs is basically due to the observed secrecy in the industry, agreeing that quite a number of agencies were involved in political briefs, but it is based on their discretion to let people know they are handling the jobs instead of the backlash.

According to some politicians who spoke with BusinessDay, it does not matter if the agencies open up themselves on their briefs, but “what is important is that they do the jobs they were assigned to do professionally.”

Over the time, agencies are careful in revealing their activities in pitches, pitching fees, staff poaching, clients’ activities and marketing communication budgets.

Following the heated polity, the operator however vindicates agencies who are not revealing their identities, especially when reports indicate fears by people over the elections as some Nigerians make plans to travel abroad before the elections.

To him, this kind of situation does not encourage agencies and other people handling political jobs for politicians or political parties to expose themselves.