Stealth Marketing in Presidential Campaign

The top runner among the candidates for presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Shinjiro Koizumi, apologized on “stealth marketing” of his campaign, which tried to encourage Koizumi with positive comments for him through social networking services. A lawmaker in charge of public affairs in Koizumi campaign resigned, admitting her responsibility. The case indicated vulnerability of election to internet, even if it is not for electing public officers. 

Weekly Bunshin magazine reported hidden instruction in Koizumi campaign, which urged Koizumi’s supporters to post information on social media to build positive image of Koizumi among voters of LDP presidential election. That instruction was delivered from an LDP member of the House of Representative, Karen Makishima, who was in charge of public affairs in Koizumi campaign.

 

Makishima encouraged the supporters of Koizumi to send messages that would praise Koizumi as possible prime minister. Some templates for the message included “It was wonderful for Koizumi to urge resignation to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba,” or “He could improve himself with various works for some administrations.” The members of Koizumi campaign uploaded that kind of cheering for Koizumi on the social networks.

 

The messages would be received by the viewers as some supports for Koizumi by neutral anonymous people. But in fact, they were made by firm supporters to generate public opinion which is positive for Koizumi. It resembles one of the commercial methods, in which a company disseminate positive information anonymously. It is called stealth marketing.

 

The messages included some slanders against other candidates. “Do not give in quasi-conservatives whose purpose is business,” it said. Other campaigns criticized “stealth marketing” of Koizumi campaign as unfair. Knowing nothing about the messaging, Koizumi apologized about the false use of social media. Makishima resigned as the chair on public affairs in Koizumi campaign.

As one of the many political organizations, the LDP has no established rule for presidential election campaign through social networking. Some indicate that that kind of campaign taking advantage of social networks is not infrequent in the election campaign for public officers. Presidential election of a party is likely to be subjected to conscience of each campaigners.

 

However, LDP presidential election is effectively a selection of next prime minister of Japan. Koizumi is the top runner in the presidential race in LDP. It is required that Koizumi and LDP preserve some sense of fairness in the election campaign, considering the possibility to take the seat of supreme leader of Japan.

 

The LDP is on its way to recover public trust on its political culture, since the party faced broad criticisms on its slush fund scandal by some factions. The party is reaching young voters who mainly rely on information of social network services. It is necessary for LDP presidential candidates to show fairness in using internet in election campaign.

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