Susilo all mixed up when it comes to public relations<\/p>\n
Ong Hock Chuan, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The nation is facing a possible bird flu epidemic. The
\ngovernment decides to act and just before the Cabinet meets last
\nTuesday, the President discusses a campaign on the safe
\nconsumption of chicken meat.<\/p>\n
In a photo opportunity, the President holds up a poster for
\nthe campaign. The headline on the poster reads: \"Chicken meat and
\neggs are nutritious foods.\"<\/p>\n
DOUBLE TAKE: Is this a campaign to promote the consumption of
\npoultry and eggs or to educate the public on how to make sure the
\nchicken and eggs they eat are safe amid the possibility of a bird
\nflu epidemic? What sort of a cockamamie public relations advice
\nhas the President been subjected to again?<\/p>\n
Almost one year into his presidency, the photo of Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono holding up that poster, as Vice President Jusuf
\nKalla looks on passively, is somehow emblematic of all that is
\nwrong with the President's public relations.<\/p>\n
Here you have a man who is obviously full of integrity and
\nwith concern about what is happening to his people etched on his
\nface. He probably instructed his communications aides to come up
\nwith a campaign to educate people so that they would be safe from
\nthe effects of bird flu. His people go away and come up with a
\ndisconnected message. The local phrase for disconnect, ngak
\nnyambung, is extremely appropriate.<\/p>\n
If there is a phrase to sum up the President's public
\nrelations efforts over the past year, ngak nyambung would be it.
\nIt would describe perfectly the tedious efforts his PR gurus have
\nput into building up his image, only to deliver messages that
\ncome close to, but somehow never, address the real issues. The
\nresult is lots of form without substance; window dressing without
\nthe accompanying view.<\/p>\n
The ongoing fuel crisis is a good example of ngak nyambung
\ncommunications. In moments of crises people expect their leaders
\nto give them an assessment of the situation, articulate how they
\nintend to lead the nation out of the situation, give them hope
\nfor optimism and then spring into action.<\/p>\n
What we get instead is window dressing. There were the appeals
\nto turn down air conditioners, the eschewing of warm western
\nsuits for cool batik and the expediency of subsidizing the poor
\nwith the money gained from slashing subsidies.<\/p>\n
But when it came to action, it was a case of dithering and
\nmurmurs of inevitable fuel price hikes. There has so far been no
\neloquent articulation of a plan to lead Indonesia out of the
\nproblem, the necessary steps that need to be taken and the
\nsacrifices required of each and everyone of us to free Indonesia
\nonce and for all from the yoke of fuel subsidies. Why couldn't
\nthe President's PR gurus have devoted as much energy to this
\nendeavor as they spent setting up photo opportunities of the
\nPresident in batik?<\/p>\n
Then there was the video-conferencing brouhaha. Susilo goes to
\nWashington and uses video-conferencing to keep in touch with the
\nCabinet. Good on him. In doing so he joins the countless legions
\nof top business and government executives who use technology to
\nkeep in touch and help him make decisions. No big deal.<\/p>\n
The window dressers, however, could not let this opportunity
\npass. They had to create a media opportunity of it by inviting
\nthe media to witness the first few minutes of this remarkably
\nsavvy use of technology. The result is endless criticism and
\nspeculation of a rift with his Vice President. Ngak nyambung
\ncommunication strikes again.<\/p>\n
Indeed the President's image gurus' infatuation with
\ntechnology is now notorious. How many of us can forget the
\nincident where the President must have been advised to give out
\nhis personal cell phone number to anyone who wanted to complain
\nabout the government? Or when millions of Indonesians got a
\npersonal SMS from the President telling them to stop using drugs?<\/p>\n
The image gurus are also obsessed with creating photo
\nopportunities, thinking that they can boost Susilo's popularity
\nwith images depicting him as a caring man of the people. Those
\ninterested in getting the full catalog of cheesy promotional
\nphotographs that have made it into the newspapers can pick up a
\nrecent copy of a the curiously titled magazine Men's Obsession,
\nwhich demonstrates hagiography at its best.<\/p>\n
As the President completes his first year in office there is a
\nloud call for him to replace his economic ministers. Perhaps the
\nPresident should also review the performance of his image
\nadvisers who have failed to capitalize on the new
\nadministration's greatest asset: Susilo himself.<\/p>\n
In spite of all the PR muddles Susilo still has the goodwill
\nof the people at large. People generally like him. They think he
\nis honest, full of integrity and genuinely wants to move
\nIndonesia forward, but is hampered from doing so because of the
\nlow caliber and integrity of those around him.<\/p>\n
Entering his second year Susilo has to act fast and decisively
\nto show that he can rise above these limitations. If he fails to
\ndo so, fickle public sentiment could begin to turn against him.
\nHe needs to act and part of this action is to communicate
\neffectively in a way that is credible and that connects with the
\npeople, rather than resorting to window dressing, platitudes and
\nlots of sound bites signifying nothing.<\/p>\n
Almost a year after taking office what is the state of
\nPresident Susilo's image? How is he perceived by the public and
\nthe media?<\/p>\n
There will no doubt be a plethora of surveys on all sorts of
\nperceptions on all aspects of Susilo's presidency by next week to
\ncommemorate his first year in office. Here, however, is an
\nunscientific and opinionated PR practitioner's view of Susilo's
\npublic image:<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, President Susilo has survived the first year
\nwith his image quite intact, in spite of obviously appalling PR
\nadvice, being surrounded by non-performing ministers with their
\nown agendas and having to face thorny issues such as the tsunami,
\nthe falling rupiah and the fuel subsidy.<\/p>\n
The writer is a partner at maverick, a public relations
\nconsultancy specializing in crisis and issues management. He can
\nbe contacted at ong@maverick.co.id.<\/p>",
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