MANILA — Young Filipinos aged 18 to 24 played a major role in driving political conversations during the 2022 election cycle, an international public relations agency said Friday.

In its report on the May 9 polls, FleishmanHillard said millennials and zoomers — those belonging to Generation Z — had a "growing influence" in shaping social media discussions.

The report noted that of the social media conversations on the elections, 60 percent of the participants were women, and 59 percent of them were from 18 to 24 years old.

“Women and the youth are the main actors in influencing discourses online,” FleishmanHillard Manila general manager Anna Patricia Malay said.

"The data showed us that these demographics were the most vocal in expressing concerns about fake news and deliberate disinformation on social media," she added.

The report also showed that Filipinos "were more active and engaged in voicing out their opinions during the 2022 national elections."

These trends are expected to continue, translating to increased consumer expectation for brands and businesses to be part of the solution and not just discussion when it comes to societal impact, FleishmanHillard said.

“What we saw before, during and after the Philippine elections mirrors what we see, globally, in our Authenticity Gap research: youth have high expectations and are vocal about expectations related to social outcomes,” said Michael Rinaman, managing director of TRUE Global Intelligence Asia Pacific, Fleishman Hillard's research and measurement group.

Rinaman noted that this may impact brands in general, as 32 percent of a brand's reputation is shaped by social outcomes, including environmental awareness, community impact, and employee welfare.

“In an age where there is a conflict between facts and misinformation, organizations need to have a fundamental alignment of what their brand claims to be and what they really are. Authenticity will be the linchpin for businesses to address the expectations and concerns of an active and engaged audience,” Malay added.

FleishmanHillard conducted the study between April 12 and May 15 using social listening data from Twitter, YouTube, forums and blogs from users based in the Philippines.

There were about 65.75 million registered Filipino voters in the May 9 polls, by far the largest number since 1986.

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