In the Philippines, 2007 appears to be the year when bloggers got out of their computer-enclosed shells and partook of the seats traditionally reserved for mainstream media reporters. There is a highly-energized blogging community in the country and a buzz was always created when free doughnuts and breakfast coupons were sent their way.

Bloggers and their URLs  soon found their way into the much-coveted address books of in-demand publicity agents. As PR diva Amor Maclang herself admits in a previous interview with this column: “The era of high-profile celebrity endorsements is diminishing its luster. More and more marketing-forward MNCs and communications professionals are looking to smaller, yet more credible niches to tap, with bloggers being the most immediate choice. In PR, we (now) manage and monitor internet perception and reputation as vigorously as we do "traditional" media.”

And so it came to pass that there was a blogger event that came our way recently, to provide yet another example of how blogs have now become the new venues for product marketing. This was the introduction to the local market of  Aryty, an “SMS-based , overseas prepaid load service” which enables residents of the US and Canada to send e-load to an estimated 40 million plus phones in the Philippines via text messaging or the internet. The service can be availed of by using the credit or debit card of senders and is made possible through tie-ups with local telecoms carriers Globe, Smart and Sun Cellular.

We had a short talk with Aryty founder Nils Johnson who flew in to Manila from New York City to meet bloggers for lunch and discuss with the them the merits of using Aryty. Why the bloggers? Mr. Johnson referred to the growing influence of bloggers and the many advantages of tapping them as a promotional tool. “Bloggers are always the first one to know about something. Blogs are also more interactive in the sense that they get instant feedback and suggestions from the readers. Because they’re written  from experience, blogs have word-of-mouth credibility.  From our end, this will enable us to know what users really want.”

A valid observation: while the news media would report about the offerings of a company like Aryty in the expected straightforward manner, there’s nothing more candid and personalistic than the blogs themselves. The amusing things about blogs is that they’re completely unedited and the writing styles (as well as the content) are as varied as ABC. We monitored bloggers’ reportage after the Aryty event and here’s what they had to say:  

Sasha Manuel in The Parody talks about the perks of being on mobile prepaid: “I’d say it’s a pretty nifty idea. Friends and family abroad can easily let you know that it’s important for you to remain in contact with them by sending you a Php 150.00 load (for Globe) that would only cost them US$ 3.12. But wait! There’s more! if you’re the type who can simply ask your US (or Canada)-based friend or family member for some credits then there’s even an Ask 4 Load option.”

Rising Internet Star Mike Villar engages in baloney about the perks of eating bologna in the sumptuous Circles buffet:  “ Reasonable rates of a little over 3 Dollars for 150 pesos worth of prepaid credits and the convenience Aryty brings to the table makes up for a strong value proposition for mobile phone-crazy Filipinos and their friends and relatives abroad alike.So yeah, next time you’re bugging your American fiance for prepaid credit money (while you’re bugging him for a green card), don’t bother with remittances! Use Aryty!”

J. Angelo Racoma discusses the pro’s, con’s and suggestions for using Aryty:  “The concept behind Aryty.com is strikingly simple, but with lots and lots of potential, in my opinion. While internet penetration rate in the Philippines is at a dismal 10% or less (most of which access at public access points like internet cafés), mobile penetration rate is around 50% of the population, or around 50 million people. And what’s even better for Aryty’s business is that a good majority of Filipinos have friends or family members living abroad either as immigrants, expats or migrant workers.”

Gail Villanueva of Kutitots.com raises the idea of  coming up with an Aryty-powered “donate load” widget for blogs. (Who knows, maybe it’s coming soon?)

(For comments and inquiries, email annalyn.jusay@gmail.com)