Case Study: Smartmatic secures trusted automated elections with Proi Worldwide

Smartmatic earns P129M in positive media coverage with Proi Worldwide

Smartmatic, a multinational provider of election technology, faced a significant public trust crisis after winning the contract to automate the 2010 Philippine national elections. The challenge for the customer was to overcome deep-seated public suspicion about election fraud and the integrity of their PCOS voting machines, which threatened both the project and the country's democratic process. Proi Worldwide, through its involved agency M2.0 Communications, was tasked with issues and crisis management to salvage the mission.

The solution implemented by Proi Worldwide and M2.0 centered on a campaign to humanize the company through its president, Cesar Flores. This involved transparent engagement in government hearings, offbeat media interviews to showcase his personality, and securing a high-profile ambassador. The results were highly successful, generating P129M in positive media coverage and transforming public perception. Most importantly, the automated election was conducted successfully, leading the Philippines to award Smartmatic the election contracts again in 2013 and 2016, establishing the country as a worldwide reference for well-run elections.

Smartmatic