When Coffee Spills Over

Maningat, Jose Carlos L. & Sabillo, Kristine Angeli S. (2009). When Coffee Spills Over: A Study on Nestle Philippine’s Influence on Major Broadsheets, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

Nestle Philippines Inc., a transnational corporation, dominates the local food and beverage industry with its wide spectrum of products from pet food to bottled water. In the mainstream media, it has launched several promotional campaigns and product endorsements, flooding media platforms with a barrage of advertisements. However, this prevalent practice among advertisers has raised questions on media accountability and professional integrity.

With such dilemma at hand, the research study looks into the corporate relationship between Nestle Philippines Inc. and the two major broadsheets (Philippines Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star), and how this kind of relationship influences the content and orientation of the broadsheets.

The study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods, through content analysis of articles and advertisements and interviews from different sectors involved.

As Nestle actively controls its image through its advertisements and public relation dealings, it also reinforces media’s dependence to advertisers. Such “accountability” causes practitioners to self-censor stories that may harm the corporate image of an advertiser like Nestle, especially stories related to the Nestle Cabuyao strike that erupted in 2002. Because of this relationship with media, Nestle is able to indirectly influence content and image to the company’s advantage, pushing to the margins pertinent issues that are unfavorable to the company.