Rishi Jaitly on changing the world with Twitter

MANILA, Philippines – “The power of Twitter in countries like the Philippines to communicate at scale across 7,000 islands is astonishing.”

This was one of the realizations Twitter Asia Pacific and Middle East Vice President Rishi Jaitly said during a Rappler Talk session on Twitter and the global phenomenon of #AlDub on Tuesday, October 13.

Jaitly discussed how Twitter was facilitating the virtual conversation between the producers of the AlDub television phenomenon and the growing audience supporting the tandem, as well as fostering sociocivic engagement and changing the world through global phenomena on Twitter.

“Your tweets around the world are validating that their storyline is resonating,” Jaitly said.

On sociocivic engagement online

Jaitly also discussed how the government and non-governmental organizations can take advantage of social media and the AlDub phenomenon by leaning into these massive discussions.

“Lean into the conversation with AlDub. I think what the consumers of tomorrow want… they want politicians, government agencies, brands that lean into conversations on things that may not be in their self-interest,” Jaitly explained.

He added, “If you’re an NGO working on social justice in the Philippines, be a part of the conversation with AlDub. Become human. Twitter is about personality and the brands of the future that win are the brands that personify.”

Twitter and Jack Dorsey as CEO

Jaitly also touched briefly upon the Jack Dorsey becoming CEO of Twitter, calling it an “exciting time.”

“It’s an exciting time to be at Twitter. With Jack back, it’s a moment on inspiration for the company,” Jaitly said.

He added that Dorsey “believes in his bones the power of this platform to give people voice, agency and power.”

While Jaitly was excited to be part of the growth sector of Twitter in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, Twitter later in the day announced a workforce reduction of 336 jobs. 

Changing the world with Twitter

When asked about the world-changing capabilities of Twitter with regard to how it allows people to see patterns emergent behavior, Jaitly responded, “In general, when something happens in mass culture, we see that impressions on Twitter skyrocket.”

He also said, “one of the things we’re noticing when it comes to world change agent types is that they’re realizing that the first step in someone’s journey to signing up for a cause or voting for a candidate, or learning about something serious on Twitter, is often something in Entertainment. That’s often the first step.”

“In a world where everyone’s a media company, you have to think in those terms,” Jaitly explained. “You can’t say no to genres and verticals or story ideas just because they’re off for some reason. It all coexists now.” – Rappler.com