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41 comments on “From Transformational to Fearless”

1. I do not like Trump, but as a Ms. Universe owner, at least he prioritized beauty, glamour, and entertainment whenever Miss Universe was held.
   He also made sure the pageant crazy countries that keeps Ms. Universe afloat were acknowledged by assuring them places in the semis. Now that’s good business.

   • That’s not business. That’s politics, pure and simple. Look at what happened to MU business. It was on a downward spiral that he had to sell it to WME, but the downslide went on unabated to near bankruptcy that it had to be sold again after a few uneventful years. Where is “good business” there?

     • Trump did not sell MUOrg to WME because it was on a downward spiral. The fact is, after clinching the Republican Presidential nomination, Trump had to divest himself from any businesses as required by law. And those business involvements include ownership of the MUOrg. In fact, Trump sold MUOrg to WME at a much bigger value compared to when he bought out NBC.

       Almost all of the business entities managed/owned by WME were on financial downward spiral after they advocated and became platform for social justice activism. It practically discouraged its avid fans who were not interested on being lectured, shamed and indoctrinated by those social justice advocacies and activism.

       Why MUOrg was let go? Simple, it’s the least performing financial venture. The current pop-culture, which is heavily influenced by progressive, activist and radical feminist movement, viewed beauty pageant as a relic of an archaic patriarchal society that needs to be deconstructed and practically reimagined. Ergo, the inclusion of transgender, mothers contestants regardless of their height and weight.

     • While nobody knows MU’s financial position during Trump’s time, what is known is that Trump sold the MU franchise amidst his US Presidential campaign and a slew of controversies he got entangled with– in the the backdrop of plunging beaucon TV ratings (and ad revenues) due to the diminishing market interest. He sold the business to WME/IMG, just days after buying the 51% owned by his partner NBC/Universal. While many have tied Trump’s move as a way to make a quick buck, it was not so straightforward. What is generally known is that his statement against Mexican immigrants sparked severe backlash. After this statement, Univision and NBC/Universal isolated themselves from Trump. Sooner, NBC and Univision refused to air Miss USA pageant, which was abruptly shifted over a cable channel, and found just 900,000 viewers, a fraction of what it would have had on NBC.

     • Even the buyer WME/ IMG, a renowned specialist in events management and marketing business, was not able to turn around MU’s downward trajectory in a bleak market landscape for pageantry. It had to sell again after a few years of coddling the least profitable entity in its business portfolio.

2. A year will rarely move the needle on any type of advocacy. MU should pick causes it will champion long-term, deploying its winner as spokesperson which I believe is how they did in the past. Let the winner follow the org’s lead and resources rather than the other way around.

   • You raised a valid point. It also applies to the branded pageants MW, MS and ME. But I guess it’s a business decision. MU, MW and MS obviously follow the mall concept— their respective platforms are like a mall outlet for various advocacies being promoted from all over. This ensures high volume and endless flow of traffic into their “mall’— wide variety of followers, participants, advertisers, funders, service providers. Like a mall, they also have “in-house labels” that are associated with their respective institution (Smile Train for MU, various orphanages worldwide by MW). For business viability, like malls, they have seasonal themes. Malls have quarterly sales cycle so they have corresponding quarterly marketing campaigns. Pageants have yearly business cycle but it is only now that we are seeing one pageant, MU, having annual thematic marketing campaign (Transformational Leadership last year; Force for Change Abilities this year).

     • Scorg, the mall analogy applies, but I think MU has spread their brand thin by being on a different sandwich every year 🙂

     • @DanDan, you’re correct. That’s why, its important that they support the advocacy of the incumbent queen (see my rejoinder to my original comment). The advocacy could be sustained post-reign by the queen herself if funding, logistics and networks have been plowed in. For example, R’Bonneys advocacy on sustainable Fashion which could have an MU-driven international character could continue long after her reign because she would have acquired funding and other logistical/ technical support from MU partners or even bilateral institutions, private sector foundations and governments. And I am not talking only of MU. The same scenario applies as well to MW, ME and MS.

   • Given this business modality, what pageants could and should do is support the current year’s winner’s advocacy (with logistics, funds, networks, etc) so that its impact on affected communities can be sustained even after her reign.

3. In short, a woman with a substance. Hindi Yung peke na magaling. Kahit Anong ibato mo sa kanya ay kakainin Nya at ngunguyain Nya sa nagbabagang bunganga Nya.
   Ganern😱😆👍
   C Michelle Dee lang Naman Ang nakikita Kong puede ahihihihi😃
   Kaya, for experience na Lang Yung iba. Puede pa nman Sila nx yr kahit 4th or 5th time na Silang sumali🫣😊

4. Itong baklush na ito kung anu anung kaeklatan ang ganap. Gone where the days ng beauty and glamor ng MU. Kulang yata ito sa gatas. Ewan

   • the thing is that a successful stint at Miss U is such that the contestant must have exceptional beauty first and foremost and decent interview skills. If the beauty is just above average, the contestant must be outstanding in expressing herself , whatever it is she wants to convey , such that people particularly the selection committee will notice her and not forget her. It’s exceptional beauty and outstanding person-to-person skills, and of course the contestant must be naturally good-natured, really big-hearted, & real !

5. To avoid confusion on Khun Anne’s recent pronouncements: The MU brand tagline “Beautifully Confident” remains unchanged. What changed is the slogan, which expectedly changes with any new marketing campaigns. If last year it was “transformational leadership”, this year’s buzzword is “assertive transformational leadership” [my own paraphrase as explained in a previous post]. Broken down into manageable bites, keywords are: “fearless”, “open-minded”, “positive” and “opportunity-driven”. Unfortunately for the old-school ideologues, advocacy-based branding will continue as this is the only emotional connection of pageantry to its consumers, now dominated by the socially- and health-conscious Sustainability Generation, and the bankable financial lifeline of pageantry to its corporate sponsors.

6. Such a confused pageant MUOrg has become.
   This is what happens when an organization listens to critics who aren’t really genuine pageant fans, who demand/force “advocacies” to be included in its system, critics who do not even watch pageants, and do not contribute anything to its business.
   Wishing Anne has the balls (pun intended) to revert Ms Universe back to its roots….a beauty pageant.

   • Hihi every year nalang iba’t-ibang market ang gustong i-please kahit nung IMG era pa. Walang consistency sa kung anong klaseng winner ang hinahanap

     • Gusto kasi iplease ng MUOrg yung mga maiingay na pawoke na critics, feminists and critics na di naman bumibili ng pageant tickets, critics na di naman nagconcontribute sa tv ratings kasi di naman nanonood ng tv telecasts, di rin nanonood nagfafollow ng social media pages and channels nila.
       MUOrg wants to please people who are of no use to it 🤷🏻‍♂️

7. Simula nang napunta sa bayot na ito ang MU, maging cheap bigla!

8. I’m not interested in a fearless transformational ek ek Ms Universe. I just want a beautiful and inspirational Ms Universe. That’s all. Thank you!

9. If I am to paraphrase MU’s marketing buzzwords this year, it is basically looking for Assertive Transformational Leadership” in the context of the change management mode of the new business acquisition. The operative word is “assertive”, from the phrase “ability to Force for Change” in this year’s slogan. The quality in manageable bites: “fearless, not afraid of disruption”, i.e., bold and daring; “open-minded, and loves to compliment instead of making complaints during time of change”, i.e., team player, winner not whiner; and “positive… seeks out opportunities from every crises”, i.e., solution-, not problem-oriented, strategic- and forward- thinker. In other words, the new slogan for this year is still in the mold of “transformational leadership”, but with more fillip. The operative word—assertive.

10. Anne is the real Miss Universe here. She is always on the limelight rather than the reigning queen. The moment the reigning queen has her turn, she is also there.

    She is the perpetual Miss Universe queen here. The crowned winner and runner ups are her royal court, changing every year

11. Somebody inspiring and has a great story to tell…
    So sino???? Parang wala naman total package this year…. 🙄

12. Anne is looking for an individual who is goal-oriented to be the next Miss Universe. She must be hardworking, positive, optimistic, cooperative, flexible, and go-getter. She is willing to perform whatever tasks given to her by MUO

13. Before we get drowned in the hysterics and theatrics around the turn of events in this post-acquisition transition period, a dispassionate view from business standpoint. The buzzwords “transformational” and “fearless” are components of brand slogans that strengthen the MU tagline “Beautifully Confident”. Taglines are more permanent and reinforce a brand by conveying the tone and feeling for products or services. A slogan is temporary and particular to a specific marketing effort. The marketing campaign last year focused on “The ability for Transformational Leadership”. This year’s focus is on a slightly different aspect, “The ability to Force for Change”, although the two are subtle variations of the same theme. Since a slogan is more advertising focused to sell an item, and a tagline is more public relations focused to raise awareness about the overall brand, we expect the former to change periodically while the former may remain invariant.

    • On the question “Are we starting to lose the entertainment value of the pageant?”, I think the new owners are just striking a healthy balance between business value and entertainment value. Let us bear in mind that any business has many stakeholders whose interests have to be equitably satisfied—the consumers, the sponsors, the shareholders, the service providers, and the government. The entertainment value is definitely the concern of the consumers, but the big question now is: who are today’s consumers of pageantry? An even more relevant question is: who are the target consumers of pageantry? I’m sure the marketing consultants of Khun Anne know that the entertainment value for the shrinking old school consumers are markedly different from that of the numerically and financially dominant Sustainability Generation.

    • On the question “Are we starting to lose the entertainment value of the pageant?”, I think the new owners are just striking a healthy balance between business value and entertainment value. Let us bear in mind that any business has many stakeholders whose interests have to be equitably satisfied—the consumers, the sponsors, the shareholders, the service providers, and the government. The entertainment value is definitely the concern of the consumers, but the big question now is: who are today’s consumers of pageantry? An even more relevant question is: who are the target consumers for pageantry? I’m sure the marketing consultants of Khun Anne know that the entertainment value for the shrinking old school consumers are markedly different from that of the numerically and financially dominant Sustainability Generation.

14. Ang daming nangyayari? Or did they just lose focus and control?

15. A monster man talking about empowerment??hahaha what a joke

16. Identity crisis….

17. I can’t believe that the MUP2023 will not be for two more months … this will backfire easily as people will lose interest and not follow any more new videos or posts , and this will become contagious , spreading to other countries and finally to the MU2023 itself

18. MUO is more entertaining, IMHO. Under IMG, it became both predictable (same countries every year) and too PC without less emphasis on pageantry (NOLA had more emphasis).

    I don’t know what she’s talking about, a lot of buzz phrasey-corporate lingo if you ask me.

    I think she just wants a winner who isn’t from VENEZUELA (today’s complainers over Dudamel).

    Pinoys, you’ve been warned.

19. I can’t believe an organization advocating for women’s transformation, fearlessness, empowerment, phenomenalism and modernism is headed by a (former) man.

    • You mean like the last 71 years?

      • I was born 24 years ago. How did you know from the last 71? You’re saying your older than MU organization?

      • @Dino

        You’re 24?

        And yet the opinion you expressed is literally giving boomer vibes.

        Is “Dino” short for dino-saur?

        It seems to me that not only are you transphobic, you’re also a liar.

      • @SQ, the blogger admitted before that the followers of this blog are mostly in the older generational cohort. Knowing that, I am not surprised anymore if I get inundated by a floodgate of thumbs downs everytime I post progressive comments. I fully understand. But the stubborn me doesn’t stop from writing what I think should be said in a free market of ideas. The world is what it is now because of the many stubborn people who keep on challenging the status quo.

      • Just keep on giving your inputs, scorg. I really appreciate your thoughts. 🙂

      • @Sir Norman, this is the one and only pageantry blog that I follow for the last 11 or so years! I don’t have time for others. I’m glad I am in a respected place where my ideas get accomodated, despite the thumbs downs. You have become the Tito Norman respected by the industry because of your professionalism, objectivity and commitment to its development.

20. It’s just a warning to those mothers with children (especially young children) who are planning to join the pageant. Never complain when a mother wins the crown and use the statement “I can’t do these” because may maliliit pa akong anak. Di ako makaka-attend ng ganitong events kasi may sakit ang anak ko, etc. There were past winners of MU who resigned because they couldn’t perform the responsibilities of a winner. And they were single. Paano pa kung may anak na ang manalo? Hala, lagot sya Kay Khun Anne!

    • No she’s speaking to all the negatrons on social media.

21. paiba iba na naman siya ng “advocacy” tiennelyn, pinaglalaruan na lang talaga niya ang traditionally accepted na most prestigious pageant in the universe. Hindi na dapat magulat ang buong universe 3 months before the pageant iba na naman ang advocacy nyan at ipagbawal na sumali ang mga biologically born females sa miss universe 2033!

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