What makes Brand Modi special

By Nagalingam Kumarakuruparan

“We need a Modi.” This is how a leading software company executive climbing the middle ranks summed up the leadership vacuum at the once feted software services firm.

Modi symbolises change in energy levels at the top, quick decisions, opposition to populism and an openness to experiment.

Like the software company, India was waiting for someone to lead the country in difficult times. Narendra Modi represents a new set of leaders, with a no-nonsense approach to problems. He is the new CEO of the country. Like any other new leader, he is eager to prove himself. He will do what it takes to get his team going. He is setting clear expectations of his team, and is not stepping back from initiative or imagination. He intends going for the jugular, clearly. The new Indian Prime Minister looks like he means business.

Goals

A 2010 Mckinsey Report says India will need to build 700 to 900 million square metres of commercial and residential space, 350 to 400 km of metro railways road lanes every year. Can a strong and intense leader such as Modi be in a position to achieve these goals?

It is a million dollar question. Only time can answer this question.

The rapid development he seeks will be one of Narendra Modi's biggest challenges.

Corruption

The Narendra Modi Government needs to create jobs, eliminate corruption and promote economic growth. The nation is waiting anxiously for Modi to deliver on his promises. The expectations are very high. During the election season Namo (Narendra Modi) is a brand that has been carefully built and painstakingly marketed as a panacea for all the ills afflicting the country.

When creating a brand one first needs to understand it, its beliefs and the belief of its founders. Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) focused on the issues being faced by the people and provided solutions to their problems. The BJP's election manifesto was part of an effort to cash in on the Namo, sobriquet for Narendra Modi, wave in election. BJP's Prime ministerial candidate cannot be credited with creating this wave single-handedly.

He has a team of media and advertising experts that has worked meticulously over the past year or so to create Brand Modi and packaged, advertised and sold it to the public much like any other consumer brand.

Then what makes Brand Modi special?

Brands must deliver on a promise consistently. In the context of politicians these two aspects delivering on a promise and consistency - pretty much lose meaning. This is where Modi scores over his opponents. Modi's promise itself is at variance with the typical election promises, laden as they are with sops.

In his campaign he was not promising something not exactly perspicuous. good governance and development. But consistency as his campaign message has been spot on.

Surprise

That apart, Brand Modi has surprised everyone with unprecedented activity on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to reach out to the youth directly and to generate conversations on new media. Brand Modi has gone the whole hog on its media delivery with print and electronic media. In addition to posters, rallies and public speeches - during political campaigning - Modi's campaign has taken the nation's problems and connected it with its own proposition of change: “Vote for change” and “Modi the Reformist”, and such has been the popularity of this couplet - thanks largely to social media - that it has assumed the ‘National time-pass’ status, being liked, tagged and forwarded freely.

Campaign

The campaign had been customised for each state as well as urban and rural centres. Contrary to the commonly held view, Modi's Brand team had leveraged technology for micro-targeting even in rural areas.

Namo as a product has hit the targeted consumers and they consider it as their favourite brand.

The BJP's campaign stood out for its ability to instantly connect with the people thanks to the campaign team. But the true hero of the campaign story has been public relations (PR).

Social media

Experts say while social media won't bring the votes in, it has the power to generate positive PR in the media. According to Nilanjan, Modi's biographer “social media is great to stir up controversies, giving people a sense of participation. But once these comments on social media are picked up and magnified on television and newspapers, they become discussion points.”

“People know Modi is a great doer, but ask them what he has done, and they may not be able to answer. This is a bullet point driven campaign where Modi is discussed and debated in 140 characters,” he said.

The reason behind the success of the Modi's campaign is that it was based on voter insight. Modi followed the bottom up strategy and his campaign highlighted key issues faced by people at the ground level. The fact that the Modi's campaign focused on the aspirations of the people actually helped in creating a bond. Another reason why Modi's campaign resonated with the people is the fact that the party he belongs to had a clear vision and understanding of the brand. Moreover, the campaign had three objectives: to reflect the mood of the nation, show the electorate the possibilities of a better life and give them a leader they can trust.

Compared to a marketing campaign of a commercial brand that has only one voice and speaks through its campaigns and targets a select audience, a political campaign is a different ball game. A political party has many voices and speaks through its party workers and representatives and talks to a large group of people. The most important thing was that the campaign message reached the people.

There are lessons to be learnt from the success of Modi's political campaign.

First it was a great product and advertising added incremental value to the product. Secondly, it proved that strategy, planning and ideas are more important than big budgets and lastly, multi media works better than the use of single media.

The party, the brand owner and marketer played a supportive role and not an interfering role. The end result was the product became popular with the consumers (voters).

Modi's campaign succeeded because there was complete agreement on what advertising can and should do. It helped to get the product message across to the consumers (voters).

Many had seen it coming for a long-time for three primary reasons? Disgust, hope and common sense. Disgust at the way the nation was being run, or not run, hope that it would someday all be rectified; and common sense that said someone would definitely come forward. People were not helpless, they were hopeful, they had common sense that said someone would definitely come forward. Narendra Modi had come forward, and what a stepping forth it is.