How Strategic Marketing And Branding Of BJP Won Over Tactical Approach of Congress?

The spectacular victory of BJP led by Narendra Modi has reaffirmed some marketing and branding principles and has proven how marketing tactics-obsessed Congress failed so miserably due to its weakened strategy. It has also proven that marketing is irrelevant where branding matters.

It is becoming clear that BJP and Narendra Modi started preparing for 2019 elections in 2014. They had their marketing strategy carved out. Their target segment, positioning and differentiation were all defined. They had also identified areas where they needed to strengthen their base. Along with marketing strategy, they also worked on branding and communication very strategically. They carefully created a brand NaMo which was consistent in its communication and performance. They adopted omni-channel communication model to reach every part and every segment of the country with amazing regularity. They launched various schemes and their implementation models which aligned with this strategy.

None of this was done by Congress. They lacked strategy. They had all the time to prepare, but their haphazard approach in sewing up impractical alliances in various state elections contributed to the dilution of their clout. They even did not foresee losing their own ancestral constituency of Amethi due to neglect. A strategic thinker will not ignore such obvious and important issues.

Introducing a nobody like Priyanka with a lot of fanfare and that too in a losing Uttar Pradesh, was suicidal. It was tactical and an error. She was a nobody and the results confirmed it.

In all, Congress was caught clueless, resorting to last minute marketing gimmicks, which was too late in the day. They should have started in 2014.

Branding plays a more significant role in products with long term implications. Marketing succeeds when the product consumption time is short. While choosing anything which has long term consequences, people rely more on brand images rather than on marketing campaigns.

Buying of durable products like homes, furniture, jewelry, cars, mobiles etc. is majorly influenced by brand reputation and short-term marketing tactics are not effective there. For example, people choose a car brand after prolonged deliberations and research. They don’t switch their chosen brand simply because some offer comes up from another brand.

Yes, people can be lured to buy a pack of biscuits or to come to a movie by making a good product and executing some good tactical marketing. These products are for short-term and mostly for one time consumption. Here branding may not always matter.

But, when it comes to choosing their next PM, the decision has long term implications and hence people chose a better brand NaMo over other “unbranded” options.

Brand Congress and other regional parties have lost relevance for handling national issues. As it happens with most brands, the decline happened because of neglect. Not listening to the ground realities, not noticing or understanding the market dynamics and changing consumer preferences also contributed to the decline. Congress is losing relevance and its leadership could not see it coming, till a high price was paid.

Instead of working on their own plans and telling their own story, opposition parties chose to malign the ruling PM in their communication. Their obsession with exposing the failures of the PM proved to be counterproductive and worked in his favor. It increased his popularity even more, because the misguiding communication lacked credibility against the formidable spotless image of the PM. People could not be fooled to see darkness at noon.

Contrary to the belief that mass media plays a big role in making or breaking brands, it is proved that mass media plays only a limited role in brand communication. It lacks the credibility to change people’s opinions. People don’t trust the media for brand advocacy.

So many TV channels, YouTube channels and newspapers made a lot of noise creating an illusion that there was a tough fight. Their overestimation of their own influence and their own poor judgment were completely out of sync with the reality. People watch or read them for information and entertainment, but don’t rely on them for shaping their choices. They should be seen for their true worth.

Customers can see through fake sales promotion schemes which don’t benefit most of them. Congress’ artfully crafted word-play of NYAY scheme was nothing but an eyewash in the name of an attack on poverty. In fact, by offering to dole out 72000 to families, Congress exposed its own value system which tries to exploit the system to upgrade the lives of its own members by getting them maximum benefits free.

Those who like FREE stuff, believe that everyone will be willing to come to them to get that FREE dole out.

Thankfully, Indians have proven that they may be less educated, but they are not idiots. They can see what Pappu thinks they can’t.

Congress, by continuously worshipping Gandhi family, the youngest of which have consistently demonstrated immaturity, has shown its failure to grow real leaders. Which brand can succeed with a Pappu as its mascot?

Another huge mistake is elevating Priyanka Gandhi who has nothing to her credit except inheriting a face and a nose similar to her grandmother. Media celebrated her arrival on the campaign trail as a “game-changer”.

Media likes faces, but credible brand building requires brains, which grandmothers may forget to bequeath.

These inheritors of the family business who have not proved their caliber to manage even a corporation ward, are one major reason behind why the brand Congress is dying. They are the liability of the brand.

Loudmouth associates damage the brand. By nurturing loudmouth outcasts like Shatrughan Sinha and Navjot Singh Siddhu, they got some media exposure but lost a lot of credibility. Such elements can get a brand some cheap publicity and entertainment, they can’t win votes.

In fact, the selection of such characters only exposes the fickle character of the brand and its amateur leadership, who can’t foresee obvious consequences.

Brand Congress is perceived as corrupt, untrustworthy, weak and partisan. From a petty corporator or a sarpanch to MLAs, MPs or ministers of the party – most of them have just focused on looting the country with their self-serving motives. These hard-skinned elephants can’t be controlled by Rahul Gandhi, whom they use to get votes, just like Vanar Sena used Ram Naam to make the stones float to build the Ram Setu.

Pappu or his family members don’t have the caliber or courage to deal with these elements, even if they may have the right intentions.

On the contrary, brand NaMo is considered strong, clean, sincere and capable. He has consistently performed and has been in communication through all the mediums.

Relying too much on marketing tactics, and completely ignoring the strategic part has taken Congress to its nadir. It will take time to restore its credibility.

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