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With
just about two months to go for the general elections, the action
on the media front is finally about to get interesting. Thus far
it has been virtually a one-voice blast from the ruling BJP-led
government brilliantly staged by Grey Worldwide.
With
the Congress finally looking ready to unleash its own media blitz,
there will finally be some sort of opposing "noise" to
challenge the BJP blast.
But
can the Congress make up for the huge lead that the BJP has built
in this race for the media mind space? Here's an account of the
Congress-BJP rivalry on the media battlefield and what professionals
in the industry have to say about the election ad campaigns done
by both the parties!
BJP
gains headstart with India Shining campaign
The
'India Shining' campaign has seemingly done no harm to BJP's campaign
in the forthcoming Lok Sabha (Lower House) elections. Despite criticism
or negative publicity for the huge advertising spends on the 'India
Shining' advertisements, the advertising professionals feel BJP
has already got a head-start and Congress needs to counter this
with a precise strategy or so called 'out of the box thinking'.
O&M
senior creative director Sumanto Chattopadhyay said, "I think
Indians are fairly cynical about advertising. Especially when it
is coming from a political party. Poorer Indians, who have not seen
any concrete improvements in their life, may regard the campaign
as a cruel joke. However, those who have actually experienced the
so-called "feel good" factor in their lives, will identify
with the campaign. BJP supporters will be reassured about their
choice. Some fence-sitters will get converted. Of course, some of
the negative publicity the huge ad spends have received may undermine
the good feelings of informed voters."
O&M
creative consultant Ajay Gahlaut says, "I think with India
Shining the incumbent party has done a good job of playing up their
achievements. The phrase 'India Shining' has entered the common
person's language which is a pretty good indicator of the campaign's
reach. How much good the India Shining campaign will do for the
government is hard to say, but one thing is certain: it's going
to them do no harm at all!"
On
the impact of India Shining campaign, Triton executive director
Vivek Srivastava says, "It does give a dimension and understanding
of the country's stature to the common man. It brings him face to
face with the India at a variance from the pet theme and feel of
unemployment, destitution, poverty etc. It has a distinct urban
and yuppie feel. I guess it aims to blunt the negative vibes or
ambivalence urbanites had towards a party like BJP - more known
for religious overtones till now."
Srivastava
adds, "It is in terms of an idea pretty similar in intent to
what Congress' governments under Indira Gandhi used to do earlier
on State-run television by way of portrayals based on Balkavi Bairagi's
verses. Yes, it is more glossy and more based on real-politick in
the choice of situations, depictions - they are real and factually
sound to rebut any criticism."
With
the feel-good factor (being propagated by the BJP-led government)
refusing to get drowned by the feel-bad theory (a Congress party
attempt at neutralising the government's aggressive media campaign),
it was just a matter of time before the country's main Opposition
party hired some professional help.
Journalist-turned-PR
consultant, Dilip Cherian's Perfect Relations has been mandated
to take care of the communications and media management activities
for the party.
The
Congress account is valid till the elections are held and would
not be restricted to any particular region. "It's nationwide
activity that the agency has to undertake," a senior Congress
leader said, however, refusing to divulge the financial details.
But industry estimates put the account to be worth over Rs 5 million.
According
to Cherian, "The communications and media management mandate
would be undertaken at various levels, including being an interface
between Congress' main strategy and those of its allies."
Cherian
also told indiantelevision.com that the multi-layered strategy would
target different aspects of the rival parties of Congress in the
sense that a game plan to counter Telegu Desam Party (a Bharatiya
Janata Party ally in the coalition government) would be different
from the strategy to counter the 'India Shining' campaign.
The
overall Congress media campaign is being supervised by senior leader
and a trusted lieutenant of Sonia Gandhi, Ambika Soni, with the
nitty-gritty's being co-ordinated by Jairam Ramesh out of an office
in South End in Delhi. Others helping him include Salman Khurshid.
Shining
is fine but is Hindutva the main mantra?
Going forward, some feel that BJP might return to religious mantra
for the elections campaign.
"First
of all, I think, too much is being made out of this Indian Shining
campaign. Yes, it is fine to showcase the economic progress but
I don't think the election campaign can bank upon this. This kind
of communication is obviously targeted at an educated and liberal
audience to a large extent. But the real the strategy of BJP is
expected to focus around the Hindutva or Hindu religion," says
an executive director - account planning.
The
account management professional further adds, "If one follows
Vajpayee's poetry, which has been translated in the form of TVC,
it is all about Hindutva. I see nationalism, poems, 'shloks' or
even 'bhajans' coming to forefront during the election campaign.
BJP's as a party has got a solid leader and the Prime Minister has
managed a great balance, considering there are likes of Narendra
Modi on one hand (bright spot) and others, who have been in the
news for wrong doing. So I think the campaign can revolve around
the Prime Minister as party leader and then the major focus would
be on reaffirmation of religion."
Against
this backdrop, the job is definitely not going to be easy for the
Congress. Some feel the political party should bank on the youth
while the others feel countering the achievements of BJP is another
option.
"Congress
seems to be getting rounded up into a whirl of progress which its
governments didn't deliver. If I were to advise them they should
look at a disengagement strategy from this issue. Instead it should
highlight a new issue to deflect the debate to its areas of strength
- Dynasty is definitely out. The rest of the advice wouldn't be
for free!" says Srivastava.
Gahlaut
suggests a strong hard-hitting communication. He says, "The
opposition should counter this with equally hard hitting communication
of their own. Remember the Conservative party's famous 'Labour isn't
working' campaign in Britain? The current strategy of the Government
is to make a noise about their achievements and ride the so called
'feel good' factor. With the state elections going overwhelmingly
in their favour, the PM's stature has increased considerably and
the party has decided to use this to their advantage."
Vajpayee
vs. Sonia
How is Sonia perceived to be as a leader? What kind of effect has
it on Congress?
The
analysts feel initiatives such as PM's poems being translated into
television commercials definitely works in his and the party's favour.
On the other hand, Sonia's image needs an overhaul.
"To
me, Congress has got very less chance and they should work on a
long-term strategy. Sonia Gandhi needs a repositioning. She has
to be portrayed as a reluctant leader. She is the one who should
be presented as a stop-gap arrangement; one is holding the party
unless the younger guns like Priyanka's and Scindia's get ready.
She is the caretaker of the party and not the aspiring leader,"
says an account management head.
Considering
the life cycle of Congress, some even suggest that the political
party can counter BJP with youth vs. old.
"Congress
should focus on youth. BJP as a party has got aging leaders and
Congress should focus on younger faces, exuberance of youth and
try to tap it through lively faces and messages. I don't think Congress
has an idealistic agenda. It needs to redefine itself and that should
come from youth," says a senior planner.
(Advertising
industry inputs by RITESH GUPTA)
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