Elections depict how skilful politicians are in connecting with the emotions of the general mass. They sense the mood of the public and then build their campaigns in line to capitalize on these emotions. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose but whatever may the results be, in no way one can belittle their ability to connect with their target group. We have to agree that elections in ways teach us many marketing lessons. 

Let’s take the example of recently concluded Gujarat Elections. Though BJP might have won but not without Congress and their new found friends giving them tough contest and Goosebumps during the counting of votes. It was a collision of Brands. Brand Modi vs brand Gandhi (Rahul) and allies. New brands like Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani played vital roles too. These new leaders represented a particular group of people, voicing their issues and lending their face to it. They were in vogue and they fully capitalized in the opportunity. 

Howsoever we may deny it but caste and religion politics is going to stay here for long. India is a country of diversity. There are multiple religions, ethnicities, culture, communities, sects, languages and what not. Politicians have not created the divide, it was already there for them to exploit and expand their hold. They only need to reinvigorate these issues now and then; and though we hate that they do it but we have to give it to them for being able to establish the emotional connect. It’s like they are the best brand managers who excel in understanding the consumer behaviour and then market their products and services accordingly thereby boosting their sales manifold. 

It was a general thought that Gujarat is a matured state where people have risen above caste politics and give utmost importance to development. However, politicians were able to read and well in advance the changes in the consumer behavioural pattern. They picked up signs and cues and designed and tweaked their campaigns to suit the need of the hour. The voice of Patidars, the OBCs and Dalits suddenly became more important than development. Bad-mouthing and demeaning each other became the norm. One cannot blame them. It was what the public desired. They wanted their voice to be heard and resounded. Since they couldn’t do it themselves, whichever politicians hit these emotional cords, they started idolizing and following them. 

Something that marketing and sales managers can learn from politics and politicians is how to establish such connect with their targets and how important it is to create a brand and then leverage the brand name to their advantage. Today PM Modi, Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi, AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal, TMC head Mamta Banerjee are brands that their respective parties leverage to enhance their reach to the public. Some of these brands tasted success soon and some took years of hard-work. A lot of research and continuous feasibility studies is required to create and maintain such brands. And sometimes even one small mistake can tarnish the image and credibility of these brands. 

In the course of Gujarat’s election campaigns senior Congress leader  Mr. Kapil Sibal commented that the PM is not a ‘real Hindu’. He was also the one to ask the Supreme Court to defer the hearing of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir after the general election of 2019 suggesting that Congress is not ready to take a stand and unceremoniously trying to delay the issue. To make matter worse a controversial remark from Mr. Mani Shankar Iyer calling the PM ‘Neech’ did not go well with People of Gujarat. No damage control measures taken by Congress could make up for the mistakes made. This gave BJP a fresh breath which was otherwise suffering from anti-incumbency and was also on back foot for bringing demonetisation and GST to the traders’ community of Gujarat. 

Similarly brands need to quickly capitalize on the favourable conditions to sell their products or services before their competitors come up with something new or better. And going forward they need to keep revamping and repositioning themselves analysing the mood of the consumers at that point in time. It is a continuous process. Create, leverage, propagate, re-create and yes don’t make suicidal mistakes.

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