Back to the basics

Back to the basics

If you were to make a prognosis of the impending BJP campaign for 2014, what would it be?

Kolkata

Mala, this is tough and easy, both at the same time.

If I were to put it simplistically, the BJP campaign ahead will be based on some basics that swing votes. It will first of all focus on Narendra Modi. The party will put its entire might into his persona. It will focus on the buzz words of ‘development’, ‘growth’, ‘prosperity’ and ‘pride’ for India. It will be anti-corruption and anti-sloth in government. It will talk directly about the failure of the UPA governance structure. It will poke holes in the argument of ten years of development, and will try to show it up as ten years of missed opportunities.

I think the campaign will be slogan- and song-based for sure. It will pack rhetoric, but it will do it with sensitivity. It will be inclusive and its visuals will show every community there is to show. While the colour saffron will dominate, expect some of it to be softened by adding other colours to offer a more secular skew. This will vary between urban vehicles of advertising and the rural.

Expect a lot of focus on local issues as well. While I do believe there will be one national campaign, expect 42-plus local campaigns that touch local lives and local issues. I base this on Modi’s overall election approach at every centre that he has spoken at thus far. Expect excitement, for sure!

While FMCG players have done well with their brand push with ads that pack a punch, financial services companies are still lagging behind. Financial literacy is, needless to say, very important. How does one spread this investing and investor-based knowledge?

Bangalore

Balaji, you are right in saying that the FMCG category does very well in using mass media tools to the biggest advantage.

You are equally right in saying that investor-based knowledge is an important thing to focus on.

I do believe the financial products and services category has taken some baby steps in this direction. ICICI is possibly a leader in this space. Look back also at the Mr Chintamani series unleashed some years ago. It typified the investor as a savvy South Indian and focused on disseminating investor-friendly information. This kind of a movement needs to deepen.

I do also believe that investor-friendly organisations of the B2B and B2C kind need to focus on achieving a front-end relevance in the market.

Credit rating agencies such as CRISIL and ICRA need to take a very front-end advertising attitude as a core part of their mission.

We need to see a lot of advertising on this count, advertising that touches investors and makes them that much more savvy in their choices in the market-place. Investor education is an imperative that one needs to grab and run with.

(Harish Bijoor is a brand domain expert and CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. Send your questions and comments to cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in )

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