What You See Is What You Get!
The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America is landmark in many ways. In fact, Obama’s slogan of “change” holds true in many more ways than perhaps even the man and his spin doctors would have imagined.
But that’s not the point of this post. Enough has, and will be written about what his election symbolises and heralds.
I would like to touch upon the learnings which we as Indians and Marketing professionals in particular can gain from the US Presidential elections.
By sheer design, the US Presidential election is about people and the things they stand for. In this case it was clearly Barack versus McCain. They both had a stated agenda and a vision each. Everyone knew what both of them stood for. They cast their votes based on an informed choice. And they know who to hold responsible for failure to live up to promises.
Simple and beautiful isn’t it?
Can we say the same about the Indian election process? Can we say the same about the way companies market brands?
Party Poopers All: In India, the election process, though extremely well designed by our forefathers, has been diluted to suit the politics of our politicians and the mindlessness of the masses. Allow me to elaborate why I am taking such a stand and using such words.
In India, we vote for Parties not people. So invariably we have no idea who the two top Executives of our country (Prime Minister or President) will be, until the day he or she is actually elevated to the post!
Not surprisingly therefore the euphoria of voting for a winning party, often comes with a feeling of betrayal and being let down on finding out who takes the top spot.
Likewise in India we have Parties with a stated (and printed) manifesto, but with a completely different (unstated but expected) agenda. Secular on paper, right wing religious in reality. Progressive on paper, corrupt in reality. The list goes on.
Of course, we have no one particular person to hold responsible for unkept promises. Which is why we are the way we are.
Brandishing Nothing: Companies of course do slightly better than Political Parties. Their brands usually do stand for something – stated or otherwise.
But the marketing process itself is so unstructured and based on individual beliefs, that the actual product value proposition and position can remain a closely guarded secret between the people who created it, and the file in which it resides.
Except for a few large global MNCs who have their entire branding and communication process documented like a religion and practiced as a culture, most other companies Brand communication is left to the whims and fancies of the people on the ground.
The result is the confusion of choice on the ground among consumers. And the winner of market share is usually the Brand that spent the most money, and not necessarily the Brand which is better.
“So Brands and Politicians, lend me your ears.
I come not to praise you, but to bury your obstuse promises and cloudy visions.For the evil that you do, lives on in our hearts.
And the good is interned in the hidden swamps of our minds.If you want to live up to your ambitious,
you have to give up your grievous faults”
Endnote:
While I am not a fan of all things American, I do believe there are great learnings from the US Presidential elections. We need to spot, absorb, and act on them. And that is a Change we must all look forward to!
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