VarnanLive

Introduction

The recent Indian national election results revealed a significant setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sparking numerous political debates and analyses. While various theories attempt to explain the unexpected outcome, this article focuses on a fundamental marketing and branding mistake by the BJP. Drawing parallels from marketing principles, it becomes evident that BJP’s errors are akin to mistakes any marketer would avoid, even in the most basic management courses.

The Political Marketplace Analogy

In the political marketplace, parties operate like firms, with their ideologies serving as products and citizens as customers. Voters choose political parties based on their ideologies, authorizing them to govern. A political brand’s personality—its communication of values and beliefs through visual cues, messaging, and actions—is crucial for emotional connection and loyalty.

Established Brands

Brand RSS

Brand RSS is characterized by honesty, selflessness, nationalism, and its role as a Hindu organization. It is seen as the protector of Hindu civilization, with a reputation built by dedicated pracharaks living modestly for the cause. This brand has deeply influenced its child brands, including BJP. .

Brand BJP

Brand BJP embodies ideology-driven principles, honesty, selflessness, nationalism, and a right-wing stance. Among detractors, it is viewed as anti-Muslim but never corrupt or self-seeking. These traits are inherited from Brand RSS and reinforced through BJP’s history, including the origin story and notable events like the Rath Yatra and Vajpayee’s principled stand in parliament.

Brand Modi

Brand Modi is a grandchild of Brand RSS, representing hard work, selflessness, and Hindu nationalism. Modi’s rise to power was supported by his association with RSS and BJP, and his image aligns with the civilizational renaissance advocated by these brands.

Analysis of Election Performance

Despite its strong brand foundation, BJP’s recent election performance fell short of expectations, causing internal and external political turmoil. Analyzing the situation reveals critical branding and marketing mistakes.

• Dissociative Conflict J.P. Nadda’s statement asserting BJP’s independence from RSS created a dissociative conflict. This move was akin to Switzerland denying its European identity or Dettol abandoning its antiseptic image. Such statements confuse the electorate, undermining the symbiotic relationship between BJP and RSS and leading to electoral setbacks.
• Personality Distortion
  • Political Machinations in Maharashtra: The events leading to Shinde becoming CM and Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM contradicted BJP’s principled image, likened to Vajpayee’s principled resignation.
  • Inclusion of R.K. Singh: Despite his “Saffron Terror” remarks, his induction into BJP and subsequent ministerial position alienated RSS cadres and BJP workers.
  • Political Machinations in UP: The inclusion of Rajbhar and others further distorted BJP’s ideological consistency.
  • Inducting Outsiders: Allocating tickets to non-BJP members diluted party loyalty and brand consistency.
• RSS’s Shift in Positioning RSS’s attempts to soften its Hindutva stance confused its core supporters. Statements from the RSS chief about building bridges with Muslims and emphasizing commonalities between Hindus and Muslims diluted the hardcore Hindutva ideology, leading to confusion among RSS and BJP cadres.
• Overemphasis on Brand Modi BJP’s strategy to elevate Brand Modi above Brand BJP and Brand RSS conflicted with the selfless worker image of RSS and BJP. Slogans like “Modi Ki Guarantee” and “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai” contradicted the core principles of selflessness and ideological work, alienating traditional supporters.
• Misguided Slogan The slogan “Abki Bar 400 Par” was inconsistent with the selfless work ethos of RSS, BJP, and Brand Modi. It projected a power-seeking image, confusing voters and clashing with the established brand personality.
• Changing commitment from core Hindutva agenda – Several times during last 10 years, BJP has been seen as moving away from core Hindutva agenda and not supporting the core supporters. It was evident at the time of Nupur Sharma’s resignation or Bengal violence against the BJP political workers.

Conclusion

BJP’s poor election performance can be attributed to fundamental branding errors, particularly dissociative conflicts and personality distortions. Maintaining brand personality and consistency is vital for political success. The lessons from this election underscore the importance of coherent branding strategies in political campaigns, ensuring clear and consistent messaging to the electorate. BJP must revisit basic marketing principles and realign its branding strategies to regain voter trust and loyalty.