How Modi leveraged the Power of Branding

For PM Modi, an image is not just about what he does or says, but also about what he wears — jackets, turbans, robes, stoles, coats and caps.

Those who have been keenly watching Modi build his brand point out that his image is being shaped not just by words, but by gestures. At a recent G7 summit, Modi slapped the US President Donald Trump’s hands jovially — and the gesture promptly launched a thousand memes on the Internet. “There is no denying the fact that Modi has the acumen to understand the pulse of the people,” says communications and brand strategist Sushil Pandit, who has handled campaigns for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

With his landslide win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi has rewritten the rules of the game and redefined Indian politics. Brand Modi has not only captured popular imagination but also trumped Brand BJP. How did it happen?

Modi's journey from Gujarat to India

The one event that, perhaps, helped Modi the most in making a mark on the national scene was the shifting in 2008 of Tata Motors' factory for the Nano minicar from West Bengal to Gujarat. Farmers in West Bengal, backed by firebrand politician Mamata Banerjee, now the state's chief minister, had been protesting land acquisition for the plant by Tata Motors. Modi provided the company land and other incentives almost overnight. In the process, he also established himself as a champion for industry and development.

Modi and his marketing team showed oodles of both once he was anointed the BJP's prime ministerial candidate on September 13 last year. In fact, they had been at it from much before.

Modi's transformation over the past year from a regional, right-wing politician to a decisive leader with a clear development agenda, the one best suited to take India forward is nothing short of extraordinary.

What is clear is that Modi, unlike most of his predecessors, takes his attire seriously. After Indira Gandhi, whose saris were carefully sourced from different parts of India, it is Modi’s outfits that have triggered widespread discussions.

He makes it a point to try on regional wear from the places he’s visiting as his audience relates to the grand gestures. While he continues to wear his kurta pajama, he loves his Movado watch and Bvlgari glasses, and other big brands.

Media mythologies

The “unblinking eye” of television, the insanity of social media and the endless WhatsApp forwards have added to Modi’s presidential leadership new mythologies and symbols. In presenting his image as that of a problem solver rather than a theoretician of justice, analysts have not yet recognised the stylistic communicative successes of Narendra Modi.

His vastly popular public radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has brought him closer to the people. I was not surprised when a septuagenarian Dinesh told me at Godowlia Chowk in Varanasi that he regularly listens Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ to fight off old-age despondency. This is what has made Modi sort of a ‘new-age’ Western televangelist.

Made a Regional Brand National

There is a difference between a regional brand going national and a politician going national. He says Modi was known outside Gujarat even before he decided to move beyond the state, just as Nitish Kumar and J. Jayalalithaa, chief ministers of Bihar and Tamil Nadu, respectively, are known. But these regional leaders didn't venture out of their home states in the recent elections. Modi did. And he did it at a massive scale - he attended more than 5,000 events and 470 political rallies across the length and breadth of the country.

Modi's efforts to connect with the youth and urban voters were helped in no small measure by his pro-business persona. Business leaders from industry doyen Ratan Tata to billionaire brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani have praised Modi and his administration in Gujarat. This has allowed Modi to build his brand as a progressive leader who has the ability to deliver economic results - the single biggest leitmotif of this campaign that has allowed it to cut through caste bias among other things.

They focused on building Modi's image as self-made, strong, efficient, inspiring, and incorruptible. "He [Modi] created an impression of being a sincere, credible and committed leader. He convinced people that he could improve their lot

Unlike other parties, where higher leadership is known to be indecisive, the BJP works like a well-oiled machine with its consistent messaging.

Modi has an “instinct” that helps him gauge public sentiment, and he is “unabashed” in personally using every opportunity to push the image. “But isn’t that what a competitive democracy is about.

- Dharam Vora

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