Narendra Modi – The brand Namo

 

As a branding professional, I always interested to understand what makes the NAMO successful brand in Gujarat. What made it outstanding in India political scenario? It was BJP or It NAMO who was front face, I think it was NAMO. What do you say?

Many critics say NAMO is Bhartiya Jante Party’s prime ministerial candidate which packed in attractive packaging, advertised and sold it to the public like other brands. But this is enough to make the brand successful, I think no. Brands success depend on many things like performance, presence, reach, approachability so on.

 After all makeup if brand not perform or it is not capable than what?

What were the promised of brand NAMO? How was it implemented?

What is the pre-election approach? 

E-Governance is the first post-election announcement by Modi to bring transparency.

Next, He Outlined five pillars of a development strategy for Gujarat The Five were:

• Water
• Energy
• People
• Education
• Security

 

Five pillars were the comprehensive agenda to bring development in Gujarat, it was India First ideology. He called the five pillars “Shaktis” means scared force: the originating energy and perpetual dynamism of the universe. It was imagined as feminine and through the goddess Kali which is responsible for all changes and liberations.

 Modi transformed his proposed programme of change and development into instantly understandable at the practically cultural level, involving the mythological and the technological concept which would sprout and raise as a giant tree.

 The five shakti pillars, he grouped under a collective name, “Panchamrut” which again came from everyday life it is the elements of the daily puja: Milk,Curd, Ghee, Honey and Sugar. Modi took the idea of, “Panchamrut” five nectars of daily devotional and inserted it into his development plan so that each Shakti took an identity of one of the elements of it. He named:

• Jal Shakti       : The development of water resource
• Urja Shakti    : The energy program
• Jan Shakti      : The Human resources
• Gyan Shakti   : The Power of knowledge and education
• Raksha Shakti: The Security

Modi quoted to Andy Marino (Author of Narendra Modi A Political Biography)“I am aware that water and other natural things in society, from centuries the thinking on these is well ingrained in our society, in Indian culture, our lifestyle. I wanted to use the same ideas. If I used the same ideas, I would get change. If I am going to inject something new with which they are no familiar it will take a lot of time, so I will have to use their natal thinking.”

Here I would say in language of marketing he understood the consumer behavior and act accordingly.

How the Strategy was implemented 

Plan and strategy design were easy take but same time it is difficult to implement. Here it would be implemented effectively and appropriately.

Jal Shakti: In 2003, freshwater was flowing along the Sabarmati river, state-wide drinking water grid laid down across Gujarat, Damming of the Narmada and irrigation allowed to farmland, building a series of canals, this is the first phase of Jal Shakti in Gujarat.

Urja Shakti: Since all these Shakti or the development pillars were interconnected, to stabilize one pillar need to support of another pillar. Water is for everyone but to bring water to use needed power. For this came the Urja Shakti to support, Modi Launch “Jyotigram Scheme” in September 2003 under this scheme 18000 villages get steady electricity both for domestic and industrial use.

Due to this not only Gujarat but entire Indian farmers became established vote bank.

Jan Shakti: Educating Farmers and their exposure for newer technologies of farming like Micro-irrigation, Micro water harvesting which further embeds and improves agricultural production and quality of rural life.

We talk about rural life, it is also implemented for city life, one good example is Surat growth after calamitous waterflood. In Surat, as part of development water distribution has been computerized like drainage system, Surat even operate sewage treatment plant which transforms waste into energy, it has the best water treatment plants in India.

E-governance has introduced to speed up and easy down interaction process between state and city. The result is visible, Surat GDP multiplied. It is a good example of the cross fertility of Modi’s Panchamrut development with its modernized manufacturing in clothing, jewelry.

Modi said “we must have a five-step formula, farm to fiber; fiber to fabric; fabric to fashion; fashion to foreign.

Gyan Shakti: Jan Shakti nurtured the talents and resources of Gujarat’s farmers, here comes in picture Gyan Shakti. Weight was on improving educational institution especially science and technology and most importantly educating girls, empowering women, as part of it, in 2002 “Narmada Bond” was issued worth RS 1,000 for girls for their education expenses.

Modi had changed the people outlook toward the Females by giving them equal opportunities, even he has reduced transfer tax on properties and businesses if they are registered to a woman instead of a man. As per him, it is wastage of the intelligence and talent of 50 per cents of the population when women are unable to make their full contribution to society. This way he became ideal and win the heart of womanpower.

Raksha Shakti: The prosperity and equality of life which grow from the common benefits of infrastructure affect other areas as well. People in Gujarat live in harmony without any fear which used to haunt then in past. There are no riots. Still, Muslims living in closed, segregated communities but the shadow of riots had washed out and strictly no differentials treatment from the administration towards any citizen by the constitution. He ensures the civil peace and security which helped poor and Muslims who suffered disproportionately during a violent disturbance in the past.

Corruption has gone down, Modi himself also stood on his statement to wipe out the corruption and said to his officer not come with any request that was not relevant to work or any way unethical. Don’t do any work which will flout ethical norms, even though important pollical leaders approach you and try to influence you.

After this, I think Modi deserved the loyalty from Gujarat, not only Gujarat but entire India.

Ref: Narendra Modi Political Biography