What the Indian Army needs to learn from
Modi
Aditi Kumaria Hingu
Now
that the euphoria over Narendra Modi’s win has subsided, it is time to explore the
feasibility of discovering a replicable model of his campaign that can be
applied to the Indian Army.
To
most, it will appear to be a preposterous proposition – even a superficial
glance shows that Modi and the army are at diametrically opposite ends of the
spectrum. Modi is an individual who is proud of his nationalist roots. He is a
technology embracing politician with focus on all-inclusive development of the
country. He dreams of a modern, futuristic, technology-savvy and strong India. Undoubtedly,
it is a colossal challenge. To succeed, he needs active support of all segments
of the society.
On
the other hand, the Indian Army is a highly disciplined and cohesive organization.
Although it is hierarchical in structure, it does not derive its sustenance
from a single personality. Well-evolved traditions and conventions make it
fiercely conscious of its responsibility of ensuring national security. They
seek no quid pro quo dispensations. For soldiers’, it is a matter of honour.
However,
a closer look reveals that the army and Modi have numerous similarities as
well. To start with, both are resolute in their devotion to the nation. Whereas
the army is considered the last bastion of honesty and integrity in the country,
even the harshest critics of Modi cannot accuse him of corruption and
misappropriation of governmental resources. Both the army and Modi never shirk
responsibility and accountability. They lead from front and are always ready to
face flak for mistakes.
If
Modi creates a buzz by working for 18 hours a day, the soldiers endure far
longer periods of operational hardship, both physical and mental. Sacrifice of familial
ties and bonds is another common trait. If Modi has chosen to sacrifice his
family life to dedicate himself to the service of his motherland, prolonged
tenures at the borders make soldiers spend a major part of their lives away
from their families. Finally, both are victims of vicious pejorative campaigns
by inimical elements.
The
diagram below is a simplistic rendition of the above similarities.
Modi’s
Campaign
For
better understanding, a closer look at Modi’s prime ministerial campaign will
be helpful at this stage. What did brand Modi do to endear itself to the
countrymen? Essential elements were as follows:-
a)
Need
for Substance. At the heart of any successful
strategy is a brand that has substance. The best of strategies would fail if
the brand did not have the ability to deliver on what it is promising. Modi’s consecutive three terms as Gujarat CM
and the strides made by the state was a testimony to his governance abilities.
b)
Understanding
the Market. – Would ‘Ab ki baar, BJP sarkar’ have
had the same traction as ‘Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar’? Most probably, no.
Grassroot responses indicated that Modi had higher recall value than BJP.
Therefore, Modi was made the prime ministerial candidate and the campaign became
Modi centric.
c)
Deciding
the Target Audience. Modi tapped into the wide disillusionment
prevailing in the country and decided to focus on ‘change seekers’. An analysis
of his speeches indicates that the broad message across his campaign was that
he would bring in change. The ‘change’ was articulated in different ways for
different sections of the society. Appealing to first time voters (100 million)
was part of this strategy.
d)
Sharp
Positioning. A successful brand needs to own mind-space
in the audience’s mind. If a brand does not stand for anything, it can be
replaced by another brand. There is no loyalty as opinions are fickle. Modi was
positioned as ‘the catalyst for progress.’ His nation-wide campaign asking
people to vote for him (as against voting for BJP/alliance partners/local
candidates) was a step in this direction. People voted for Modi because he was
seen as the only one who could usher in progress.
e)
Compelling
Message for Communication. To communicate effectively with its
audience, a brand has to convert its message into pithy, brief and easy to
comprehend sound-bites that resonate with the audience. Couplets like ‘Bahut ho
gayi mehangai ki maar, abki baar Modi sarkar’ and, ‘bahut ho gaya auraton par
vaar, abki baar Modi sarkar’ reminded voters of the different malaises afflicting
the country. Modi was projected as the sole messiah.
f)
Intelligent
Use of Media. Modi understood and harnessed the
power of all facets of media intelligently. It was a holistic campaign. With
over 4.5 million followers on twitter, he became accessible to more than 10
million people through multiple re-tweets. Radio was used to popularize ‘Ab ki
baar, Modi sarkar’ message. TV highlighted national issues. Local print media emphasized
local issues. Rallies and 3-D projections helped establish direct contact with
the voters.
g)
Incorporation
of Experts.
Appreciating the need to impart professionalism to his
campaign, Modi reinforced his core team with experts like Piyush Pandey,
Prasoon Joshi and Sam Balsara. Resultantly, media management was handled in a highly
skilled manner to ensure that Modi’s message was delivered in a relevant,
compelling, effective, efficient and engaging manner to the right audience.
Lessons for the Army
To
Indian soldiers, a grateful nation’s recognition of their contribution to
national security acts as the strongest motivator. Their dedication to duty,
loyalty to the nation and willingness for the supreme sacrifice are driven less
by material considerations and more by an overwhelming urge to earn love and
respect of their countrymen.
Every survey
carried out by different agencies shows the military at the top and other
bureaucratic institutions at the bottom of peoples’ choice for probity, loyalty
and selflessness. Unfortunately, a premeditated media campaign is being
orchestrated to damage the standing of the army. Instead of lauding the fact
that in a 1.3 million strong force there have been miniscule aberrations of
indiscipline and indiscretion, the media paints a negative picture by
repeatedly referring to 'Ketchup Colonel,' 'Booze Brigadier' and 'Frisky
General'.
Therefore,
there is an urgent need to project the correct picture of the army to the
public. For that, the Army has to realize that like battling
external enemies, it has to fight and win the battle of perception within the
country. Therefore, the army needs to embark on an outreach programme to
address some of the misconceptions in the minds of the countrymen. Here are the
lessons that they can draw from Modi’s campaign:-
a)
Need
for Substance. The army is already is doing a
phenomenal job of keeping India secure and safe. All it needs to do is to make the
challenges faced by it known to the country.
b)
Understanding
the Market. The army needs a tangible and
recognisable anchor around which its outreach programmes should be structured. It
could be a soldier for whom defence of the country is a matter of honour. In
addition, there is a need to correct misleading impressions created by ludicrous
Indian movies.
c)
Deciding
the Target Audience. The army must identify the target
groups and evolve communication strategy accordingly. One message does not work
for all. Whereas an innovative mass
media campaign is required to create a positive image, the strategy has to be
entirely different to attract youth.
d) Sharp Positioning.
The army must strive to occupy favourable mind-space in the target audience. The
word army must generate positive vibrations like dedication, bravery and
discipline. There should be no unfavorable reverberation.
e)
Compelling
Message for Communication. Although the army is using pithy and
effective slogans like ‘do you have it in you’, there is a need to make them
more succinct, engaging and interactive to improve awareness about the army and
its ethos. For example, like popular character ‘Chhota Bheem’, a serial under ‘Army
for Kids’ can prove highly productive.
f) Intelligent Use of Media.
We are living in an information overload era. Only those entities are recalled
who stand out of the media clutter. A look at the digital space shows that the
army is woefully lacking in this. The army website is archaic, dreary and
devoid of any meaningful information. Efforts
must be made to demystify the army by putting maximum information in the public
domain.
g)
Incorporation
of Experts.
Media campaign requires
specialized skills, capabilities and networking. As the service officers are
not trained in these functions, it is imperative that help is taken of the professionals.
Finally
The
army must never try to ‘manage/manipulate the media’. It pays to be honest and
accept blame, where due. The army must tell the environment that like normal
social organisations, military consists of living human beings with their
normal share of failings and idiosyncrasies. An effective self-correcting
mechanism is in place to correct aberrations.
In
today’s connected world, being insular and divorced from the rest of the
country is not an asset. Public-relation for an army is an all encompassing reflective
paradigm with the aim of building understanding with countrymen and retaining
their goodwill. Through a well conceived public-relations exercise,
misconceptions and prejudices entertained by some segments of the society can
also be removed. If the Prime Minister of the country
needed the help of marketing, media and PR experts to reach where he is, why
should the army hesitate in seeking their assistance to reach out to the
countrymen?*****
(About the writer – She is a marketing graduate from IIM
Calcutta and is working with a multinational. She is an army daughter)
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