Turn to the ‘netas’ for a masterclass in communication.

If you want to communicate with impact, forget communication experts and ad gurus, learn from the ‘netas’.

What politicians seem to lack in structure and process, they more than make up for in instinct and native intelligence. To be fair, to us marketers, they represent both the best practice and the worst practice. Let me take up 3 lessons in each category.

WORST PRACTICE: LESSONS FROM NETAS ABOUT WHAT NOT TO DO:

Don’t be presumptuous about what the consumer wants – If you don’t research your audience before introducing policies and laws, you should be prepared to face protests on the streets. Take Farm Laws, CAA, demonetisation, or Article 370. It is not about how well-intentioned you are – by skipping consultation, it becomes about depriving the consumer a sense of stake in what is good for him. You also miss out on the opportunity to co-create a manifesto, something that AAP did effectively when it launched.

Don’t fail to communicate – Manmohan Singh was unable to communicate an abstract, complex, issue like the Nuclear Deal. Even after (successfully) facing a scary no-confidence motion, and losing his key ally, he couldn’t explain it in a way that would fetch him support from either his party or the public. On the other hand, the Modi Govt showed little inclination to communicate the Farm Laws. Reform means change, and change can be unsettling and scary, and this process needs to be managed with patience, opinion building, and some give and take.

Don’t run negative messaging, without a compelling alternative proposition – When political parties rely only on anti-incumbency, without offering their own vision and plan, they sound cynical and leave people cold. However, calling out a specific segment of people as enemies may work in the short term, even though it is negative, as that segment’s loss may mean your supporters’ gain. 

BEST PRACTICE: LESSONS FROM NETAS ABOUT WHAT TO DO:

Communicate achievements as work in progress – When NDA in 2004 said “India Shining,” or SP in 2017 said “Kaam bolta hai”, the claim of a definitive arrival made people look around and become evaluative. In contrast, BJP’s messaging under Modi has consistently held out the promise of an ongoing, aspirational journey, rooted in the human longing for optimism – “Modi Sarkar, Kaam Lagatar” (2015), “Mera Desh Badal Raha Hai” (2016), “Saath Hai Vishwas Hai, Ho Raha Vikas Hai” (2017), “Char Saal Vikas Ke, Sankalp Aur Vishwas Ke” (2018), "Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai" (2019).

Make people transformers, and ask for sacrifice – We have had Subhas Bose asking “Tum Mujhe Khoon Do, Main Tumhe Azadi Doonga,” to JFK asking what you can do for your country. Modi, too, asked for sacrifice when he demonetised 86% of the nation’s currency; or a sacrifice of 21 days of citizens’ lives when he announced the first COVID-related lockdown. When the challenge is painted as historic, and people are given ownership of a transformative idea, they are not just willing to sacrifice, but it makes them even more committed as supporters. 

Learn from mass movements – Besides inspirational leadership, all iconic mass movements offer a common cause (or an identifiable enemy), a compelling vision, and symbols and rituals that embody the spirit of the movement to enthuse people. Think of India’s freedom movement (charkha, Dandi march), Operation Flood (an innovative, equitable model in cooperatives), India Against Corruption (Lokpal Bill as the silver bullet, Gandhi caps with ‘Main Bhi Anna’) – these ingredients were leveraged from time to time, as part of each movement’s communication mix.

Come to think of it, even an outlier and maverick like Trump hold lessons for marketers. His core base of supporters love his spontaneity (those early-morning Tweets from the john!), and his unpredictable quality upsets the scenario planning of those he would negotiate with. Let us not forget this – every time we ridicule politicians for their lack of sophistication, we miss out on discerning the rich lessons they hold for us as communicators. 

#politicalcommunication #ContextLedCommunication

(Rajeev Shukla is Co-founder & Managing Partner of Resonance Consulting, a branding and communication firm offering services that include Insight Mining, Brand Strategy, Identity & Design, Communication, Employer Branding & Employee Engagement, CSR Advisory. )