Politics and Marketing: An eerie resemblance

There has been a lot of aversion to politics lately. It is portrayed by the newspapers that the middle class of India is sick and tired of the politics and wants a clean administration. However when we examine the behavior of politicians we can find that there is a clear method to their apparent madness. Much of their behavior can be examined by using the fundamental principles of marketing. "Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning".
India is a vast nation with diverse cultures and traditions. It is impossible for a single ideology to appeal to everyone. So you have to "Segment" the market. The market in this case is the vote share. So the segmentation is done by Region, Caste, Religion and in a few cases ideology. Segmentation works when there is clear division between the so called segments. In India although there are differences between the castes and religions, the differences are in many cases very superficial. Those differences need to be amplified or else there will not be effective segmentation. So our politicians try to amplify existing differences and always emphasize "social justice" and "aspirations of the people". So in effect you are advertising the differences and creating a market segment.

After you create a "segment" you need to target the segment properly. That involves identifying issues that really matter to the segment and identifying issues that define the identity of that particular segment and then linking both the issues together. For example, poor education, poverty and lack of opportunities is a problem for one of India's minority community. However there are strong identity issues related to that community. So our "netas" link the identity issue with the problems and make it appear that the problem is mainly caused due to the identity and suggest that if you somehow solve the identity issue all these problems will just melt away.

Now we come to "positioning". Each political party tries to position itself as a "pro-poor", "secular" and so on. The basic premise of such a thing is that it clearly identifies which segment it cares about and positions itself to cater only to that segment.

(More to follow.....)

Chandrayaan -1 and me

This is the email I sent to ISRO

from Rohith S
sender-time Sent at 11:43 AM (GMT+05:30). Current time there: 11:25 AM. ✆
to moon@isro.gov.in
date Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:43 AM
subject India Flag on Moon Impact Lander
mailed-by gmail.com

hide details 9/26/08


Sir,
I was reading on the ISRO Website about Chandrayaan Mission. The payload for the mission contains a Moon Impact Probe which will land on moon.
I guess it will be a nice thing to paste a India Flag Sticker on the Moon Impact Probe so that when it impacts on the moon an Indian Flag would have been carried all the way to moon.
I am fairly certain that there will be a space for a small sticker of India Flag on the Moon Impact Probe
Thanking you

Rohith.S

Chandrayaan was launched on 22nd October 2008.

The moon impact probe actually contained a small Indian Flag

http://archive.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov162008/state20081116101017.asp

Bangaloreans could take special pride in the Indian tricolours now permanent place on the lunar surface, after that spectacular Chandrayaan Moon Impact Probe (MIP) landing.


Here’s why: the MIP’s oval-shaped anodised aluminium plates that wore the tricolour, complete with the Ashoka Pillar and “Satyameva Jayate” were exclusively designed and crafted by a Bangalore-based firm.

Two months ago, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had approached the company, Durano Process Private Ltd, with the order for the tricolour. But ISRO had a condition. The plates had to withstand temperatures as cold as -50 degrees celsius and as high as +150 degrees celsius.

The company, which had supplied material for BEL, ITI, HMT, MICO and even ISRO before, knew they had the technology. “Since the colours are impregnanted inside the aluminium --during the process of anodising it gets a oxide coating and the colours go inside this coating-- we knew this can be achieved,” recalled the company’s Managing Director, R Krishnamurthy.

With such a coating, the colours could withstand such extremes in temperatures without fading. The tricolour had to be printed on a matt aluminium background in white with the Ashoka Chakra in blue. Each of the four plates were of 120mm X 180 mm dimension and weighed not more than 10 to 15 grams.

The company supplied the plates to ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram in October and thereafter were subsequently attached to four sides of the MIP.

Elated by the MIP’s eventual landing on the lunar surface, a proud Krishnamurthy had this to say: “We feel very proud that this 40-year-old company which used to supply such plates all over India, now has a presence on the moon. But we feel more proud that there is a part of Bangalore there. It gives us great satisfaction.”

I don't know whether the flag has been placed due to my email but certainly I had the idea :-)