An exploratory case study focusing on the creation, and development of a new political brand: The case of Aam Aadmi Party
Abstract
In the backdrop of India's rising prominence in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), understanding of its political environment, electoral competition, and constituent parties with their political ideologies contesting to form government attracts immense interest from the researchers in political science, political marketing, and public policy. Although literatures in political marketing are more than two decades mostly carried out in developed democratic systems like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, India as a posttransition democracy received relatively less attention. The article has been conceptualized in the context of 2014 Indian general elections Lok Sabha 2014 as an attempt to study application of political marketing principles in a cross-cultural democracy. The author has probed the emergence of new political party Aam Aadmi Party riding on the success of Janlokpal (civil society movement), the marketing approach used by Aam Aadmi Party, essentially positioning and branding strategies, during the national elections and party institutionalization. Research strategy followed secondary research of published data for examining the new party creation from a marketing perspective.
1 INTRODUCTION
As a member of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), India's role will have lasting implications for global political and economic issues like climate change, nature of future consumption, and world trade. Eventually, India along with China is going to shape up the global economy in next 30–40 years. The link between national development and globalization figures high on the agenda of public policymakers and scholars. Chang and Lee' (2010) states political ideology determines the party's policy position that in turn is a strong predictor of globalization. Dutt and Mitra (2005) also empirically investigate how the ideology of the government in power affects trade policy measures. Marks, Wilson, and Ray (2002) demonstrate the strength of ideological commitments as predictors of party positions in emerging issue of European integration. In this context study of Indian political environment, level of electoral competition, party's unique value proposition Brennan and Henneberg (2008) assumes significance to the political researchers, political marketers, campaign planners, and campaign strategists across the globe. Promoting India as strategic market for the global investor is the prime job of the federal system. To this effect, the government at the center and its approach to trade and globalization is the most crucial determinant of policy formulation creating an opportunity for the global investor. The 2014 general elections provided the springboard for the launch of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a context to analyze the intersection of party development and institutionalization strategies similar to economic circumstances.
2 POLITICAL MARKETING AND POLITICAL PRODUCT: LITERATURE REVIEW
Use of political marketing principles, as Harrop (1995) argues, can enrich and enhance the activity of political parties providing a frame of action and analysis interesting for marketing scholars to investigate. Abundance of theories and concepts in political marketing have been evidenced by Butler and Harris (2009) through dedicated journals, edited volumes, special issues and handbooks. Some authors consider “the problems facing the political campaigner are strikingly similar to those confronting the marketing manager” (Butler & Collins, 1994). Several authors have indicated the similarity of various marketing branches with political marketing. Bowler, Donovan and Fernandez (1996) accorded industry status to politcs and political marketing. Harrop (1995) considers that political marketing activities are developed to enhance the value and the efficiency of exchanges between parties and electorate and finds similarities between political marketing and service marketing. Baines, Harris and Lewis (2002) suggested developing a marketing model for UK politial parties. Initially, the introduction of political marketing methods in European elections was considered as the Americanization of European politics, with the desire of political parties to improve political campaign effectiveness (Baines, Scheucher, & Plasser, 2001). Marketing strategy for political entities has been illustrated by numerous authors, for example, the relevance of the marketing mix for political parties (Wring 2010; O'Leary & Iredale, 1976). Though marketing's irrelevance in politics has been claimed by O'Shaughnessy (2001) there are certain aspects of the political product, which are more visible like leadership/the candidate, symbols, activities, and policies (Table 1). Lyod (2005) argues that political product includes even broader aspects as service offering, representation, accommodation, investment, and outcome. Contemporary political marketing involves identification of voter demands and then designs their product to suit; this is called market-oriented party (Lees-Marshment, 2001). Market intelligence is carried out to development of the party philosophy or simultaneously. The huge outpouring of public support to the Jan Lokpal (People Ombudsman) movement of 2011 garnered foundational support in favor of AAP in a way reflected voters need, wants, and aspiration from a future party. This draws similarity with the urban voters who responded through social media and huge outpouring during the anti-corruption protests in Jantar Mantar (the venue of protests) of the movement. Symbolic cap used by the party AAP being printed “main hoon aam aadmi” (I am a common man) communicated the core philosophy of the party. Positioning is about where parties or candidates place themselves in the market place in relation to the competition. Bannon (2004) argues that there are five principles for successful positioning: (a) clarity of the position, (b) consistency of position, (c) credibility of positioning, (d) competitiveness, and (e) communicable. Devine (2013) discusses how in 2012, the Obama campaign positioned him as being the best candidate to take the country forward in the next 4 years. Similarly, the Indian elections in 2014 witnessed Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign “sabka saath sabka vikaas” (inclusive development). A political brand is an overarching feeling, impression, association, or image that the public has towards a politician, political organization, or nation. As Cosgrove (2009) puts it, “a brand is the overall summation that includes the logo, narrative, a consistent set of visual images, and three to five specific selling points about products that it is supporting.” Individual perceptions of political brands are formed by the experience and communications a political consumer receives from a range of sources: nodes which the public then links together to create an interconnected network (Table 1).
| Structural characteristics | |
|---|---|
| The product | Person/party/ideology |
| Loyalty | |
| Mutability | |
| The organization | Amateurism |
| Negative perception of marketing | |
| Dependence on volunteers | |
| The market | Ideologically charged |
| Social affirmation | |
| The counter consumer | |
| Process characteristics | Style versus substance |
| Advertising and communication standards | |
| News and media attention | |
| Political polls | |
| Tactical voting | |
3 RESEARCH DESIGN
- To understand the emergence of a new political party against the backdrop of civil society movement.
- To analyze the value proposition, branding and positioning strategy followed by AAP.
- To explain party institutionalization with the help of product commercialization process.
Data collected to answer these research objectives came from secondary sources texts, article, expert interview with political science professors, online resources, Integrated Marketing Communication tools, and party websites. Extensive corpus of documents was created, which included all relevant online and offline articles during the period October 2013 to May 2014.
3.1 Civil society movement (Janlokpal Movement)
Ocakli (2015) demonstrates that civil society organizations (CSOs) can do more than form horizontal ties; they can create opportunities for political entrepreneurs to run for office. By serving as agents that facilitate political recruitment, CSOs provide opportunities for new politicians to run for office and for political parties to acquire new human capital. CSOs “supply” new politicians to parties and advocate for their nomination to political office. Civil society movements often act as channel of bargain for voters and parties (Ockali, 2015). Political marketing has the opportunity to build a marketing framework that focusses on delivering value to core target market (voters supporters) and addressing the needs of the society at large Hughes and Dann (2009) Indian anti-corruption movement in 2011 marked with dharma's (protests) demonstrations rally across length and breadth of the country demanding robust legislation in form of Janlokpal (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill) against corruption at all levels of the society. Popularity metrics suggested the movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare, the social activist featured among the top 10 news stories of 2011 by Time Magazine earning a million footfalls at Jantar Mantar, the epicenter of the movement. According to statistics, within the first 4 days of its existence, the anti-corruption movement had 116,000 fans on Facebook, 5,600 followers on Twitter, and the highest interaction rate of the top 10 Facebook pages in India. At the same time, a few days after the beginning of Hazares fast unto death, Anna Hazare is the top trend of India in Twitter (Harindranath, 2013). There is ample evidence to suggest that it translated into offline action. According to an article in The Economic Times, the movement's Facebook page not only attracted comments in the hundreds but also served as an effective platform to coordinate protests in various cities. (Harindranath et al., 2013)
3.2 Emergence of AAP
Research on new party formation has reiterated the notion of new parties as primarily the expression of new social cleavages or bearers of new issues of public frustration with intention of reform. (Hanley, 2012). The political product is some amalgamation of policy, leader image inherited memory, and promise, and it is also a referendum on past performance. There lies a wide difference between a political and a consumer “product” that influences the way both is marketed. Although in a certain way, both are similar in “performance versus expectation” dimension, they distinguish in a way that political product is laden with values ethos philosophy and would amount to affirmation of those expected values. Like “antiestablishment” or “outsider,” AAP (Common Man's Party) appeared to be a meaningful alternative to what described as the “ossified, corrupt, and essentially antidemocratic ‘political establishment'” that governed (Roy, 2014). The AAP hoped to build active citizenship for major reforms in governance and policymaking (Kumar, 2013). The need for a citizen-oriented party was being felt for some time due to the growing disconnect between politicians, the major national and regional parties, and the common people (Roy, 2014). AAP can be analyzed from the framework of new party development that states that democratic political party is a creature of its environment (Harmel & Janda, 1982).
3.3 Brand image and positioning
In an election, reputation of political parties but also that of their leaders will influence the voter behavior (Worcestor et al., 2005) and India has been witnessing an increased voter turnout over time Diwakar (2008, 2014) The reputation of an organization and that of its leader are believed to be linked in causality, implying that managing and presenting the leader are valid ways to manage the reputation of the organization (Gaines-Ross, 2003; Laurence, 2004). Personality image coupled with the foundational ideological principles of corrupt free governance of AAP triggered mass acceptance. Media wrote, “television screamed aloud trying to decipher its phenomenal rise resulting into endless WOM similar to the experiences of creation of brand-new party Junilistan in Sweden” (Nord & Stromback 2009). Various researchers have found that symbols have played a major role not only in identification but also in overall marketing of political party (Neiheisel & Niebler, 2013). They install distinct identity to a political party and offer the distinct competitive advantage from where they command acceptability of the masses. Following AAP's registration as a political party, the organization was sanctioned the symbol jhadu (broom) that could communicate the party's political value proposition with ease and simplicity. A brand is a multidimensional construct, involving the blending of functional and emotional values to match consumers' performances and psychosocial needs (de Chernatony and Dall' Olmo Riley, 1998). One of the goals of branding is to make a brand unique on dimensions that are both relevant and welcomed by consumers (de Chernatony and Mc Donald 1998). The apoliticizations of politics led by AAP followed the what decades back Seven Up and Citibank used came to be known as Uncola and Unfixed deposits in order to achieve competitive differentiation in customer's mind. Sen Gupta (2005). AAP conveyed its points differentiation with the broom and cap imprinted with Main hoon aam admi (I am a common man) from Main bhi Anna (I am Anna) indicating AAP's linkages with foundational philosophy of Anna movement.
3.4 Party institutionalization
Party institutionalization is defined as the extent to which political parties develop a systematic set of mechanisms and structures that enable them to compete effectively for political power (T. M. Lam, 2010). Panebianco defines institutionalization as "the way the organization solidifies and becomes valuable in and of itself.” The same analogy that can be drawn in economic domain where new product development seeks market or steady stream of revenue providing customers who in turn sustains and offers stability the new venture. The beginning of the third millennium saw, in the three Baltic countries, the triumphant rise of several genuinely new parties—meaning parties with negligible links to established politicians (Sikk, 2005). Leveraging a lean direct and focused communication model like auto rickshaws and door-to-door campaign, AAP won 28 out of 70 assembly seats in the country's capital New Delhi from a nonexistent base whereas Bharatiya Janata Party managed 31 and congress 8.
3.5 AAP and national politics
A successful and timely rollout can enhance the impact that a new product has in the market place. (Rogers, Lambert, & Knemeyer, 2004). Additionally, within the domain of new product introductions, researchers have also explored the organizational factors that specifically explain the timing and order of new product moves. For example, Mitchell (1989) argued that the relative resource position of firms would affect the speed with which they react to new entrants (Srivastava & Lee, 2005). In the context of political science institutionalization is the process whereby “a practice or organization becomes well established and widely known, if not universally accepted” (Mainwaring and Torcal 2006, p. 206). Linz (1990) defined democratic consolidation as a “where none of the major political actors, parties, or organized interest forces or institutions consider that there is an alternative to democratic process to gain power … democracy must be seen as the only game in town.” AAP's meteoric rise forced main parties, with an eye on the general election, to adopt some of its anti-elite measures to handle government functions. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India announced general elections to elect the 16th Lok Sabha (lower house). AAP, 5-month old party, planned to contest more than 400 seats of the 543 seats at stake in the Lok Sabha and promised to field candidates with impeccable reputation against the big players.
4 CONCLUSIONS
AAP exemplified creation and institutionalization of political party based on civil society movement is a sign of democratic consolidation in India. This in turn strengthens the political market granting optimum choice to the voter as the party fought for three elections. Strategic marketing principles of segmentation, targeting, listening, and development of offerings of value for the marketplace (Foster, 2006; Hayes and McAllister, 1996; Scammell, 1995, 1999; Sparrow and Turner, 2001) have been evident in the development of AAP. Research may further address issues of sustainability to the civil society movement based political party. Similar studies related to new political party development in developing democracies Indonesia, Nigeria South Africa may enrich political marketing literature with special focus on the political party formation. However, further research may reveal if adoption and application of marketing knowledge have any discernible impact in political parties in similar democracy.
Biography
Professor Krishna Das Gupta teaches in Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar, Xavier University. She completed her PhD on Consumer Decision Making and continues to focus her research on service consumption and customer experience.
