LK Advani - The Iron man of India created storm waves in Indian polity by suggesting the sixteenth elections to the Lok Sabha in 2014 would bear neither the Congress nor the BJP at the helm of Indian politics. Advani had paraphrased his discussion with 2 senior cabinet ministers from the UPA. The day this news broke out, electronic channels spared no political calculation unperturbed, everyone was talking about a national leader of India’s alternate political alliance conceding defeat before the war bugles were blown. The news caught front pages in most newspapers and was the topic of opinion pieces for editorial spaces. LK Advani had successfully utilized a social media platform to convey his message to the target audience. The timing for the blog was well calculated, as millions of Indian viewers across the nation would catch fancy to the Sunday breaking news. Staying away from the conventional press conference or mundane press release; Advani was able to pull a large readership to his blog at the same time inviting comments and feedback from the readers. Advani at 86 has proved to be on a learning curve, a classic example of “never too late”.
One of the latest entrants in social media platform is our brand new President, Shri. Pranab Mukherjee. Pranab Da is not India’s first president to have an active online presence. In 2004, former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam launched an email access to the President of India. It is said, Dr. Kalam would personally reply to most of these emails received from far corners of the country. This outreach ensured a meteoric rise in Dr. Kalam’s popularity amongst the educated middle class, making him one of the most cherished Indian Presidents. Pranab Babu, however seems to be more conservative, instead of launching a presidential portal or a direct email access, the new president has opted for a Facebook profile, an obvious choice given over 50 million Indians are registered on Facebook. Irrespective of the efficiency of Pranab Da’s new online presence, this image building exercise would try to distance Pranab Da from an image of a seasoned politician (congressman) to being a national unbiased leader. (Read: 3 Public Relations Tips for President Pranab Mukherjee)
Narendra Modi’s optimum utilization of social media is exemplary. After 2002 Godhra riots, Modi appointed various Indian as well as international image building agencies to help distance him for the carnage episode. A vital part of the strategy was Modi’s online presence and his direct communication to the people of Gujarat through social media engagement. The strategy has borne rich fruits for the leader, with massive domestic and international following to his blog and twitter account. Meticulous Selection of agenda and topics for online comments is just as vital, as proved by the case of Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor whose tweets got him booted out of the office.
The power of online media is immense, and growing. In the west, there is a paradigm shift in readership patterns, with most people switching to read their daily news on their laptops, tabs or mobiles. Print editions of newspapers may seize to exist in some years. Online media is also more powerful as it follows the fundamentals of fission; once online there is no control over the reach and spread of messaging as it tends to go viral, crossing international boundaries and languages.
The Indian PR industry however is caught in the rut of chasing print & electronic coverage; after all it is these sources of coverage (evaluations) which determine the next pay cheque. Most consultants push their releases in the media through relations developed over the years. Clips of releases carried word-for-word are proudly displayed during review presentations and received by clients with a twinkle in their eyes. But we are well in the 21st century; our media has expanded from just the conventional radio, print and electronic to the world at my fingertips opportunity of “internet”. The step-child treatment is due to an adequate/efficient evaluation procedures and internet penetration in the country.
As leaders, PR consultants should and would soon realize the role social media could play in political campaigns. From helping in mapping electoral preferences to helping in strategizing an effective outreach program, Social media is the next big wave in India’s politics. PR consultants, campaign managers and political aides have to recognize the fact to counter the challenges and utilize the opportunities of future elections.
One of the latest entrants in social media platform is our brand new President, Shri. Pranab Mukherjee. Pranab Da is not India’s first president to have an active online presence. In 2004, former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam launched an email access to the President of India. It is said, Dr. Kalam would personally reply to most of these emails received from far corners of the country. This outreach ensured a meteoric rise in Dr. Kalam’s popularity amongst the educated middle class, making him one of the most cherished Indian Presidents. Pranab Babu, however seems to be more conservative, instead of launching a presidential portal or a direct email access, the new president has opted for a Facebook profile, an obvious choice given over 50 million Indians are registered on Facebook. Irrespective of the efficiency of Pranab Da’s new online presence, this image building exercise would try to distance Pranab Da from an image of a seasoned politician (congressman) to being a national unbiased leader. (Read: 3 Public Relations Tips for President Pranab Mukherjee)
Narendra Modi’s optimum utilization of social media is exemplary. After 2002 Godhra riots, Modi appointed various Indian as well as international image building agencies to help distance him for the carnage episode. A vital part of the strategy was Modi’s online presence and his direct communication to the people of Gujarat through social media engagement. The strategy has borne rich fruits for the leader, with massive domestic and international following to his blog and twitter account. Meticulous Selection of agenda and topics for online comments is just as vital, as proved by the case of Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor whose tweets got him booted out of the office.
The power of online media is immense, and growing. In the west, there is a paradigm shift in readership patterns, with most people switching to read their daily news on their laptops, tabs or mobiles. Print editions of newspapers may seize to exist in some years. Online media is also more powerful as it follows the fundamentals of fission; once online there is no control over the reach and spread of messaging as it tends to go viral, crossing international boundaries and languages.
The Indian PR industry however is caught in the rut of chasing print & electronic coverage; after all it is these sources of coverage (evaluations) which determine the next pay cheque. Most consultants push their releases in the media through relations developed over the years. Clips of releases carried word-for-word are proudly displayed during review presentations and received by clients with a twinkle in their eyes. But we are well in the 21st century; our media has expanded from just the conventional radio, print and electronic to the world at my fingertips opportunity of “internet”. The step-child treatment is due to an adequate/efficient evaluation procedures and internet penetration in the country.
As leaders, PR consultants should and would soon realize the role social media could play in political campaigns. From helping in mapping electoral preferences to helping in strategizing an effective outreach program, Social media is the next big wave in India’s politics. PR consultants, campaign managers and political aides have to recognize the fact to counter the challenges and utilize the opportunities of future elections.
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