Demystifying Rajini's Mojo through the Branding Microscope - Part 1

A condescending and poisonously smiling Neelambari gives her air of superiority to Padayappa when she descends the stairs. The frame shows her high heels in slow motion as she walks down the steps one by one after seeing the greyed Rajinikanth in an akimbo gesture. The haunting BGM by ARR builds up the tension and makes you to think that something extraordinary is on the horizon. Neelambari gives Rajinikanth a quick derisive look when she swiftly scans him from head to foot and humiliates him further by having a chair exclusively for her with the loud snap of a finger. 

The vibrant 'o' chorus antes up the climax of the scene additionally when Ramyakrishnan returns Padayappa the taste of his own medicine after a gap of 18 years. What follows next is not just any scene but something which is truly remarkable and indescribable that only our Thalaivar can do it dovetailed effortlessly with an electrifying, pulsating and goosebumps producing back score by the musical maven:

                          Kindly Fast forward to 1:42 and enjoy yourself till the end.. :) 

I am sure you would have watched not only this breath-taking and legendary scene but also the entire movie umpteen number of times. Still, when you see it even now, you wouldn't be tired of it. Rather, you would think that it's time want to watch it one more time than to read this stupid blog! Yeah. I can see a small smile on your face that extends from your sides. Getting back to business, we will try to deconstruct this man's mystique (What is it with my alliterations these days!) using hi-fi Branding and Marketing jargons. Just kidding!

So, why did I bring in this swashbuckling scene as an introduction to this blog? Simple. Every Rajini movie has a dashing introduction na. 

What is a Brand? A name,term,sign, symbol etc. which uniquely identifies a product or service that sets it apart from their competitors. 

This is a perfect text book definition and the person (Read: Me!!) should be awarded an A++ (Sorry, no reference to C++ here!). Please bury my pathetic joke in the grave with a wreath! 

Just like how James Cameron reached the abyss of Mariana Trench, when we dive deep into a brand's knows and hows, a brand is simply ,in my IMHO, a simple idea. I am sure many would not agree with my view. Each to his own, right? So, let's us work together in harmony now and plunge further.

I am not going to touch upon the history of Rajinikanth where he lost his mother as a kid, worked as a coolie, bus conductor blah blah. You know it already. We will cover the other essential aspects as to what makes him such a tremendous universal phenomenon in this time and age as well. 

Everyone knows that it was K.Balachander who identified Shivaji Rao Gaekwad's raw talent at the Madras Film Institute and pushed him onto the silver screen. So, Rajinikanth is the brainchild, literally and figuratively, of the late ace director. 

What does it mean in real branding terms? Rajinikanth is AN IDEA from the brain factory who had single-handedly transformed the virtually unknown Shivaji Rao Gaekwad as the formidable and famed Rajinikanth. Little did KB Sir knew when he rechristened him as Rajinikanth then that he would unleash a powerful brand who will change the complete ecosystem of Kollywood and propel Rajinikanth to an invincible, indomitable and impassioned stardom beyond the realms of reason, reality and sanity.

In fact, his shades in Baasha was copied in The Matrix. Do not believe me? Check out Morpheus's coolers.

Rajinikanth broke the conventional stereotype that a hero must be light-skinned. It may not be of great consequence today. But, in those days, though it was not a FAIR deal, being fair was a big deal  ..! He looked like our typical next door neighbour - tall and dark - and his appearance had an immediate connect with the masses.

Even a newborn child will say that the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of Superstar is his style - be it in his gait, speech, actions, emotions and his uncanny ability to flick his hair with so much oomph.

Rajinikanth would be the object of envy of every Olympic Gymnast for the way his cigarette somersaults and lands in his mouth with such artistic grace and poise - the man simply oozes with such unheard panache even now that he still gives his young peers a run for their money.

Not to mention his lusty staccato laughter. He should really patent it! There is no one in the industry who could do it better than him even though the likes of Vijay has tried it in movies like Kaththi, Thuppaki etc, it still doesn't come close to the quick and sharp laughter which Thalaivar reserves when absolutely required like the Brahmastra! It's like the style factor is deeply entrenched in his DNA that his mannerisms appear naturally (Good Oxymoron, na!) on the screen. 

Going together with his humble origins and his extraordinary flair, Rajinikanth sparkles with enough pizzazz that he ensured that we were not only able to relate to him but also resonate well with him to the extent that he salubriously attracts even the current generation into his fold through his colossal magnetic appeal. His Brand Identity was expansively enlarged further when he was given the tag "Superstar" after his film 'Bairavi' in the late 1970s - a tagline which has become mononymous with the man himself and repeatedly confuse reputed astrophysicists when they hear 'SUPERSTAR'!

Turning a blind eye to my wicked poke of a joke, it's no mean task for any actor to be in an industry for close to 4 decades and deliver hit after hit with a once-in-a blue moon slip. Rajini has been able to do it continuously and consistently thus sustaining himself when it comes to his movie openings and box office records. Ticking all the right boxes of brand attributes - uniqueness, relevance, appeal, consistency, sustainability and positioning - Rajinikanth has created a redoutable Brand identity for himself with his uncommon  elan, supreme superstar tag, memorable and catchy punch dialogues like:

The image says it all..! :)

But, identity is just not enough. He has an indelible and adamantine Brand Image in the minds of audiences (Read: Us) thanks to his supreme Brand Personality. Everyone knows who Rajinikanth is when he stylishly enacts his given role to perfection. 

I have not personally met or spoken with the great man. But, from whatever I have heard, written and seen for the past 29 years, Rajinikanth is an extremely humble, down-to-earth, simple, warm, easy-going and friendly person who treats even the light boy on the sets with equal respect. A person of such stature and success - Rajinikanth is truly the epitome of humility courtesy his strong spiritual compass. 

En route to The Himalayas

Also, he doesn't hide his true self in those out-of-the blue opportunities when he is before camera in reality unlike other actors. He is assertive enough to flaunt his baldness, wrinkled skin, white beard and veshti thus giving a bold statement that he is also a human to all the classes and the masses alike  Being one of the highest paid actors in Asia, he could have easily gone under the knife and given himself a new identity. But, Thalaivar is thalaivar. That's why he is Thalaivar.

Our country always loves the dark horses, pun intended. The recurring trope of every Rajini movie is that he either fights his masters and becomes a master through hard work, dedication and commitment (In a 5 minute song!) or the evergreen good vs evil battle. As a natural consequence coupled with his own hardships in real life, Rajini's films are quite inspirational to the ordinary people who aspire to be like their God - at least physically - whenever Rajini brings in a new trend like the 'Motta Boss' which created a frenzied mania amongst many people:

Though his on-screen and off-screen personality are identically opposite (It's Oxymoron time again!) to each other, his mighty Brand Personality is such that it has resulted in an endearing and enduring relationship with his fans all over the world. 

Ultimately, the Brand Experience that Rajinikanth generates is such that you can feel a massive surge of positive emotion in your body like a bolt of lightning that it literally sends you in delirious raptures and makes you want for more of such hyper energy power from the Superstar. You feel as if you are on cloud nine and ecstatically escalate towards cloud ten, cloud eleven till cloud infinity! 

What more does a brand need when it already has and constantly creates (Alliterations again!) a solid and substantial loyal fan base crowding all over you like ants to sugar.

Rajini's energetic aura, his distinct mannerisms, effervescent charisma and larger than life persona has ensured that his Brand Image is utterly infrangible, untouchable and perdurable for all generations to love, cherish and admire his innocent smiles, timing comedies, THAT mesmerizing WALK and the improbable stunts that would make even Newton to scratch his head and come up with a special equation explaining the gravity-defying phenomenon from heavens!

                                       

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Yeah, You can try it if you wish to. 

However, there is nothing Rajnikanth can't can't.

No. It is definitely not a cant.

                                                              X--to be concluded--X

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank my Brand Management Professor, Satheesh Krishnamurthy. He is a Brand Consultant and worked in corporates like Cavinkare, McCann Erickson, Cricinfo, Reliance etc.

Apart from possessing a scintillating and rapier wit, he has also penned down his extensive experience, immense knowledge, profound and penetrating insights into numerous books in Tamil for the benefit of SMBs to build their own brands and flourish in the cut-throat marketplace.

He is also a regular contributor in The Hindu (Tamil Edition) and all his articles are fun, funny yet deeply thought-provoking.

For further details. you can check out for yourself his Linkedin profile at your own leisure:

The One and only

Disclaimer:

All the above opinions are solely mine with the exceptions of the facts and application of the various branding concepts. Any error or discrepancy is due to my mistake and lack of proper understanding on the subject at hand. I request you to point out any such fallacies in the event of such blunders. TIA! 

   

India's MODIsh and Positive MODIfier - Concluding Part

Ever since I had written Part 2 in this Modi trilogy, I have been searching for information regarding the Congress's achievements in the last decade. What I came across was a slew of shocking facts about their scams and scandals since their occupancy to power, not just in the past 10 years, right from our Independence days that would have really shaken the core to the core! I am sure that the sizes of the scams are such that if they are kept one above the other, it would easily eclipse Mt. Everest as the highest peak in the world!!

Nevertheless, the UPA Government had implemented welfare measures like the MGNREGA, RTI, RTE to name a few. I might hear certain people sniggering that those are the only few good things that they had done during their regime. I leave that up to you. However, things started to fall apart drastically with the UPA Government's return to power from 2009 to 2014 which was completely marred by their leadership to take effective actions against those who swindled our economy in broad daylight.

Likewise, Manmohan Singh also had his own share of foreign trips during his staying in power:

2004 - 2009: 35 countries visited

2009 - 2014: 38 countries visited

Note:

"Countries visited" means that he has visited a single country on more than one occasion.

  

The total expenditure for 10 years is Rs 699 crores for Manmohan Singh alone.

The blow by blow account of the money spent is as follows:

2004 - 2009: 301.95 crores

2009 - 2014: 397.35 crores 

Unless, there is a relatively strong, stable, steady, corrupt-free, non-volatile and a smooth-sailing business environment, the investors will think twice before pooling their resources into another country's economy. Unfortunately, our country was plagued by all these factors which lead us to have our Current Account Deficit to totter perilously at - $88 Billion at one point of time in the UPA term. To put some more facts into picture, it was + $8 Billion when the Congress took over the reins from BJP in 2004. Certain individuals really took 'India Shining' to 'India Stinking' in their lust to hold on to power by turning a blind eye to everything just like Dhritarashtra!

Instead of calling the shots, our ex-PM was dancing to the tunes as played by the leadership. My best guess is that it should be Bhangra! But, one thing is certain. He wouldn't have called RaGa to groove on the floor because:

Casting aside my poor dance jokes to one side, all I can say is that the right person of impeccable stature as MMS was exactly at the wrong place at the wrong time. If he had shown a little bit of spine, he could have ensured our nation to be on the right side of the tracks. Sadly, it is not just the Congress but the whole nation which got deeply affected by their indifferent attitude.

Fortunately, the sun is shining brightly upon our country once more in the form of our PM Narendra Modi. Though NaMo is 5 feet 7 inches, he has shown exemplary courage and character when he had to face the tall orders left behind by the previous government. NaMo is running a taut ship that is sparkling high on efficiency and transparency which will give the investors the much-needed confidence and conviction to make India shine again.

Can NaMo break Jawaharlal Nehru's record?

If one person who can shatter Nehru's record of being the longest serving PM of India for 17 years, it has got to be none other Narendra Modi. Charismatic. Inspirational. Transformational. Leading from the front. Full of limitless and abundant energy. Extremely Dynamic nature. Most importantly, he has age to his advantage.  Don't Don't. I know what you are thinking. How can these personal traits alone enable him to beat Nehru's long standing record? You will get your answers soon. 

Will NaMo have a 3rd term?

Yeah. You read it right as Narendra Modi is sure-fire on his way to win the elections in 2019 and occupy the coveted position till 2024. The reasons are pretty simple, straightforward and attributable from two fronts namely:

a) From NaMo and his party's perspective

b) From opposition's perspective

a) From NaMo and his party's perspective:

I would like to know which PM, read Indian PM!, calls up an IAS officer in Tripura and asks him to improve the condition of the NH @ 10 pm. Some people could say that he is trying to pull off a charade by creating a positive image. Is it? How many times has he relentlessly and tirelessly flown from one country to country just for the betterment of our country? Infact, he has transferred certain people of questionable integrity as soon as he had come to power in 2014.

A chain is as strong as its weakest link. He has ensured that every person in his cabinet is accountable for their roles and actions by giving them controlled freedom to perform and accomplish their designated duty to the nation. When you don't have control, command, speed and direction, the ship is like without a rudder. NaMo has ensured that he has covered his bases with dependable and go-to people around him who match his thinking process and execution. It is only when the ministers act responsibly and quickly can we have sound decisions like the plethora of welfare schemes that are benefitting millions of our brothers and sisters across our nation. Infact, Onno Ruhl, World Bank's Country Director in India has acknowledged that India is an economic power. Vast contrast from the position we were in in 2014. All thanks to the resolute, persistent, dedicated and committed efforts of Modi and Co.

b) From Opposition's perspective:
At one end of the spectrum, NaMo is inking deals left,right and centre with the world and fast turning our country into a solid copper-bottomed economy. But, RaGa disappeared from the face of the Earth for two whole months on his personal escapades.

I am not saying RaGa is a bad choice to lead the Congress party. But, instead of adopting a struthious attitude that everything is all sunshines within their party, it is high time that they pull up their socks to solve their fundamental problem that needs to be addressed like what's going to be the vision, their short-term goals, how is it going to be achieved, timeline for it, the right people for the jobs and the most important of all, Can RaGa go heads on with NaMo?

I will bet my bottom dollar, sorry rupee!, that if Modi takes charge of the Congress party even now, he will bring a massive and radical turnaround that they can win the elections in 2019. Everyone knows that's not going to happen. So, I will let my flights of fancy to fly by in la-la land peacefully!

I am neither a political analyst nor a person with active political experience. However, I am dead cert that no one hasn't forgotten the interview RaGa had given The Times Now with Arnab Goswami. He made a mockery out of himself and his party in the interview. He still continues to do so in the UP rallies by targeting Modi, his suits and selfies instead of focussing on what really matters to those people - a better life for them and their children.

Now, moving on to another relevant topic. The one question which hit me like a boomerang last week was: One crore spent for teas and samosas?  This is one tea party which even the Americans would not endorse in their lives!

Likewise, many people are wondering how a single day has not gone where our PM hasn't been dragged into finger-pointing. It's like before going to bed every night, honest embodiment Kejriwal and his wonderful team brainstorm vigorously all the things that they would blamestorm Modi the next day in interviews. The day is not that far when Modi might be blamed for global warming because of people's farting!

Instead of concentrating his time and efforts on attacking Modi, if he had spent his time on worthwhile projects that actually results for the good of the Delhi people would have surely saved him from tweets such as:

Sadly, that's not the case. If I were Modi, I would sit in my room, switch on the TV, sip on my cup of tea, no pun intended!, and laugh to my heart's content on the comedies that a certain empowered person and an extremely fine gentleman wearing Anna Hazare cap does on a daily basis to give me my much needed relaxation after a long day's fruitful work. Unfortunately, I am not Modi and I am 100% positive that our PM has better and more constructive things to do rather than watch some jokers and waste his valuable time.

Because of the deep penetration of mobile phones and smart phones, the people in our country are becoming increasingly aware day by day especially the youth who occupy an important chunk of the Indian population. It would be only prudent that some politicians battle out their elections on developmental issues that can mark and make a significant change in a person's life rather than employing cheap and below-the-belt old techniques like slandering, belittling etc. that is bound to get them nowhere.The era of mudslinging may not be over completely but is almost likely to disappear soon enough when people are slowly understanding that the progress is the only way forward in the long-run.

Considering all these factors - what NaMo and his sedulous squad are doing, how the oppositions are playing their cards, it's very evident that NaMo has bright chances of becoming the first ever PM in Indian history to outdo Nehru's achievement.

Conclusion:
Despite this is the age of Instant Gratification, a person is really a fool if they think that a flower will bloom from the very next day onwards when they have planted the sapling only today. Certain things have their own time to materialize productive results, when nurtured with great care and created a conducive environment, and no human being has the power to make it happen instantly. The phrase 'Nothing is Impossible' must come with a BIG * on its top!

NaMo is exerting tremendous effort on his part, day in and day out, by pulling out all the stops to make 'India Shining' and 'India Smiling' at the same time. All people need is a little patience as the results of his hard labors are manifesting itself with rich dividends that I have stated in my previous and the current blog as well.

I am not sure what the vision of Congress was when they were in power since 1947. But, if they are continuing in the same fashion as now, the Congress dynasty would die nasty! unless they take appropriate measures to clear their clutter. So, all that's left for the Congress is to sit and watch the majestic National Flower of India to blossom our nation to her original glory and splendour courtesy of NaMo's single-minded involvement - A Robust and Rounded Indian Economy that positively intends for the well-being of all the people.

Disclaimer:
The memes have been pulled in to give you the much needed relief from reading a very lengthy blog. So, anyone who has any issues with the memes, please contact its creators as I merely did a CTRL C + CTRL V.

Acknowledgements 1:
I would like to thank Google for giving me the most relevant information like who has served India for a long time as PM which I needed for writing, okay typing!, not only this blog but other blogs in this series as well. I was able to access my desired information - be it images, facts , tweets, memes, photographs - in the shortest possible time without having to sift through the voluminous data held together in the several succeeding search (Gosh! I love my alliterations again!) pages.

Acknowledgements 2:
Last but not the least, I would like to thank you personally for patiently reading and enduring my Hanuman-tailed write-up all this while. THANKS A TON! :) :)


                                                           X------CONCLUDED------X

Iru Mugan - It's LOVEly but.......

When you have a hero as 'Chiyaan' who would pour his complete heart and soul for the character and when you have the ravishing and Kollywood's top heroine as Nayanthara, you will definitely have your hopes soar high like an eagle flying above the skies. What if, just what if, the two heavy weights perform splendidly but with a botched up screenplay? The result for everyone to see and digest is Iru Mugan..!

The movie starts off on the right note with an Asian elderly person who turns himself into a superhuman with enormous strengths and abilities beating the hell out of the police in the Indian Embassy situated in Malaysia. You start to think that a brilliant sci-fi is in the offing especially the trailers visually stating the existence of another Vikram in a very different avatar as the villain. I will come to THAT part later. First thing's first.

The first half really sprints like a deer. Before you can even notice the time on your watch, a substantial interval block runs you over thus engaging you with a couple of thoughts when you stand in the line to get your cold coffee:

a) Is Nayan really an agent for Love and backstabbed Vikram by posing as his lover?

b) Has Nayan somehow survived the fall and forgot her memory?

The answer was revealed very early in the second half. Yes. One of the option is right. But, after watching the complete movie, you tend to think whether the other option could have made things even more spicier in this otherwise lukewarm affair.

Thambi Ramaiah tries to bring in the comic element but it evoked only few laughters till it lasted. Nayan has a solid role in the film and not simply hear the three magic words from the hero, dance, romance and THE END!  She has something to offer on the table and pulls it off with ease. But, it is Vikram who really hogs the limelight from everyone as the rugged and razor-sharp RAW agent as Akhilan and the twisted effeminate Love. Though Love's voice is gravelly and grating to the senses, the mannerisms and expressions are worth every rupee spent particularly the hospital scene which was very close to Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker as a nurse in The Dark Knight. Cold-blooded, remorseless, unforgiving and sadistic - Vikram projects Love to be a character who is to be hated but unfortunately, as an audience, I just did not feel the emotional connect with Love. Instead of playing around in the beaches or imagining a sad song by the hero, time and screen space could have been utilized to develop the Love character so that the missing void was filled and the audience would have appreciated better the smart, able, ruthless Love as there was a definite method to her madness. It was really a witty director's touch to add "OK Kanmani?" when Love speaks to Nithya Menon. Nevertheless, Vikram was ruddy brilliant in his mien and attitude as Love. 

Sadly, the second half was unrestrainedly meandering in its course to stop Love from distributing the dangerous inhalers to other parts of the world. All hell broke loose in the screenplay and I was constantly looking at my watch and groaning when will this omnishambles come to its end. If you want a sci-fi thriller, the screenplay has got to be taut and crisp. Instead, it was dragging till eternity. Also, why should I know the molecular formula of a compound or its workings? Am I going to examine it under a powerful electron microscope and get 'Good' in the record book from my teacher? Similarly, the lovey-dovey scenes between Nayanthara and Vikram were so unnecessary that it disturbed the complete balance of the movie. Not to mention the songs. I KNOW IT'S A TAMIL FILM. But, we certainly need movies like 'Unnai Pol Oruvan' more often so that the story and screenplay drives the film forward and not the masala elements. Likewise, Nithya Menon and Karunakaran were literally wasted away by excessively focussing on the drugs and its nervy effects. 

Speaking of drugs, the director tries to give credibility to the SPEED drug by bringing in historical references to Hitler's atrocities when he was at the helm. The facts could have been reserved for the end credits so that people are made aware of the abominable acts done by Hitler to his own people and not in the middle of the film when it was stemming its speedy, no pun intended, flow. After one point of time, the SPEED drug is used so many times that only the director and producer wouldn't have had the opportunity to use it since the export plan was failed..! Such was its consumption that it produced yawns much faster than the men or women who ingested it into their systems and be endowed with superhuman strength. The SPEED drug SLOWS down the movie especially in the second half..!

Unlike other movies where the action sequences are stretched to unimaginable limits, the only good thing about the SPEED drug is that, for once, I knew exactly for how long the fight was going to last..!

Don't Breathe - Even my CO2 failed to exhale!

Almost everyone would have seen 'Home Alone' especially the first part. In that movie, we get to feel for Kevin when he is accidentally left behind by his family and had to battle out two burglars who try to force their way into his house. It was all about Kevin using his brains to stay out of harm's way and at the same time, he had to ensure that his dear home was safe and sound from the invaders. 

Fast forward to 2016. In 'Don't Breathe' again, we have not two but three people who break and enter into a very eerie and sinister house in a desolated place due to their own personal agendas. The gloomy and battered house belonged to a blind old man who lived with his ferocious Rottweiler and lump sum of money securely hidden in a safe vault. Did the 3 so-thinking brilliants manage to outwit the dumb man, sorry blind!, and lead a happy life forms the rest of the plot with many twists and turns that is sure to leave the audience with bated breath!

Despite having lost his eyesight, the old man, who actually served in the Army, had his sense of hearing and smelling intact. In fact, it was so acute that he was able to see with his nose and ears! 'Don't Breathe' really picks up speed when the Money fires a shot at a door when he, Alex and Rocky were in hot pursuit to find the hidden cash. With the slo mo of the camera and suspended stillness, at first glance, you have the slight feel that a ghost or a poltergeist might be lurking in the shadows of the house particularly behind the sealed door which Money shot.  Things go downhill for the trio when the vicious old man kills Money in cold blood. Barely escaping from the clutches of the old man, the situation gets complicated further when the remaining duo find a gagged and captive woman behind the tortuous ridden closed door. 

The scene where Alex is just inches from the maddened old man holding the gun and shooting in all directions was a testimony to the tremendous build up of tension and suspense by the director. The T & S factor shot through the roof with the emergence of the drugged dog from its short sleep.The real hero in the movie is the wild and savage Rottweiler who really scared the living daylights, though the lights were off in the theatre!, with its blood curdling barks. The Rottweiler's monstrous presence was such that it ensured that the audience were made to look like scaredy cats by its powerful rapid quick chase and fearsome looks. 

However, the best scene in the movie has to be the sequence where the old man switches off the lights in the basement and scared Alex and Rocky out of their wits. It also really scared the bejesus out of the audience when he grimly says "Now you see what I see". After a lot of twist and turns, some were very predictable like the old man standing above Rocky when she locks the bloody dog in the car, 'Don't Breathe' finally breaths when Rocky is eventually reunited with her daughter after successfully pulling off the heist leaving Alex and Money dead in that dark and dismal house.  

Had the last half an hour been a little tighter without focussing on the loop hole for a sequel, 'Don't Breathe' would have struck even more fear in the hearts with its spine-chilling screenplay.

PS;

The old man deservedly got the bitter taste of his own medicine when Rock force feeds him with his sticky juice upon his throat. The entire theatre was clapping and whistling for Rocky's act when moments before she was at the receiving end of an almost cringing and atrocious deed by the diabolical veteran. 

India's MODIsh and Positive MODIfier - Part 2

Edward Bulwer-Lytton was absolutely right in every way when he said "The pen is mightier than the sword". However, in the current world of extremely alacritous and bullet-train speed proliferation of smartphones and laptops - be it in the World or in India - the proverb needs to be tweaked a bit - "The keyboard is mightier than the pen"! 

With this MODIfied DIGITAL proverb to suit this day and age, I will proceed from where I had left earlier in my previous blog. I am talking about that atrocious meme! that was created without any understanding by the certain select few who grossly mislead the public for their own vested interests by creating further rubbish memes like:

                                        

When I was pursuing my MBA in Marketing from a well-reputed B-school - Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore to be very precise - I was very glad that someone in India had the gumption to use the social  media in the right way to its full effectiveness for a big, important and main event as the Indian election to target the voters especially the tech-obsessed youth. 

India was standing on the cusp of a life and death situation where the wrong person would have driven the nail in the coffin to the hilt for our excellence and advancement in all spheres of life. Luckily, sanity prevailed and Modi was the beacon of light to breathe a new life into our heavily debilitated economy. 

With immediate and drastic measures needed to correct the financial course that would pave the road to a future action and prosperous nation, he undertook his first journey to Bhutan on June 16, 2014. Little did Modi knew then that he would be enormously and erroneously subjected to indecorous ridicule of inordinate degree for the strenuous efforts that he has been undertaking to woo the investors and propel our nation's growth by flying to all corners of the world, I know that our Earth is an Oblate Spheroid! (It's a bad joke with reference to corners of the world!),  to clear the smelly mess left by the previous government.

What our PM is doing is like planting a seed now so that it grows into a full-fledged, strong and unshakeable Banyan tree tomorrow. Prepare a solid foundation by carefully nurturing the plants and Voila! The results will be mind-boggling! Marketing is all about that - Look forward positively to a thriving future. Strongly riding on the opposition's and certain media's tall tales that our PM is wasting a lot of the tax payer's money on foreign trips, the clamorous outcry from the general public has been steadily increasing with time due to such false claims and many memes have been circulating the net like wildlife:

I was extremely saddened on seeing such gross misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what NaMo has been fantastically doing since the baton had been passed over to him in 2014. In fact, I was very frustrated and irritated for the past two years seeing all the unwanted news about Modi when he is ACTUALLY doing good for our nation especially with regards to his canny Marketing efforts. I was patiently waiting for the results to manifest itself knowing very well that the lotus will swiftly bloom and spread its delightful smile. Now, the outcomes are speaking for themselves and it was high time that I blow off my steam with solid facts.

It is indeed a political masterstroke that he not only addresses the socio-economic problems that are plaguing our society in isolation but also collectively by frequently flying to establish to the world leaders that India should be the first choice place for investments. In short, an effective Brand Building exercise to create the perfect Top-of-the-Mind-Awareness for the state heads of the developed and developing nations to park their resources into our country. From a 'doom and gloom' situation in 2014, it has become 'boom and bloom' (Sometimes, I like my meaningful rhyming very much!) for our nation with his 'Make in India' mission and strategically positioning India by strongly exhorting other countries to manufacture in our country.

How does he do it? Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy! By leveraging our country's core competencies (Falling in love with my own Alliteration here! Jokes apart). India has a very rich and abundant reserves of natural resources to go hand in hand with our whopping great talent pool of population - Skilled and Unskilled Labour. So, when he gives his sales pitch by convincing the various powerful and numero uno's of the respective countries making the best use of what we are exceptionally good thereby giving our nation that vital and distinct competitive edge which provides us with the tremendous upper hand over the other developing nations.

By September 3 2016, NaMo has undertaken 52 foreign trips across 43 countries. To give a detailed breakup of his broad abroad itinerary:

2014-2015 - 9 countries

2015-2016 -  28 countries

2016-2017 (as of today) - 15 countries.

He has visited USA 4 times which would have enabled NaMo to imaginarily and successfully say "If you smell what NaMo is COOKing"! Yes, I am referring to Tim Cook's exploratory tour to India during the hot and humid May. Though Cook didn't exactly spell out the investment ideas in India, the initial barrier has been broken and the first steps have been taken. 

To put it in a nutshell, NaMo is a ruthless and tough Corporate PM who gets what he wants unlike his predecessor MMS who did what was said to him based on an SMS! I don't have to say who would have sent him the messages as the entire world knew it. Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining!

NaMo is a highly savvy Corporate person who knows and understands the nuts and bolts of India's economic landscape - that the way to a rapid development is through having sufficient sources of legitimate funds so as to generate enough employment in the country. In fact, IMHO, he is a brilliant and genius Marketing personality. Sharp, Smart, Traditional, Hip and Debonair - NaMo has an eagle-eyed taste and sophistication when it comes to his attires. 

Some people may say that he is doing a political stunt just to garner good media attention and coverage. Unfortunately, there is something called Cross-Cultural Management which is a crucial and an indispensable element for conducting International Business. "When in Rome, do as the Romans". NaMo has internalized it to such an extent that he dons several hats, pun intended, in many countries.

Likewise, he has many firsts to his name after many a year that has ensued a very good relationship with not only our neighbours but also on a global scale. To illustrate my case in point:

On the surface, it can seem that Marketing is an expense - an unnecessary and extraneous cost. But, in reality, Marketing is an investment. I will just give some examples. As a result of our NaMo's unflinching and untiring efforts, France has pledged to invest 2 billion euros and Airbus has committed to outsource 2 billion dollars. Japan's outflow is going to be 2 billion dollars in Real Estate. I can give more such examples. But, we shall first take a look at the inflows that has been steadily streaming (I love my alliterations!) into our economy.

Note: All are in USD. Do convert the numbers by multiplying it by 66.58 (as of September 2, 2016) to have the exact value in rupees.

NaMo's expenses stands at Rs 604 crores for the trips he had taken in the past two years. The split up is as below:

2014-2015 - 37 crores - 9 countries

2015-2016 - 567 crores - 28 countries

This is excluding his cavalcades' outlay. Let's say for the two years that his ministers have been travelling along with Namo, the ballpark figure is in the range Rs 1500 - 2000 crores. Putting together the total expenditure from the exchequer stands at approximately Rs 2100 - 2600 crores.

The most important metric in Marketing is the ROI which will not only be 100 % but significantly more than that! It's not just ROI that matters but how the inflow has been transformed to make a difference to the overall economy - that is also equally important. NaMo would have earned the "Outstanding Performer" for the last two years if he were employed by any corporate but all he got was brickbats from the people!  

This is just in monetary terms. When we look beyond money, there is all round growth and development when money flows into the country - The latest technologies, the best governance and management practices, the best breed of technical know-hows and most importantly, more employment opportunities in the country. When employment is there, people's standard of living increases. 

Education and health takes care of itself automatically when people's disposable income is on the rise. Why? Simple. When people have the money, they consume good and services to take good care of themselves and their families. Hence, even more business opportunities and our people will get world-class facilities in education, health, sports etc at affordable prices. It's a win-win situation for everyone - Business can be happy and people can be happy.

Also, with the up-to-the minute technology at their disposable, people tend to think and begin to do smart work instead of hard work which results in better efficiency and provide a substantial boost in productivity thereby it helps in the increase of GDP. Investors flock only to those countries which shows the slightest shine of economic growth and prosperity. As a result, the entire cycle gets repeated on an endless positive note.

Now, pessimists and naysayers might come at my throat and tell me that I am painting, sorry typing!, a very rosy picture of Indian economy and that I am supporting Narendra Modi to an excessive level.  Am I?

India has leapfrogged to 35th place from her previous 54th position in the Logistics Performance Index released by the World Bank which is stupendously in sync with NaMo's Vision "Rapid Transformation not gradual evolution". Likewise, by 2022, he has stated his Goal that every household will have 24*7 power supply, toilets and clean drinking water.

These are not simply vague words or politically correct terminologies or hot management hot catchwords like "empowerment, transparency, accountability". He really walks his talk. 

Because of his extensive foreign trips, Canada supplies Uranium to India for the next 5 years. He has also convinced Australia for Uranium supplies. Examples to name a few. So, the results are visibly tangible and for everyone to see. The cornerstone of any business is Trust, Commitment and Relationship. Supposing the countries who promised us failed to keep up their promises and honor their commitments especially with the whole world watching them, do you think it would be good for their country or their leadership? Food for thought.

"Are you saying that the Congress did not do anything when they were in power"? I can hear the Congress hardliners deafeningly screaming in my ears. 

                                                             X----to be concluded----X

Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank my professors Dr. Deepak Gupta and Shobhana Madhavan for their plenty of quizzes, interactive and engaging way of teaching that has enabled me to grasp the concepts of Marketing, International Business and Cross-Cultural Management to some basic level.

Feel free to check out their credentials for yourself:
1. Dr. Deepak Gupta
2. Prof Shobhana Madhavan

Disclaimer 1:
 You can also check out the facts, if you wish, excepting the ballpark figure.

Disclaimer 2:
I have written everything from a pure Marketing perspective. So, macro-economic conditions like Inflation, Monetary policies, Fiscal policies etc. or the many social welfare schemes that have been launched by our PM or the internal scuffles and external tensions have not been factored in as these were irrelevant and out of scope to the main intention of writing this blog.

Disclaimer 3:
None of the images and memes were created by me. Whatever I felt was right to the context, I just did a copy and paste from the web. So, thanks to all those creators!

Disclaimer 4:
All the opinions are mine. So, whatever mistakes, blunders and fallacies that could have cropped up in the blog is the result of my negligence or partial understanding or no understanding on the topic. Will tend to be even more careful in future if someone points out the errors and flaws in my facts and writing. TIA!