
If we were to scan across our collective memories to recollect the great marketing campaigns that India has seen, we would find our mindscape strewn with innumerable brands hailing from categories as diverse as social awareness to commodities to consumer products to films to elections. All these would qualify to be called great for the impact they created on our minds and the resultant behavioural change we submitted ourselves to.
However, there is one that stands tall amongst all these – The Indian Freedom Movement. It seems to have all the ingredients, tools and strategies that one employs to design a comprehensive marketing campaign and style it as a 360-degree strategy.
Of the 4Ps of marketing, ‘Freedom from the British’ was the first P, i.e., the ‘product’ or concept that was being marketed, the second P of ‘price’ was the ‘utmost sacrifice’ that the seekers of this product wished to offer, the third P of ‘promotion’ involved any media we can think of from ATL, BTL, PR to viral, the fourth P of ‘place’ i.e., the distribution for this concept or product was spread across every corner of this entire nation. This marketing campaign had within it various advertising campaigns to convey thoughts, ideals or philosophy to the masses.
To fathom in this 21st century of the internet, that ideals or philosophies like satyagraha, swadeshi, civil disobedience, non-cooperation or Quit India espoused at some singl e location in this vast country would spread across this entire nation in no time without any formal mass media is just baffling and awe inspiring.
The theory of every single philosophy would first be articulated by the national leaders who were at the helm and then gradually the same would trickle down to the farthest corner of the nation through discourses by local leaders at gatherings. Each of these theories would then have a BTL side to it to demonstrate the practical result that the philosophy intends to achieve and enable everybody to participate in the process and experience the outcome. All the activities like burning of foreign goods, adoption of indigenously developed goods, ‘jail bharo’, ‘gherao’ of administrative units leading up to the Dandi March are the BTL manifestations.
The various local newspapers and publications did the PR job while other communication collaterals like pamphlets, posters, banners, wall paintings were widely used. The radio was the most modern ATL media communication. However, it was viral (word-of-mouth) that was the most effective in terms of reach.
The campaign for every philosophy had a national brand endorser as in the national leader espousing the thought and it also had the various local brand endorsers as in the local leaders who would build up local support for the cause and target the British administration across the country.
Here was a marketing campaign which promoted the product or concept of ‘Freedom from the British’ to an entire national population without considering any SEC parameter. The medium and the message used to be the same whatever be the SEC of the target audience, and needless to say, no one ever got the communication wrong because of that. Yes, even at that time we had language translations of the national campaign for the various regions, and communicated by the local brand endorser of the region!
The manner in which an entire nation was stirred to take up the cause of ‘Freedom from the British’ and fight for it has no parallel in any marketing history. Which is why, perhaps we should start taking lessons in marketing from the Indian Freedom Movement – The Greatest Marketing Campaign in India, ever.
-
Reliance Industries tops Fortune India 500 list for second year in a row
December 10, 2020 By Team PITCH -
-
AdLift Wins Creative Mandate for PayU India
June 10, 2020 By pitchteam
-
THE ROAD AHEAD TRADITIONAL MARKETING- “DIGITAL MARKETING”
July 25, 2019 By Anam Khan -
Marketing Herbal, the Lotus Way
July 25, 2019 By Sanstuti Nath -
Archives
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- November 2011
- February 2011
- December 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- July 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- February 2008
- January 2008
- September 2007
- January 2007
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.