How many Cement endorsements will BigB do?

I don’t want to count how many brands the star of the millennium endorse. I think we all can do that and may fail to remember all of them. And we all know how stars tweak the deals and endorse seemingly competitive products. Not that anybody is complaining. Like Shahrukh Khan endorses Airtel mobile service but vows for Dish TV DTH which is a competitor of Airtel Digital DTH service. (You may say what’s wrong with that and I am not goin to argue with u)

But Amitji has taken the seeming contradiction to a new level. We have all seen his advertisement for “Binani Cement”.

 Now a days, there is another ad-Jaypee Cement-that is doing the rounds on news channels where Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar appears. But the background voice is solely by Bachhan saab. Even at the end he reminds you the brand name “Jaypee Cement-Andar se solid”.

So as a Amitabh Bachchan fan, I am confused which cement should I use in the construction of my house that I am planning to start soon! On a more serious note, are the ad agencies blissfully ignore this because they love in any way to associate them with the few big brand endorsers in the market! Are the viewers so dumb that they will not notice it! Does it help the brand in the long run! It’s time marketers and ad makers come out with some better ideas.

Mandate09: Dispelling some myths

The general election for 15th Lok Sabha has thrown many surprises, some myths as well into political domain. Here is demystifying a few at the state level:

Myth 1:

BJP has been wiped out of Orissa

From 7 seats in the 2004 elections in the Lok Sabha to nil in the current election, it is widely believed the people of Orissa have completely rejected BJP in the state and that it has been extincted from the state without any hope of revival. That it had survived in the state only at the back of Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal.

The graphics above speaks for itself. BJP has got 16.89% vote share in the state, higher than the 13.42% share it got in 1996 elections when it fought alone on its strength (and could not win any seat). However, its vote share is down from 19.3% that it garnered in the 2004 elections, a near 3.5% point loss.

In the current election in Orissa, BJD’s vote share has gone up to 37.23% from 30.02% in 2004 polls. And the real loser is the Congress whose vote share has decreased by near 8% points to 32.75% from 40.43% in 2004.

Myth 2:

In UP, Congress has taken away the Muslim voters from BSP, SP

From the beginning, let me make it clear that I don’t know how actually Muslims voted in this elections. My conclusion is based on other indications. In UP, Congress’ fortunes have increased this time dramatically. It has gathered 18.25% vote (21 seats) from 12.04% (9 seats) in 2004. Has it been able to reduce the vote bank of both BSP and SP significantly, no. BSP’s voteshare has declined to 27.42% from 24.67% in 2004, while SP’s voteshare has decreased to 23. 26% from 26.74% in 2004. In UP, the Muslim population accounts for 19% spread over 27 districts of the state. I am not discounting the possibility that Congress may well have increased its voteshare amongst Muslim population, however, the actual loser in UP is the BJP. BJP’s voteshare has decreased to 17.5% from 22.17% in 2004-a near 5% point decline. What does it mean for the hardline Hindutva party in an election where it tried to polarise, or at least hoped to gain from the Varun Gandhi episode? The message is loud and clear-The era of 90s politics is over. It can no more divide and rule.

What’s wrong with BJP!

Which way should BJP go? (Courtsey: Reuters)

Here is a Google Chat transcript with a friend (name changed). Hope you like it. Let me know about your ideas for BJP. A strong BJP is required for a healthy democracy in India.

Stephen: what do u think
why BJP lost
4:32 PM me: i can speak nationally
Stephen: ok…
me: i think they failed to read d pulse of india in 2004
they did it again this time
Stephen: yeah…the party is getting old
though I am a BJP supporter
me: see d indian voter has changed in last 10 years completely
4:33 PM Stephen: I could not identify with advani
me: d way he thinks and d way he votes
in 1998 when i was in graduation
Stephen: the party is still stuck in the mandir
me: i remember sushma swaraj losin d delhi assembly becoz d onion price went up to 40 rs
Stephen: yes
me: the today’s voter doesnt consider it as a factor anymore
4:34 PM Stephen: and this time BJP could not capitalise on it successfully
I think they should have hammered on price rise
me: today’s voter knows it wudnt hav been anydifferent if bjp was in power
so this times congress’s win is amazin that way
Stephen: i know…but they could not make it an issue
me: there is high food prices, ppl r losing jobs
4:35 PM under an economic downturn
Stephen: I think…BJP failed to make an issue out of them
me: there were somany terror attacks
but still Congress wins hands down
Stephen: and was singing old tunes
all BJP’s poverty of thought
advani should have decided that he was getting old
4:36 PM and then he should have opted out
at least a year ago
and a younger BJP leadership should have taken over
then there would have been comparisions with Manmohan Singh
at least the new BJP leader would have got some benefit of doubt
4:37 PM saying people should test him
see the reason why BJP was elected in the first place because they said they were not tested
and they should be given a chance
me: i think d dynasty politics in congress is provin to be a boon
Stephen: when they got it they mucked it up
me: they dont hav a leadership crisis
Stephen: Not necessarily
4:38 PM me: in bjp now there is a severe crisis of leaderrship
Stephen: BJP should have done it fast
I mean solved it
me: who is d second rung leader who ll lead it
i am myself in a puzzle
Stephen: the RSS should have anlinted a second rung leadership
anointed
by now
4:39 PM me: if they bring in modi they ll annoy d middle class young voters further
Stephen: Modi can be a winner
provided he takes the OBC with him
me: i dont any other leader is even in a position to take everybody together
Stephen: Nobody should junk Modi
at least he is a good chief minister
far better than the likes of Naveen
and Nitish Kumar
me: he is a gud CM in gujarat
4:40 PM Stephen: he can temper his ego
me: but i hav doubt about his acceptability nationally
Stephen: I think he has to reinvent himself
4:41 PM me: i think its too late for him even to do that
Stephen: see…a couple of years ago nobody could ever think that Rahul could ever be accepted
me: no no rahul started with a blank slate
modi cant
his past ll always haunt him
Stephen: But Modi has proved himself as a godd chief minister
4:42 PM and good administrator
he has to come to terms with his past
the sooner the better
he should get the rioters arrested and prosecuted
and clean up his name
he should not spare anybody
4:43 PM me: d day he does that he ll lose his own votebank in gujarat
so he wont do that
Stephen: no..not necessarily
see..he shut out togadia from gujarat
and still won the 2007 assembly eelection
4:44 PM me: i think this election is also significant as voters hav clearly given a mandate against d extremes
against d extreme right and extreme left
Stephen: sure.. I agree with that
me: ppl r pissed off with d kind of varun gandhi politics
Stephen: i agree
me: they need jobs, development, security
4:45 PM bjp shd hav shut down varun on day 1
Stephen: varun gandhi might have won in pilibhit
me: they failed to read d mood
Stephen: but he cost BJP huge votes
he was like a loose canon
BJP should moderate itself
4:46 PM me: so its not about modi reinventing himself bjp has to reinvent itself completely
Stephen: and build up a youth base
I agree
RSS has to come to the rscue
Hindutva line won’t work anymore
Hindutva may win you a election
me: they must understand d time of 90s kind politics is over
Stephen: but what after that
yes…
4:47 PM me: and where r d younger faces in bjp
who is d sachin pilot in bjp
if not rahul
4:48 PM Stephen: no one
me: where r d milind deoras
Stephen: yes…
what I think is BJP should start inducting more youths
and build upon
4:49 PM a new leadership
me: yes
Stephen: they can’t ruminate on their losses for long
instead they should focus
4:50 PM on their strengths
and not be despondent
they should chart out a roadmap for next 5 years
on how to win an election
4:51 PM in the meantime they should forget mandir
me: now d challange is recast d party
Stephen: thst is just one part
me: they need a moderate face like shushma swaraj or arun jaitlye to lead d party
Stephen: the danger is you can’t recast the entire party
4:52 PM me: modi is not an option according to me
they hav to take very difficult decisions in comin few days
if advani insists of leavin d loksabha leadership
4:53 PM no i dont expect bjp to publicly renouncing what they hav stood for
Stephen: advani has to go
me: what they need is discourage such elements in d party
Stephen: he can be a mentor
yes…
I think they would
4:54 PM me: givin a clear signal that they r movin in a diff direction
Stephen: if they don’t then they would be history
me: ppl r more intelligent than d leaders
they ll read it
Stephen: at least I won’t vote for BJP any longer
me: if they ll run d party they r doin right now
they ll be regional party in next election
Stephen: I am least bothered
4:56 PM in that case i would never vote for bjp
I would rather vote for a party which would appear p;rogressive
4:57 PM me: yes
4:58 PM Stephen: BJP was born because people thought Congress to be corrupt

5 minutes

5:03 PM me: yes
Stephen: now BJP has turned into an old Congress
I am sure the party would revive itself
5:04 PM that’s the beauty of democrarcy
me: exactly its a complete role reversal
ppl initially thought bjp is a party with a difference
Stephen: no one remains to be outside power
they would be forced to change
me: now i think d same applies to congress
Stephen: BJP is a party of indifferent people
me: bjp has lost that tag miserably