Kaun banega Obama?

January 20 2009 is marked in history as the day America swore in its first black President. What went into the making of brand Obama, and can an Indian politician usher in a consumer revolution? Bhairavi Jhaveri and Anjana Vaswani find out

Kaun banega Obama?

The 44th President of the United States, Barack Husein Obama may have his share of work cut out for him.

What causes the Obama infection, and why is it spreading like forest fire?

Race: "Rosa sat so Martin could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run; Obama is running so our children can fly," went a popular slogan during Obama's campaign, leaving little mystery around why experts attribute much of his appeal to his family history. Under the guidance of political-consultant David Axelrod, Obama's campaign involved an unabashed exploitation of his multiracial heritage. Obama's father, a Kenyan goat-herder, was born in Nyanza, and met his mother Ann Durham, a white Kansas-based lady at the University of Hawaii. Barack was born in Honolulu but was not raised under his father's care. Obama's mother later married an Indonesian, moving to Jakarta, where Obama schooled till the age of 10. It is the diversity in his ethnic background that experts believe, associates him with the promise of hope and opportunity.

Who could play the race card? Uttar Pradesh CM and BSP supremo Mayawati (Her platform: She belongs to the Dalit minority group)

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Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi and Mayawati are three Indian politicians with national appeal

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati was born into a family in Delhi in 1956. Her father, Prabhu Das worked as a clerk in a telecommunications office. Mayawati was part of the core team that formed the Dalit-centric Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1984, and in elections held in 2007, the BSP won a majority, with Behenji managing to attract support from members of diverse groups including the Brahmins, Thakurs, Muslims and OBCs, all of whom voted for a Dalit party for the first time, probably because the BSP had offered seats to representatives from all sections. Incidentally, Mayawati was the highest income tax paying Indian politician in 2007-2008.

Slogans: In 2002, Obama fervently criticised George Bush's war on Iraq, saying, "I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war... I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences." His views made the public perceive him as the antithesis to the Bush administration, and all the errors and wrongdoings they associated with it.

Peace has been high on his agenda, with him airing strong views on the war against terror, even when it has meant rapping Pakistan on its knuckles. Whether he will carry through on it or not, the world will see, but Obama also promised radical budget cuts in the range of tens of billions of dollars which he hoped to achieve by ceasing investments in unproven missile defense systems and eliminating all nuclear weapons.

Who plays on public sentiment? NCP leader and Union Minister of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Sharad Pawar (His platform: Cricket)

Without offering any assurances of change in public policy or improvements in public life, Sharad Pawar has found a way to the hearts of the Indian public through cricket. He's been serving as elected chairman of the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) since 2005. The senior Maharashtra politician who has served four terms in the Chief Minister's office, has also served as the head of various sports organisations such as the Mumbai Cricket Association, Maharashtra Wrestling Association, Maharashtra Kho Kho Association, Maharashtra Kabbadi Association and Maharashtra Olympics Association.

Charm: Part of Obama's charm lies in his honesty, and he appeals to a diverse group of the public by reaching out to them with this tool. His admission to the use of drugs and alcohol during his teenage years to, "push questions of who I was out of my mind", won him the favour of the American youth and yet, by calling the habit his "greatest moral failure," he managed to retain the support of the all-American family.

Who charms the Indian public? Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (His platform: Ancestry, youth)

Thirty-eight-year-old Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and ex PM Rajiv Gandhi, is a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the most prominent political family in the country. Great-grandson of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Rahul was just 14 when his grandmother Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Rahul officially entered politics in 2004, when he stood for elections from his father's former constituency of Amethi (UP), and won by a landslide. Senior congress leaders believe Rahul's youth and clean image will help him connect with India's youth.

Public Relations: A teacher of communications and award-winning PR specialist Ofield Dukes applauded Obama's public relations strategies, in an address to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) in May last year. Dubbing rival John McCain's campaign a "PR blunder", Dukes claimed that Obama had "revolutionised politics through the use of effective communication". Obama's campaign successfully used the Internet and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, to connect with young people.

Who's in the eye of the Indian public? Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi (His platform: Hindutva)
Born in 1950 to a middle-income family in Gujarat, Narendra Modi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in early 1987, and in 1995, became the National Secretary of the party. His management of Gujarat's economy has been appreciated, but his image suffered a blow when in February 2002, while he was serving as CM, thousands were killed and 1,50,000 displaced in Hindu-Muslim riots prompted by the Godhra train burning incident. The Human Rights Watch and National Human Rights Commission pinned the responsibility on Modi and his ministers, saying they "had a tacit, if not explicit, complicity in the riots". Taking a leaf out of the American-style of campaigning, Modi's election saw vigorous brand-management and selling techniques. The campaign that relied heavily on the Hindutva ideology, employed circulating audio and video compact discs with the BJP's message and bombarding audiences with advertisements on TV, radio, Internet and mobile services. In December 2007, hisu00a0 supporters made appearances at election rallies wearing Narendra Modi masks.

Integrity: Standing behind his statements rather than wavering under the weight of public or political pressure, is what makes Obama a paragon of integrity, as does the generosity of spirit. In his speech about race, for instance, he openly condemned what he called "the divisive views" of his pastor, Reverend Wright at the Trinity Church, but, at the same time, he was generous enough to state that there was more to the man than just his misguided opinions. "He is a man who served his country as a US Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth," said Obama, explaining why he would not be switching churches on account of the Reverend's statements.

No current Indian contender is convincing enough!

The MID Day POLL

Which Indian politician has the potential to become brand Obama?u00a0

47 %
Rahul Gandhi

42 %
Narendra Modi

3 %
Mayawati

8 %
Sharad Pawar

It pays to be a Gandhi

The fact that there's magic in the name becomes apparent in the efforts of the Mahatma's grandson Tushar Gandhi, who tried to appropriate legal rights over the Gandhi name and image through a contract with CMG Worldwide. The face, symbol and name, "Gandhi" is one, which, marketing moguls associate with the ability to sell. Consequently, everything from salt to computer brands have attempted to use him in one form or the other Apple MacIntosh computers had a campaign depicting Gandhiji's meditative face. And while it's not clear whether the sequel to the Munnabhai movie promoted the Gandhi brand or whether the film's popularity surged because it included the Mahatma's philosophy, in politics, the power of the Gandhi name
is apparent.

For a person to become a brand, he must connect with people

Ajay Chandwani Executive Director, Percept H
Brand Obama is bigger than Obama the person; the brand is always larger-than-life. In Obama's case, he connected with the audience by saying the right thing at the right time, including it in speeches, and dishing out excellent sound bytes. His warm and friendly attitude makes people believe that he understands them and their problems, which gives them hope. And hope is necessary.

Connecting with people and reaching out to their hearts and minds is the biggest asset for creating a fan-following for any brand ambassador. Staying poised, composed, and sporting a well-maintained image is very important for a politician if he/she wants to reach out to people today. A good politician must let his people think he knows much more about them, than he really does.

Why can't an Indian neta be on the cover of a fashion mag?

Asks Shweta Shiware, after Obama appears on covers of international editions of Esquire, Rolling Stones and GQ

N Radhakrishnan would love to feature India's Home Minister P Chidambaram on the cover of Man's World. But it would be a task next to impossible reveals the Editor-Publisher. "Mr Chidambaram might not be a mass leader, but he is the man who made sense of the madness after 26/11. He has national appeal. But men's magazines in India are in a nascent stage, unlike their US and UK counterparts. Politicians like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have no qualms about modelling for a style magazine. Posing for a magazine is not even on a senior Indian politician's radar. It would be a task just to get in touch with him (Chidambaram), let alone get him to agree," he says.

The younger club of politicos who wouldn't mind being freeze-framed on a mag cover, have limited appeal "not enough to make a big impact".u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Started in 1999 by industrialist couple Anand and Anuradha Mahindra, Man's World is perhaps one of the first magazines in the country to exclusively target the liberal, sophisticatedu00a0 and affluent Indian male. Until now, it's only J&K CM Omar Abdullah who's been featured on their cover. That was four years ago. Radhakrishnan says, "Internationally, men's magazines don't feature politicians unless he's behind a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon like Obama, or is charismatic as Bill Clinton. Obama wasn't roped in because he has fashion sense. In fact, he was photographed wearing a pair of shoes with a hole in the sole. It's about his personality; he's virtually united the world and stands for hope in times of despair."

Is it possible for India to root for one man?

The young politico
Yes, it's possible for an entire nation to support one man. India too has had political figures respected the world over, including Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. But, more importantly, is India ready for a man like this? Obama, despite belonging to a minority, won, because Americans decided to put aside their biases and vote for a man who could pull them out of economic misery. Often a crisis or an external situation brings people of a country together. We must not wait for something like that to happen.

Political columnist
India is willing and yearning to find a man who can save her from the onslaught of money-backed politics. People under 40 don't care for caste and creed; they are tired of seeing the parliament turn into a mandi and watch political leadership fail them time and again. We want politicians who can deliver, keep their promises, and are committed to Indian polity. Narendra Modi and Omar Abdullah are capable of changing the scenario beyond the realm of ideological tight-roped walking. Modi champions the ideology Na main khaoonga aur na main khaane doonga, and creating a corruption-free Gujarat.

India's famous vote for Milind Deora, Priya Dutt, Sachin Pilot to usher in change

Milind Deora and Priya Dutt have the advantage of being young and tech-savvy. Obama used the Internet to communicate and campaign. The younger generation of politicians like Omar Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, Priya and Milind have credibility on their side, and will find it easier to reach out to the masses; they just need to prove themselves at a national level, now. The Internet is a democratic medium, which is why it's so powerful.

Rahul Gandhi has the potential to be the next big icon in India. It will take a while for an Indian leader to become a global phenomenon, since we need to prove ourselves to the world first. Rahul is young, smart, and unafraid to speak his mind unlike other politicians. He has the exposure, and leadership qualities are ingrained in him.u00a0

In the past, Indira Gandhi and Nehru have been phenomenal global icons. The Non-alignment movement lead by Gandhi was the third biggest movement of its kind in the world. Therefore, there is a lot of hope riding on the younger lot Milind Deora, Omar Abdullah and Jyotiraditya Scindia. The new generation is sick of seeing old and older faces in our polity; with youth comes hope and fresh solutions. We want the system to become corporatised.

Both, Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia have the potential. They are young and charismatic. They have the ancestry that lends them a special charm, and they know how to please the masses. They must steer clear of corruption.

And young india says:

Piyush Kulshreshtha Director, Infinite Canvas Realty
By evidence of the progress he's made, Narendra Modi has the capacity to become Obama. His clarity of vision has lead him to make economic progress in Gujarat. It's possible for an Indian leader to become a well known face on the global front, but the people of our country would try their best to bring him down.

Navin Kewalramani Self-employed
I don't stock much faith in Indian politicians. Most of them are corrupt, and concepts like integrity and honesty are alien to them. Even Nigerian politicians have a better image.

Neha Mishra Events Manager with international magazine
Milind Deora and Sachin Pilot understand the youth, their problems, have travelled the world and know how to deal with various cultures; they are good representatives of our country. The Indian youth find it tough to relate to senior guys like Manmohan Singh and Pratibha Patil.

Sunil Harlalkaa Numerologist
Rahul Gandhi is young and has a deeper understanding of how the system works. He can be our Obama.

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