Marketing Trick 2011- 4P's of Anna Hazare Campaign

Success of “Anna Hazare Campaign” is not merely serendipity, but there was strong marketing science behind each phase of brand. This success has forced several management gurus to draw learnings from campaign. Let us assume it to be a Startup with Anna Hazare as the CEO, along with Kiran Bedi, eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan and social activist Arvind Kejriwal as board members. Their product is Jan Lok Pal bill, which has the potential target audience of over 1.2 million people. In the following article, 4P’s of Anna Campaign has been discussed in depth.

 4P's of Anna Hazare Campaign

Product: The product is “Anna Hazare Campaign”. The product benchmarked itself with Mahatma Gandhi, who in itself is a legend.

Price: To be a part of campaign or to buy the product was very easy. All you need is an ‘I am Anna’ topi, which costed as minimal as INR 5.

Place: Target Market of the campaign was chosen strategically in the form of Ram Leela Maidan. The venue was kept so large, so that it can accommodate the large population to participate and experience, which eventually would mobilize more people to be the part of campaign. Another strategy was the test marketing, in the form of launching the first fast at Jantar Mantar. Success of this fast helped the team to test the waters before actual rolling out of the campaign, and enable the team to anticipate the response. The product was readily available. You don’t have to learn jargons, or to provide proof of your Indian citizenship, or to accumulate loyalty points by fasting for a minimum number of hours. All you need to have the spirit, enthusiasm.

Promotion:

Time of launch of campaign also attributed to the success of the campaign. It was launched between the world cup and IPL, hence got enormous media coverage, as it acted as filler for the media vaccum.

Readily availability of team Anna over the issue, and updates to media also helped the team to reach to masses. Having just very faces to media saved the team from the scope of having distorted messages being passed to the end users.

Viral marketing: Team Anna used social media extensively to spread their message. Every message, update spreaded like fire in jungle. Be it twitter, facebook, blogs, videos, team Anna was successful in creating viral buzz and could ensure that all communicating mediums are in resonance with each other.

Team could position the product as strong brand with strong brand elements. Gandhi Topis, posters of Anna mediating at Rajghat, tagline “I am Anna” proved iconic in the success of the campaign.

Series of video ads using images of people from different strata of life, who were holding a red-colored placard demanding 'Anna Ka Jan Lokpal Lagoo Karo” helped the team Anna to connect emotionally with all genres of population. They ensured to keep their message simple, direct and catchy.

Approachability played another major role, as the time, location, intent of each rally was written out in tabular format on white boards with the name and mobile number of the volunteer.

Proper brand engagement was there in the form of rallies, candle march etc.