Brand Extensions - Failure

Business, products have brand values. Coke has one of the larger brand value on their balance sheet.
Actors, actresses, business persons have brand values too. Jack Welsh had a big brand value. His brand value was in consistance with his performance at GE and the company GE itself has a great brand value.Brand value is a simple reminder of quality of the product and service that comes with the product/service itself and the consistancy of this good performance every time that you use the product/service. Marketing and PR really helps in conveying this well. However, the catch is that the product/service quality should be consistant with what is expected or set expectations. Hence the PR and marketing should set the right expectations. When expectations are not delivered, the brand value reduces or diminishes with time.

Actors more than actresses have larger shelf life and hence larger brand value spanning larger amounts of time. Viewers like to watch heros perform things, stunts that they cannot do in their real life. Reel life and what we see on screen is a nice escape for the viewers. Youngsters get attracted to the dialogues, dances and mannerisms that seem stylish and 'nice to see and hear'!!
Actors have understood this well over time and have carefully planned their brands.

Chiranjeevi has offered new value proposition for movie goers when he entered the industry. He was one among the very few young actors when the oldies like NTR, ANR and other were ruling the roost. He has differentiated himself with his dances and angry young man image. He catered mostly to the masses and later on was very much helped by his brother-in-law Allu Aravind to plan his roles and movies. Arvind is a genious in the way he has built up Chiranjeevi brand value for himself and his other family members. His distribution experience has helped build brand extensions in Pawan Kalyan and Allu arjun. Without such brilliant experience, it is hard to imagine 4- 5 actors frm the same family sustaining one small Telugu film industry.
After NTR's family was catapulted from a mere filmy family to the their dominance in the political scenario it is a road well mapped for all super stars to try their luck in politics.
It appears that a decision has been made to enter into politics during the 'Indra' time. The roles, the dialogues, bigger than life image creation, etc is a good indication of that. Chiranjeevi with his number of movies and his experience in acting could have done so many other things related to the movie industry which are natural extentions to his work. However, has choosen to start a charitable trust and do blood donations and eye donations. It is not surpising to note that he has chosen charity that involves more people than the actual work for himself or the organization. The larger number of people involved, the larger the brand value!! A new brand value that he was trying to create for himself like his titles - 'Andarivadu', 'Jai Chiranjeeva'. An oppurtunity he was creating for his fans to spread the message, to organize themselves around charity and work for the society!!

A good preparation for the entry into politics. He focused on his image using the following points before announcing the party:
1. Clean and non-controversial image! He would not get involved in any industry squabbles or fights or controversies. allways trying to smile and create a clean image.
2. I reacted only to my fans: He was trying to create an image that he is not one bit interested in politics, but since people were asking him to come and serve them and make a difference to the world, he is interested. Again, he is not making a stance that he wants to do something.. but instead, he is reacting to people's wishes.
3. A well thought out person: Not avesam, but alochana: He has used his fan clubs and their members to collect data and conduct surveys before announcing the party. His brothers and brother-in-law have been meeting various members to collect data at least for a year before the party announcement.

At last, a party name and entry was announced with a tag line of 'Samajika Nyayam' as a differentiator from other parties. Other differentiators included clean and corruption free governance.

Brand Fall out
It is difficult to sustain any larger than life brand over time. Especially, if that brand has to transported into a new industry/field. There are mis conceptions, larger expectations to deal with.

When Chiranjeevi announced the party, he claimed that he will not criticize anyone or reiterate to anyone's comments. He gave a Gandhigiri image of showing the second cheek for a slap on the first one. His brothers also so to claimed and requested the fans not to react to any critical comments on Chiranjeevi, but to do samajika seva like planting trees, etc.

Acting in movies, things related to movie production, songs, etc are second nature to Chiranjeevi. he probably doesn't practise his scripts, steps, etc for the last 5 to 10 years. Not much effort needed. However, ever since a party has been announced, to live upto the same brand image of 'know-it-all' or 'done-it-all' or larger than life image, he needed to learn quite a bit especially answering for unprepared questions, unpractised speeches, showing the same enthusiam/energy levels all the way..etc.

Next comes reactions to critics and answering subject matter questions like party policy issues and issues of the state. What started off as no response to critics when he started off the party, today on the last day of campaiging (approximately 150 days), his daughter, son and nephew (allu Arjun) are also involved in criticizing opponents like Chandrababu Naidu. Chiranjeevi himself along with his Yuva Rajyam brother Pawan kalyan have responded to critics comments. This is where the 'satvic' image of Chiranjeevi has failed miserably. What was said in the beginning was not followed (Gandhigiri) and not only that the responses to critics were not strong or subjective enough to carry weight. It showed that he hasn't followed what we has preached.

Clean Image (Not so): Unprecedented oppurtunities come by with new companies and new parties. Naturally, with the clean and corrupt free image that Chiranjeevi projected for himself, lots of other politicians have folked upto to him. Rather than be selective of those people, he has taken up all of them and created a Old wine in new bottle image. The process of jumping from other parties happenned too quick and too soon after his party formation. A lot of people have spent monies organizing tours and functions for Chiranjeevi. The bigger of the leaders who got seats are okay, bt the smaller ones got their dreams crushed when they did not receive the party tickets. In defense of Chiranjeevi, they have received way too many applications for each ticket. Hence there were too many expectations crushed and back lash and allegations of sale of party tickets. Chiranjeevi himself has criticized other leaders like Chandra Babu and YSR about corruption without giving details on the projects involved in corruption, approximate amounts that was over spent or whatever the details may be. On the other hand, when he is criticized on tickets sales, he dismisses them as trash and baseless without asking for details. This has immensly crushed his Mr.Clean image.

Conclusion:
Chiranjeevi has set up his own brand failure when he extended it into politics. He claimed that he came into politics ONLY on invitation of people. He claims that people are with him and he is the KING without having to substantiate his policies. He needed through preparation which he lacked and considered politics as an extension of cinema which is not!!

Now, the elections are over. Whether Chiranjeevi becomes a KING or a KING Maker, his brand in politics has suffered immensly and a new startegy has to looked upon to re-install and re-build it.

Questions for future:

If he is not accepted by the people (in his own words) and gets second or third position as a party or looses one of the seat that he has contested from, will he quit politics and set an example to live his brand image. He has constantly told people that he came on invitation of people and he is wanted by them. In the same token, if he is rejected, will be go back?

This answer and action will be a building block for his future brand value?

Male - Female Bonding

There is a big difference that I have found in the way males bond compared to the way females bond. The differences (good or bad) seems to grow obvious with aging...

Men like to bond amongst themselves in business matters and fun matters.