POLITICAL ADVERTISINGPOLITICAL ADVERTISING

POLITICAL ADVERTISING

RIGHT FROM THE DAY ONE IN THIS PROFESSION I WAS TAUGHT TO BE AWAY FROM POLITICAL ADVERTISING. THE REASON MY GURU GAVE ME WAS " SHOULD YOU HANDLE POLITICAL ADVERTISING, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN FINANCIAL LOSSES. SHOULD THE PARTY WIN AND TAKE OVER THE GOVERNMENT, THEY WOUL BE TO POWERFUL AND WILL HAVE THE REASONS TO REFUSE TO PAY YOUR BILLS ON ONE PRETEXT OR OTHER. YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF ALMOST HELPLESS BECAUSE HOW DO YOU FIGHT PEOPLE, WHO ARE LAW-MAKERS.

SHOULD THE PARTY LOOSE ELECTIONS, THEY MAY BE BROKE AND POINT BLANK REFUSE ON THE PRETEXT OF LACK OF FUNDS.

THAT'S WHY FOR ALMOST THREE DECADES I KEPT MYSELF ON AN ARMS LENGHT AS FAR AS POLITICAL ADVERTISING WAS CONCERNED.

IT WAS 16TH JULY 2009, YES THE SAME DATE AS OF TODAY. A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATE OF MINE CAME INTO MY OFFICE AND ANNOUNCED " YOU KNOW, JAMEEL, COME OCTOBER, MAHARASHTRA WILL GO TO ASSEMBLY POLLS ". I SAID " YES. I AM AWARE OF IT ". HE SAID " I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS THE COUSIN OF GENERAL SECRETARY OF MPCC AND HE IS KEEN ON GETTING THE COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS FOR THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS AND IS QUITE CONFIDENT THAT HE WOULD GET THE BUSINESS BECAUSE OF HIS CLOUT ".

I REPLIED " WHERE IS THE HITCH? "

HE SAID " HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ADVERTISING AND COMMUNICATIONS, NOR DO I AM VERY WELL VERSED WITH IT. YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN JUST MARKETING ADVERTISING SPACE ALL ALONG MY LIFE ".

I ASKED " WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME ? ".

HE SAID " WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE MY PARTENER IN THIS VENTURE ? '.

I SAID " NO, I DO NOT HANDLE POLITICAL ADVERTISING ". 

HE SAID " IN THAT CASE , WILL YOU BE THE FRONT, DO THE PLAN, PRESENT IT ON HIS BEHALF ".

I THOUGHT FOR A WHILE AND REPLIED " OK, FOR THE OLD TIME SAKE, I SHALL DO THAT AS LONG AS YOUR FRIEND PAYS MY FEE ".

I DID GOT THE PLAN TOGETHER AND MET WITH HIS FRIEND WHOSE COUSIN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE MPCC.

I NORMALLY CHARGE MY FEE IN ADVANCE BUT FOR THE OLD TIME SAKE I AGREED TO GIVE THEM A CREDIT OF A MONTH.

THEY TOOK THE PRESENTATION CD FROM MY OFFICE AND WENT AWAY.

AFTER A WEEK MY BUSINESS ASSOCIATE RETURNED AND TOLD ME " OH, HIS COUSIN WAS ZAPPED WITH YOUR STRATEGY OF WINNING THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS AND 

 HAS ASKED US TO MEET THE HEAD OF MEDIA CELL OF MPCC. WILL YOU COME WITH US AND PRESENT THE STRATEGY TO HIM? ".

I WAS HESITANT. BUT ON THEIR PLEADING I AGREED TO GO ALONG WITH THEM.

ON THE APPOINTED DAY WE REACHED HEAD MEDIA CELL'S OFFICE. I TOOK OUT MY LAPTOP AND STARTED EXPLAINING SLIDE AFTER SLIDE.

THE GENTLEMAN TO WHOM I WAS PRESENTING, WAS A VERY SHARP  PERSON , HE DID SEE THE MERIT OF THE STRATEGY BUT AT THE SAME TIME ALSO REALISED THAT THE GUYS SITTING IN FRONT OF HIM WERE WITHOU ANY INFRASTRUCTURE.

AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION HE LOOKED AT ME AND ASKED " WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM ME ? ".

I SHIRKED MY SHOULDERS AND INDICATED TOWARDS OTHER TWO GENTLEMEN AND SAID " THEY SHALL EXPLAI THAT '.

COUSIN OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY TOLD HIM PRETTY RUDELY " WE WANT ADVERTISING BUSINESS FIR THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS ".

HEAD OF MEDIA CELL SAID " WE ARE CALLING FOR PITCHES FROM ADVERTISING AGENCIES, YOU TOO ARE WELCOME TO TRY YOUR LUCK ".

I THOUGHT THAT THE MEETING WAS OVER AND PICKED UP MY LAPTOP AND WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE, AS REACH HIS ROOM'S DOOR, HE SAID " ONE SECOND, I HAVE ANOTHER OFFER FOR YOU " THIS TIME HE WAS DIRECTLY ADDRESSING ME.

 I LOOKED AT HIM, PUZZLED.

HE SAID " HOW ABOUT BEING ON MY SIDE OF THE TABLE? '.

I WAS STILL LOOKING PUZZLED.

 HE EXPLAINED " COME ELECTIONS, WE ALL WILL BE SO BUSY THAT NONE OF US WOULD HAVE TIME TO CONTROL ADVERTING AGENCIES AND ADVERTISING AND BESIDES THAT NONE OF US HAVE THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE IN ADVERTISING AS YOU HAVE ".

I SAW SOME MERIT IN THE OFFER AND REQUESTED HIM TO GIVE ME TWO DAYS TO THINK ABOUT IT.

ON RETURN TO MY OFFICE, I WORKED OUT THE MODEL FOR COMMNICATIONS AUDIT AND MET HIM TWO DAYS LATER.

AT THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, HE SAID " TOMORROW 3 PM YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER.

I DID NOT KNOW, WHAT HIT HIM.

AFTER THAT DAY I HAD FEW SWEET AND A LOT OF BITTER EXPERIENCES. I SHALL SHARE ALL SWEET AND BITTER EXPERIENCES OF MINE IN POLITICAL ADVERTISING IN MY NEXT PIECE.