The usual pamphleteering for votes is not very effective and the savvier voters would rather base their decision on the candidate’s track record and whether he or she would deliver the goods.
This and other aspects were discussed here on Friday by the students of Canara Bank School of Management Studies. The students put up a display to show possible strategies in marketing of ideas, parties and candidates for the upcoming State Assembly elections.
The display was the result of a three-week project.
The event was aimed at showing how marketing processes could be implemented in political campaigning and also how, through marketing techniques and statistics, one can feel the pulse of the masses.
Eight groups from the college made presentations on different topics, including attracting farmers in north Karnataka to gain votes, how to increase Below Poverty Line (BPL) votes, how social media can be used to boost voter turnout, the campaigning process undertaken by women candidates, public meeting as a strategy to win Karnataka assembly, about the ‘products, place, price and promotions’ — the 4 Ps of marketing — and others.
The air hummed with enthusiasm as the groups presented their work, conveying their keenness to take part in the elections on Sunday.
“We saw the voters as consumers and the candidates as products; this assignment has helped us learn more about the candidates and helped do away with [our prejudice against] politics,” said Sagar G., a participant.
“One thing I want to tell all the voters is that we must think before we vote because the person we choose will be in charge of your constituency for the next five years,” added Raghuram.
