Lateral movement of Nandan Nilekani from Business to Politics is great welcome. Suprisingly every one welcomed it - Left to Right. Good to see India maturing as a Nation.
I see this as a continuation of the marutiry shown in Election 2009. “Anti-incumbancy factor” was not in fashion but performance was.
If you look at closely the results of 2009 elections we find that Performers have been awarded decisevely and the non performers punished. This I am talking at micro level - drilling down to states very well and to some extent to the level of Seats - Bihar, Orissa, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, AndhraPradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, UP and on and on. Across the party the trend is there to understand. Probably this is the first election when the Anti Incumbancy Factor did not even figure in any of the political analysis.
What it means for us in business ?
Advertisements & Commitments are designed to attract customers. Quite obvious it ends up catching the fantasy of the consumer - what he desires. Delivery is limited by product & infrastructure limitations. Result is a sizable gap between commitment and delivery.
Most middle level business leaders and manager attribute this to customer over expectation and shift of consumer loyality as a natural shift ( close to Anti incumbency). The arrongance inherited from the days of monopoly and license raj still has it’s traces.
With the maturing Indian mind set, I am sure the propensity of the consumer remaining with you has increased many fold subjected to your reasonable performance - and definitely not abusive which they tolerated during monopoly. Unreaslistically raising the expectaions and not delivering is sure to see them move away from you, even at time if you are better than the competition. Probably failing the promise may be seen as a major crime.
I will take the success of “Sprite” as a case in point. No fancy campaign, no star. A simple realistic “No Bakwas” campaign has seen the product taking top slot. Doesnot it echo the indian mind set?
Manohar Malani