What can brands learn from Mahatma's life?

Today is the 155^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. He remains one of the most powerful and enduring brands to ever emerge from India. He was perhaps the first to amass a truly worldwide fan base. In a time where the very concept of a brand itself was alien to the country, here was someone who was the living embodiment of one.

So, are there insights from his inspiring journey and legacy that could guide brands even today? Does his tale provide pointers that resonate with brand custodians debating in non-violent ways (hopefully) in business boardrooms? Let’s take a look.

It all begins with a powerful name

In 1915, Rabindranath Tagore wrote a letter to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, in which he called him ‘Mahatma’. This was because of the work he was doing and the huge faith and devotion he had begun to enjoy among the Indian populace. It goes without saying that his name, to use today’s terminology, went ‘viral’. However, it also had other effects that influenced perception at a deeper level. It transformed the man behind the name into something larger in people's eyes. 'Mahatma' implied that the multitude could expect great things from him.

With apologies to Shakespeare, who mused, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”; all successful branding efforts begin with the right name. Would Google have the same equity if it had stayed with ‘BackRub’? To be fair, 'BackRub' was an initial nomenclature that was likely born out of necessity, and one's instinctive reaction to that name should speak volumes. Finding the right name is an absolutely critical milestone. It propels the brand towards greater heights and gives it a boost, both internally and externally within the company. An apt name keeps the brand top of mind, rather than having people ‘Google’ it.

Setbacks can trigger great turnarounds

The journey from Mohandas to Mahatma started with a train ride to Pretoria. In fact, a tasteless incident marked the beginning, as Gandhi faced assault and forced disembarkation solely because of his ethnicity. This event shook him to the core. It was his ‘tipping point’ in terms of embracing a different perspective and adopting a higher purpose. It is fascinating to think about what history might have been if that unsavoury episode had not occurred. Even though the push in this instance was rather severe, it certainly set India's freedom struggle on the right track.

When it comes to their organisations and brands, leaders do their very best to avoid debacles. It is something all educational institutions studiously train them to evade. But, every once in a while, failures can ignite the burning desire to emphatically respond. Interestingly, in his early days, Narayana Murthy (then with PCS) met Azim Premji for a job at Wipro. Premji was not convinced, so he rejected him. That moment spurred on Murthy to start his own venture, Infosys. Pulling back can often provide the momentum to propel one forward. Success is born from that kind of mental programming.

Differentiation lies in going against the norm

It was an inherent assumption at that time: Any fight for independence had to involve violent means. The French Revolution and the battle for American independence were two cases in point that probably cemented this expectation. What was remarkable about the larger portion of India's freedom struggle was that it was mostly non-violent. Gandhi instilled in the Indian people the concept of ahimsa, inspiring millions to protest peacefully without resorting to retaliation. This, despite extreme provocation. Today, that seems mind-bogglingly incomprehensible, even miraculous.

Brands stand apart when they challenge conventional wisdom. In an environment where everyone seems to be following an imaginary set of rules, those who disregard them have lots to gain. They shine because they become the ‘face in the crowd’. In the early years of this century, Frooti embarked on a bold initiative featuring an invisible, made-up ‘celebrity’. The traction that this ‘Digen Verma’ campaign enjoyed was phenomenal. More so, because it’s big budget, soft-drink rivals were all about showcasing current movie or cricket stars upfront and centre screen. During that period, Frooti enjoyed an unprecedented salience, which must have truly seemed ‘fresh and juicy’.

Grand narratives are built by actions, not words

There is a common perception—both in business and political circles—that leaders only talk. Corporate hallways greet every motivational town hall speech with a chorus of eye rolls (especially when the bread rolls run out). But Gandhi set a sterling example in this regard. He began by visiting the length and breadth of the country, meeting people and understanding their woes. He also set a stirring personal example. Living a frugal life; marching at the forefront, covering enormous distances alongside the masses; fasting to protest against oppressive laws; and spinning his own clothes on the Charkha. The Indians could see that even if the path he had laid down for them was austere and challenging, he was living it himself.

Authenticity is a much-valued concept when it comes to both leadership and brand building. Consumers today rely more on the brand's actions than on rousing rhetoric, which is prevalent. Brands must demonstrate what they stand for through their actions and decisions. This is why Nike's endorsement of Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the playing of the national anthem at the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement serves as a powerful demonstration. It showed the world that the brand was ready to take a stand, despite the danger of losing business. Brand building, like leadership, always involves making such difficult decisions. Nike showed everyone how to ‘just do it’.

There’s merit in making devoted followers visible

Perhaps Gandhi's real masterstroke was to transform the independence movement into one in which the masses could participate. He understood the term ‘crowdsourcing’, much before it became a thing in start-up meetings. The sheer number of people with whom he was able to participate was staggering. In a sense, and to use the appropriate business metaphor, he made everyone across the nation feel they had a stake in it. The goosebumps-inducing sight of so many people getting involved probably had a multiplier effect on the intentions of the others watching. It intimidated the British into finally realising that staying in India would be bad business.

“Numbers speak for themselves” is an age-old marketing maxim. Indeed, there is valuable information to share about the market, including the number of views, likes, shares, and comments, as well as the number of followers on one's Instagram profile. But actually showing the support and love one enjoys makes the conversation far more visceral. It enhances the brand's credibility and authenticity. Before the iPhone 16 launch, hundreds of people stood in line outside Apple stores for hours on end. Fans flooded Marine Drive in Mumbai as the Indian cricket team displayed their T20 trophy. The frenzy with which sites crashed and people jostled on digital queues for Coldplay tickets was truly remarkable. All of these signals convey to others the brand's desirability. Even though some of those signals were 'yellow', they still conveyed the brands' desirability.

To conclude, these are but a few of the thought starters that emerge, following in the footsteps of Gandhi. Surely, there could be many more insights to be drawn from the life of the man who, by picking up a pinch of salt, shook the most powerful empire of the time. Ironically, despite his anti-capitalist views, Gandhi’s image remains linked to the Indian economy. His smiling face on the currency notes may indicate that his influence on more inspired brand thinking is welcome, eventually leading to greater prosperity all across the country.

(Our guest author, Vinay Kanchan is a brand storyteller, innovation catalyst, and the author of ‘Sportivity’, ‘Lessons from the Playground’ and ‘The Madness Starts at 9’)

 Photo by Brijender Dua on Unsplash