PICTURE SPEAK

THE BIG L: The Lalu label can be seen on multiple products

Ask any marketing man and he will tell you that a good brand-name must always be crisp and simple. There are no management gurus strutting around in the interiors of Bihar to teach such basics, but from coffee manufacturers to tobacco traders, wheat flour millers to makers of fodder for cattle, they are all zeroing in on the same four-letter word to sell their products-Lalu. And today this is the most popular brand in the state.

Nothing sells like Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former chief minister, in this state where he had ruled for seven years himself and then by proxy for another eight years. Among the products using his name to sell is a low-priced toffee named Lalu-ka-Khazana (Lalu's treasure). The two different wrappers in which the toffee is sold carry two versions of Lalu-a politician in kurta-pyjama and a magician in jacket and jeans. Before Lalu-ka-Khazana, it was Laluji, a doll resembling Lalu which had appeared during the previous Assembly polls and become a hit with children. There are other products encashing the maverick politician's name: Lalu Khaini (tobacco), Lalu Sattu (baked gram flour) and Lalu Chara (fodder).

So why this craze for brand Lalu, considering he could not sustain the same success in the political battle? Shaibal Gupta, a social researcher associated with the Patna-based Asian Development Research Institute, says that the RJD strongman has emerged as a reverse brand for low-priced consumer products after pursuing his own brand of politics and forcing others to follow it for 15 years. Lalu himself is characteristically light-hearted about the phenomenon. "What can I do if people use my name to sell their products? Let Nitish bhai (Chief Minister Nitish Kumar) inquire into it," says Lalu, who also happens to be the Union minister for railways. When it comes to brand power, Lalu has even left behind film-stars and cricketers. Though most of them endorse various brands, very few have products named after them.

Sales of Lalu products are booming and roadside vendors and small shopkeepers in Muzaffarpur, the commercial capital of North Bihar, and surrounding areas say that ever since these products hit the market three months ago, they have sold huge quantities. Even elders buy Lalu toffees because of the brand-name. The power of this name has inspired shopkeepers in rural areas to use it to sell face powder, cream, necklace, earrings and sindoor. The idea is to make the most of the wedding season. So it is common to come across gift packets under the brand name Lalu Chale Sasural (Lalu goes to the in-laws' house).

The 'Clown Prince' of Indian politics-a phrase Lalu coined for himself-has never failed to entertain, a craft very few Indian politicians have mastered. His antics once provoked Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray to comment, "He is a joker in politics. Whenever he speaks in Parliament, he entertains the MPs."

PICTURE SPEAK

Two IIMs have chosen the story of the spectacular turnaround of Indian Railways under Lalu Prasad Yadav as a case study.

During his first stint as the chief minister of Bihar in 1990, he used to fly around the state on a chopper while inhabitants of most of the places he visited had not even encountered a four-wheeler. To the befuddled crowd, he used to explain his mode of transport as an Udan Khatola (flying saucer). Everything he did since then was an effort to emerge as the leader of the masses. He would ride buffaloes with village children, lead armies of officers along with barbers and fire-tenders to Dalit hamlets and launch cleanliness drives. He created a series of charwaha vidyalayas (schools for cattlemen) where poor Dalit children could study while their cattle grazed. They were served mid-day meals and paid money for attending classes. However, this project eventually collapsed.

Lalu has always been known for his genius in handling the media, specially TV channels, which are forever ready to grab his soundbites. It has always been a mutually beneficial relationship. Lalu would get the limelight which has made him what he is today, and for the channels Lalu's mere presence means higher TRPs. However, four years ago, when a TV channel requested him to anchor a show, Lalu declined. This was rather unusual given the bonhomie he enjoys with the electronic media.

With his penchant for populism, Lalu is hardly seen as someone who will give the balance sheet a keen look. So when he became the railway minister, sceptics anticipated more populist measures at the cost of the exchequer. But the manner in which he has turned around the fortunes of the world's largest employer has impressed even B-schools. The IIMs at Ahmedabad and Bangalore have chosen the spectacular success story of the Indian Railways under Lalu as a case study. Among the first things he did after becoming the railway minister was to replace plastic cups with kulhars (earthen cups) for serving tea and milk at railway platforms and inside trains. With one stroke Lalu not only created livelihoods for thousands of potters in the country, but also got a pat on his back from environmentalists.

He may be out of political power in Bihar, but he's back with a bang in the state as a best-selling brand. What remains to be seen is if he can bridge the gap between the popularity of brand Lalu and that of politician Lalu.

Index