Ramdev uses his great success as a yoga guru to extend his brand to activism and politics. By Sukalp Sharma
He makes an unfailing daily appearance on national television at the crack of dawn in his saffron attire, conducts yoga camps across the country that are attended by tens of thousands of people, has created a network of more than 1,700 ayurvedic dispensaries and stores, and sells everything from salt to medicinal herbs to apple juice in posh tetra packs. What?s more, he talks politics while instructing on Pranayam, and has even put on display his capability to walk the talk. Baba Ramdev, whom many call the rock star of yoga, with crores of ardent followers, has morphed into a mega-brand, a phenomenon that has left even the central government shuddering and weak-kneed. Or why would four ministers and the cabinet secretary tag along, and run pillar to post to hold hectic parleys with the yoga baron, trying all they can to convince him not to go ahead with his planned hunger strike and satyagraha against black money and corruption on June 4? And why else can?t the national media get enough of him?
In the past six years or so, Swami Ramdev has created a loyal consumer base and an enviable distribution and communication network that parallels that of many big marketer-led consumer brands in the country. With an estimated 30 million Indians tuning into his yoga lessons everyday on TV, Ramdev?s politically charged speeches get the undivided attention of a huge mass of audience. Add to that his well-organised network of workers, followers and volunteers, and you suddenly have another Anna Hazare, albeit with many more people backing him. His Facebook page has almost 61,000 fans and as per reports, 32 lakh people have already joined his anti-corruption campaign online. His ayurveda-cum-yoga empire has a turnover of around R1,100 crore (since 1995) by his own admission, and includes an ayurveda college and a university, three trusts, state-of-the -art manufacturing facilities for medicine and consumer expendables, and a huge chain of outlets and ayurvedic dispensaries.
?He (Ramdev) is one of India?s biggest brands with a fantastic following. His marketing strategy is certainly extremely effective and that is evident from his pan-India presence and popularity, which frankly no politician can even dream of,? says ad guru Alyque Padamsee.
Future Brands CEO Santosh Desai couldn?t agree more. ?To the extent to which a person can be a brand, Swami Ramdev is a pretty successful one. He has created a strong market for himself, his products and the way of life propagated by him. And because he represents an idea that is coming from yoga, it is perceived to be pure and good,? he says.
To get a demonstration of the cult following and consumer base of brand Ramdev, one just needs to visit any of his Patanjali Chikitsalayas, seemingly expanding at the rate of McDonald?s outlets, where people throng to buy his products, medicinal and otherwise. At the outlet near the popular INA market in the heart of Delhi, these days the recently launched packaged salt by his Patanjali brand is a sell-out. On the shelves of this small store, one can spot just about everything available at a departmental store?books, cassettes and CDs on yoga and ayurveda, aloe vera juice, biscuits, flour, cereal, toothpaste, herbal conditioners, shampoo, beauty creams and gels and even toothbrushes, all packaged as attractively as other FMCG brands, and bearing the Patanjali brand name, and through it that of Baba Ramdev.
Narain Singh, owner of the shop, who has ?joined the cause of a fitter and better India? by opening the outlet, says average sales clocked in a single day can range between R50,000 and R1 lakh and even more on weekends for his store alone. ?There is always a shortage of stock. The demand has been phenomenally for all products,? says Singh.
While he rapidly built a brand over the years, it?s his thrust into political activism and issues of national concern and importance like corruption that has actually established his brand value. Renowned sociologist Dipankar Gupta says Ramdev?s success as a yoga instructor has rubbed off on his activist avatar. ?Because of the great success he enjoys as a yoga guru, whatever else he says is also lapped up by his audience without scrutiny, which is the case with any successful brand that holds credibility in the eyes of the consumer when it expands from its core verticals to others,? he says.
Experts opine that what has really surged his popularity and brand value in the present circumstances in particular is the absence of authority in the government. ?The issues that he is raising are clicking with a large number of Indians, but at a very high level of abstraction, without taking into account the complexity of matters. However, the basic problem is that there is such a vacuum in governance in the country right now that it has presented itself as a great opportunity to him,? says Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of Delhi-based think-tank, Centre for Policy Research.
So, will brand Ramdev be successful in its latest endeavour? ?He does deserve credit for his efforts in the popularisation of yoga and fitness. Also, for the fact that he made the black money issue really mass. But holding the government hostage in this manner is not the right way. While he connects on many issues, many of his proposed ways of tackling problems present streaks of authoritarianism and don?t seem to be workable,?says Mehta. Gupta says it?s a gamble that he?s going in for, but that of low risk. ?Politics is not standardised like commodities. Most people entering the domain end up succeeding somewhat. And even if he doesn?t, his reputation of a great yoga guru will still be there, and so will be brand Ramdev,? he concludes.
R1,100 crore turnover (since 1995) of the three trusts set up by Swami Ramdev
600 acres at the Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar include a university, an ayurveda college, a huge yoga centre and state-of-the-art medicine and FMCG production facilities
R500 cr food park, set up at Haridwar
750 acre island off the Scottish coast, reportedly gifted by an NRI couple
Over 1,700 Patanjali Chikitsalayas and Arogya Kendras, selling everything from salt to medicines, biscuits to herbal shampoo, cereal, flour, soaps and toothpaste
R25 crore-plus monthly revenue from sales of medicines; books and CD sales amount to over R3 crore
30 million people directly tune into his daily yoga telecast; the number of indirectly influenced people much higher
61,000 fans on his official Facebook page
32 lakh people have signed up for his anti-corruption drive online