AK MISHRA POLITICAL CONSULTING - @ https://www.politicalconsultant.in

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z Leaders of all persuasions seek professional advice on what clothes to wear, what to say, and which car to ride in
A K Mishra
The team of Ace Infinity
Secrets your netas never reveal
H
igh-decibel election campaigns
ride on leaders’ charisma and
style. That’s where ‘image con-
sulting’ and ‘reputation management’
come in. Politicians pay good money
to appear winsome.
Renju Joseph set up Ace Infinity
nine years ago. From makeovers to
campaign regulation, his team does
it all.
“I call it ‘reputation management’;
it is so much more than PR,” he says,
adding that he has 27 clients on his
list. He caters to multiple parties and
diverse sensibilities.
A K Mishra, political consultant,
says brand building in politics means
helping leaders connect with individ-
ual voters.
“We have to play up the USP of a
particular leader or party. Under-
standing the working of the political
ecosystem, developing different kinds
of strategic options, implementation
and execution of the strategy, as-
signing responsibility to cadres, and
making use of technology are some of
our duties,” he explains.
Makeover
When it comes to clothes makeovers,
consultants align their clients with
the climate as well as the
people they are trying to
connect with.
“In many cases, candi-
dates have to present a
toned-down image. We
don’t make them stand
out, they just have to be
part of the crowd,” Renju
says.
Fabrics like jute, cotton
and khadi are recommended,
since the leaders are out in
the sun.
“They have to carry a change of
clothes when they go out. The gar-
ments are all in white, with the stole
being the party colour,” he says.
After the results are announced,
the clothes are set to undergo a
drastic change. “Then they
wear clothes that are more
arrogant. Bold colours
and better fabrics like
raw silk are seen a lot,”
he says.
Once the clothes are
sorted, Renju’s team gets
into the finer details of the
campaign. “We follow our
clients, and watch who they
are meeting. We also help them
with their speeches and camera
profile. We make sure that the light is
right because that is key for the vide-
os we put out. Also, we teach them to
pose,” he says.
Adds Mishra, “We do a scientific
analysis of the image or character
that a politician or political party has
and also what is needed for a particu-
lar electorate or environment.”
Leaders are tutored to deliver
speeches in an effective manner.
“There are more than 50 aspects
they have to take care of — from the
movement of their arms, eye contact,
dialogue delivery style, dress
sense,” he says.
Leaders have to modify
their emotions and body
language keeping in
mind the mood of the
audience.
“We tell them what
kind of emotion to put
in between lines, where
their pitch should be con-
trolled, where they have
to raise their voice, where
there should be angry.... Hundred per
cent execution is not possible but they
do try to follow what we tell them,”
he adds.
Socialmedia
Handling of social media
is also the job of
consultants.
“We don’t try
to bash the oppo-
nents too much,
but certain
clients say it is
necessary. We
go according to
their wishes, even
though that’s
against our princi-
ples,” Mishra says.
Crowd connect is an area in which
candidates are briefed thoroughly by
their consultants.
“The requirements, sentiments and
parameters differ from area to area.
A Lingayat-dominated area requires a
different analysis from a constituency
that has a majority of Vokkaligas.
Every voter will have a particular im-
age of a candidate in mind. We have
to erase that and make a new image,”
says Mishra.
Rajitha Menon
Many politicians
put on personas to
appeal to diverse
voters, taking help
discreetly from
‘image consultants’
IndiranagarvsUlsoor
Consultants recommend a
different visual pitch for each
neighbourhood.
When we go to Indiranagar,
people want our candidates
to be somewhat like them.
Which is why we make them
wear khadis and T-shirts. In Ul-
soor, candidates are leaders people
look up to. At the same time, if the
candidates go there in an Audi, it
leads to rebellion. So we tone down
even the vehicles they travel in,”
says a consultant.
MANY FACES On his Karnataka campaign, Pime Minister Modi has worn a Mysuru turban, quoted Kannada poets, and met Karnataka holy men. DH PHOTO
Renju Joseph