On the first day of this month, Reliance Jio unleashed “datagiri” on India. Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Digital India in his AGM address to shareholders, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced a slew of initiatives that would help Reliance Jio cream the market and make a 4G connection available at the price of a voice call. As far as voice calls were concerned, that would cost nothing (yes, free calls) for both local and national (STD) calls made to any network from a Jio connection.
To give consumers a flavour of the 4G experience, and to get the initial surge in bookings, Jio also announced free services for all subscribers (including data) till the end of this year.
“The current market practice is to charge a base rate of ₹4,000-10,000 per GB of data. Jio will have a base rate which is at more than a 90 per cent discount over the industry. Our data plans go even further, with an effective rate for data of only 5p per MB, or ₹50 per GB. And the more data you use, the lower the rate. I believe that these are the absolute lowest data rates anywhere in the world,” said Ambani in his Chairman’s address to shareholders.
The plan seemed picture perfect. In no time, outlets selling Reliance connections were working overtime and a deluge of customer enquiries followed. The following day, Reliance released full page advertisements in major dailies announcing its launch. The ads had a large picture of Prime Minister Modi at the centre, while the copy mentioned that the service, dedicated to the nation, would help in realising the Digital India vision of the Prime Minister. The ad set off a flurry of opinions on whether a person holding a constitutional post could be featured in a commercial ad.
“I was surprised to see the Prime Minister featured in a commercial advertisement. To the best of my knowledge it is not allowed,” says Sam Balsara, chairman and managing director of Madison World, a large communications group. Sources in the government, however, say that it’s permissible for a commercial venture to dedicate a service to the nation.
On social media, and elsewhere, there were recent cases being cited, when companies such as the Pune-based Maple Group had been hauled up for using the images of the Prime Minister and Maharashtra’s Chief Minister in their campaign.
In April, Maple, a Maharashtra-based developer, had to clarify its position saying it was a commercial enterprise and not offering a government scheme after it ran an ad that led people to believe that the developer was acting on behalf of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing for all scheme) mooted by the Centre.
In this case, ad men say that RIL must have taken the necessary permissions as the stakes are much higher. While many advertising industry executives refused to comment on this campaign, there are some who feel there was no problem.
“The Reliance Jio ad using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image was just an inaugural ad. Companies use the pictures of political leaders all the time while inaugurating a new plant, setting up business in a new State and so on. So why should this be different? Interestingly, Bandhan Bank too used the image of President Pranab Mukherjee to celebrate its first anniversary,” says Ambi M G Parameswaran, brand strategist and founder, Brand-Building.com, a marketing consultancy. Others argue that in Bandhan Bank’s case, the President was attending the event of the bank.
Does the Reliance ad contravene guidelines set by the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body, ASCI (The Advertising Standards Council of India)?
The basic rules still applyIn such matters, industry bodies such as ASCI follow the existing codes or acts of the Central government rather than framing their own set of guidelines. Shweta Purandare, secretary general, ASCI, says that the industry body does not comment on individual cases. One thing cannot be denied, though. Who thought a simple ad dedicating a product to the nation would attract so much attention?
“In the age of social media, anything is possible,” says an advertising executive who declines to come on record.
But according to Parameswaran, the basic rules still apply. “Finally, to win the long-term game you need to deliver a superior product on the ground, putting the Prime Minister’s image is not going to guarantee long-term success!,” he says.