Narendra Modi is a 'Brand India' expert, thanks to Wally Olins

In October 2013, Narendra Modi was invited by the International Advertising Association India chapter to share his vision for brand India and the IAA Summit. Modi stunned the packed audience of advertising and marketing professionals by his seemingly authoritative understanding of brands, of brand India, of communication, of advertising and of consumers.

[caption id=“attachment_82379” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Pic courtesy: AP[/caption]

“We all had great expectations and he lived up to it. His ability to communicate with clarity is remarkable and inspirational. To bring the branding idea under the ethos of India, Indianess and history of 5,000 years, and yet make it relevant to the present age to an otherwise very upwardly mobile marketing community, is commendable,” Neeraj Roy, Vice-President, IAA was reported as saying.

Anyone who attended the event or read reports of Modi’s address would have similar impressions of Modi.

Except, perhaps, Wally Olins, branding guru and chairman of Saffron Brand Consultants. Olins was in Mumbai to speak on the same day as Modi at another event organized by the IAA.

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What was Olins speaking on? Brand India.

The event that Olins spoke at was poorly attended and few attended both and made the connection. Fewer still know that Olins and Modi met and discussed the salient features of nation branding and spoke of how brand India could be built. Modi listened, understood absorbed and regurgitated all that Olins could teach him. If Olins was a great teacher, Modi made for a prize student.

Sadly, Olins passed away on Tuesday . His accomplishments were many - and transforming Modi into an expert on brands is one that few will know of.