Marketing lesson in RSS’ move from shorts to trousers

Kirit JAsani

In their three-day annual meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the RSS (The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), decision is taken to phase out their traditional Khakhi shorts. Now, Swayamsevak will wear wood brown/coffee colour trousers. The core reason presented for this change is to remain in tune with the time and trend. This decision also reflects that RSS is very democratic and accepts changes.

Whatever the reason may be, let’s we focus on the marketing aspect of this development. Take a simplest form of exercise, what comes to your mind when you think of RSS? Khakhi Shorts or popularly known ‘Khakhi Chaddi’ would be the answer from most of the people. Whether anyone agrees or not, but these Khakhi Shorts are inseparable visual of RSS. It has stayed with RSS for last 91 years! Till 1940, the uniform of the RSS was all khakhi, both shirt and shorts. The khakhi shirt was replaced with white shirts and then the leather shoes replaced with long boots in 1973. In 2010, RSS replaced the leather belt with ordinary belt. That means the only unchanged element is ‘Khakhi Chaddi’.

Now try to think about other organizations with Khakhi Shorts. Hardly anybody would be able to recall another organization or institute, right? That means Khakhi Shorts are uniquely identified with RSS. It acts as a visual hammer for RSS. From marketing point of view, if the target audience can identify a brand with a particular visual, that brand would enjoy high mindshare and top of the mind recall. If you see someone dressed in White Shirt and Khakhi Short it may induce you to ask, ‘Hey, are you visiting any RSS Shakha? Likewise, this unique association has worked for millions of people in identifying Swayamsevak of RSS.

Now, imagine a scenario down the line six-month hereafter when around 50,000 villages, towns and cities of India have absorbed this change of Khakhi Shorts. Then, a person is passing by you in white shirt and wood brown/coffee colour trouser. Will he or precisely his uniform, inspire you to think of association with RSS? There is hardly any possibility. Because trousers are common in life, shades of wood brown or coffee are equally common. And normally, we do not notice common things. We are attracted to unique. We tend to remember the different one and Khakhi Shorts are different.

Here is the lesson. If your brand is identified with a unique visual or with a particular colour, think hundred times before changing them. The moment you change such unique visual or colour; brand loses its unique identity as well. This loss affects brand recall and ultimately sells register in a long run. Let’s wait and watch what happens with RSS decision?

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