Hyderabad: The advertisement campaigns initiated by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and state government have been creating a buzz in political circles. The party and government have adopted a ‘unique strategy’ to create a positive environment for themselves not only in the state but also across the country. Interestingly, the ad campaign, designed by TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, rolls out a different campaign for each media organisation on the same issue to generate maximum attention at the state and national level.
With Mr Rao aspiring to be a ‘national leader’ by proposing a Federal Front and touring states to garner support, the ad campaign for Rythu Bandhu scheme that was launched in Telangana on Thursday appeared in national and regional media across the country to project a positive image of himself and his government. The state government has called for tenders on behalf of the information and public relations department to shortlist ad agencies for taking up nation-wide ad campaign on Rythu Bandhu.
I&PR official sources said, “Some 12 ad agencies have filed tenders and seven have been shortlisted. The services of ad age-ncies were utilised only to book space in leading nati-onal print media across the country. The whole advertisement concept has been designed by the Chief Minister’s Office. The CM has finalised what should be the content in each state and each newspaper.” The earlier ad campaigns of the TRS government at national level were in English only. However, this time, they are in regional languages in neighbouring states with an aim to reach out to local people in the local language.
The latest ad campaign assumes significance in the backdrop of Mr Rao floating the proposal of forging a Federal Front against the BJP and Congress. The top priority for the TRS government this time was booking ad space for jacket ads in leading newspapers in metro cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. The TRS government had earlier taken up nation-wide ad campaign for Mission Bhagiratha launch, 24x7 free power to agriculture, and TS getting No.1 rank in Ease of Doing Business.
Countering the Opposition attack on government spending such sums on a publicity blitz, Mr Rao in a recent Legislative Assembly session said, “Every state government has a right to publicise the good things done by it. If we don’t campaign, you say the government is doing nothing. When we campaign you say we are spending huge amount. This is ridiculous.”
