MARKETING OF YOGA: A STUDY OF ‘PATANJALI YOG ASHRAM’ IN BRINGING ABOUT THE PRANAYAM REVOLUTION ABSTRACT: The research paper is based on studying various marketing strategies put in place by ‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’ led by ‘Swami Ramdev’ in bringing about the ‘Pranayam Revolution’. ‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’ removed the veil of darkness; and the mystery of Pranayam is unfolding itself to the common masses not just in India but across the globe. No one can help admiring the simplicity of the techniques for practicing the different ‘Pranayam’ which were there in text books for long time but, not everyone did have access to it for the techniques of practicing them as they were very complex. There were also some words of caution attached to such instructions, as ‘any deviation from the practicing techniques would cause immense harm to a person’. But the ‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’ has done a tremendous job in breaking this concept of fear in masses by presenting it by adopting various marketing strategies for the welfare of the mankind and at the same time fulfilling his dream project of setting up ‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’. The paper studies the application of those strategies by ‘Pitanjali’ in selling the concept of ‘Yoga’ to the masses. The paper also brings forth the innovative marketing
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MARKETING OF YOGA: A STUDY OF ‘PATANJALI YOG ASHRAM’ IN
BRINGING ABOUT THE PRANAYAM REVOLUTION
ABSTRACT:
The research paper is based on studying various marketing strategies put in place by ‘Pitanjali
Yog Ashram’ led by ‘Swami Ramdev’ in bringing about the ‘Pranayam Revolution’.
‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’ removed the veil of darkness; and the mystery of Pranayam is
unfolding itself to the common masses not just in India but across the globe. No one can help
admiring the simplicity of the techniques for practicing the different ‘Pranayam’ which were
there in text books for long time but, not everyone did have access to it for the techniques of
practicing them as they were very complex. There were also some words of caution attached
to such instructions, as ‘any deviation from the practicing techniques would cause immense
harm to a person’. But the ‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’ has done a tremendous job in breaking this
concept of fear in masses by presenting it by adopting various marketing strategies for the
welfare of the mankind and at the same time fulfilling his dream project of setting up
‘Pitanjali Yog Ashram’. The paper studies the application of those strategies by ‘Pitanjali’ in
selling the concept of ‘Yoga’ to the masses. The paper also brings forth the innovative
marketing techniques being deployed by the Swami to develop ‘Yoga’ as a product.
Patanajali Yog Peeth in Haridwar is a center of Yoga and Ayurveda activities in India built
on the name of Maharishi Patanjali who invented Yoga 5000 years ago. The ashram is run
under the guidance of Swami Ramdev who has revived Yoga and spreading it all over the
world. Patanjali Yog peeth provides various facilities such as Yoga Classes, Accommodation,
Natural health therapies, Ayurvedic treatments, Accommodation, canteen, OPD and
admitting patients for long term disease treatment.
VISION AND OBJECTIVES OF PATANJALI YOG ASHRAM
To make a “disease free world” through a scientific approach to Yog and Ayurved.
To establish with a scientific approach, Pran as medicine for the treatment of all
curable and incurable diseases by research on Pranayam / Yog.
To propagate Pranayam as a "free" medicine for the treatment of diseases round the
globe so that the rich and poor may avail its benefits in order to attain sound health.
To study and research subjects associated with Yajna, Organic Agriculture, Cow-
Urine, Nature and Environment in addition to the study and research in Yog and
Ayurved at the research centre of Institution .
To form a new integrated system of treatment, consisting mainly of the techniques of
Yog and Ayurved, for Surgery and Emergency cases, Allopathy, Homeopathy, Unani
and Acupressure to soothe patients suffering from unbearable pains and rid them of
disease.
To begin degree and diploma courses for students in disciplines of Yog and Ayurved.
Besides imparting Yog and health education, to set up an equalitarian society based on
values of spiritualism, nationalism and justice beyond the boundaries of cast, creed,
class and religion for the country's development.
SWAMI RAMDEV’S MARKETING STRATEGIES: SELLING OF YOGA AS A
PRODUCT
Aspiring entrepreneurs will do well to study yoga guru Swami Ramdev's meteoric rise and
success over the past four years. The swami's mission statement, if he had one in his
organisational plan, would probably read ''to create warriors of yoga and transform India and
Indians back to the healthy and spiritual land of old.” Right from his easy to follow pranayam
and yoga exercises to his rants against cola and junk food companies, the swami's actions
demonstrate a carefully planned strategy for success.
The strategies implemented by Swami Ramdev were based on Professor C. K. Prahalad's
ideas on business and entrepreneurship. Many of Professor Prahalad's key suggestions have
been implemented by Swami Ramdev in his phenomenal rise to become a household name in
India
Following are some insightful excerpts from Professor Prahalad's book The Fortune at the
Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits (Pearson Publications 2004)
which became the bottomline on which the relevant aspects of Ramdev's entrepreneurial
strategy was based.
Point 1: Professor C. K. Prahalad writes, “If we stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a
burden and start recognising them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious
consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up.”
Much of Swami Ramdev's rise has to do with his long-term vision. Right from day one, he
did not get influenced by the instant success and fame of other contemporary gurus and
preachers who targeted the affluent section of the Indian society. Instead of focusing on the
easy pickings—high profile followers such as actors, politicians and businessmen—he
entered a significantly larger market by focusing on the economically poorer and resource-
constrained masses. Small wonder that a newer and bigger world of opportunity opened up
for him rather quickly.
Point 2: Professor Prahalad writes, “What is needed is a better approach to help the poor, an
approach that involves partnering with them to innovate and achieve sustainable win–win
scenarios where the poor are actively engaged and, at the same time, the companies
providing products and services to them are profitable.” s
Swami Ramdev has constantly utilised his target segment as partners in innovation,
marketing and growth of his organisation. How does he do it?
First, he conducts effectiveness studies during his yoga camps where his staff collects on-the-
ground data from participants before, during and after the camp. Given the vast attendance in
each of his nearly weekly camps, one can only imagine the volume of data that is collected
and analysed. He periodically revises his instructions, based on the results of ongoing
research. The way his yoga camps have evolved, it is clear that he has succeeded in
simplifying the efforts required to gain maximum benefits from his exercises, with enough
room for flexibility and ease of involvement for the average follower.
Second, Swami Ramdev has built some powerful partnerships with various prominent TV
channels to broadcast his yoga camps worldwide. During the camps, he routinely asks
participants to get up and share their ‘ pranayam success stories'. Inspirational accounts from
regular folks—ranging from control of diabetes, normalisation of blood pressure to healthier
cholesterol readings and disappearance of joint pains and skin aliments—have proved to be
invaluable marketing assets for him. And best of all, they come at no cost!
Point 3: Professor Prahalad writes, “The strength of these innovative approaches, as you
will come to appreciate, is that they tend to create opportunities for the poor by offering them
choices and encouraging self-esteem.”
This is where Swami Ramdev scores heavily. He has created a great deal of self-esteem
among his followers. The common attendee in his programme feels special, interacts and
relates to co-followers who are undergoing similar life struggles and aspirations, and gains
immense confidence through perceptible and immediate self-development. Ramdev's lessons
in nation building range from fighting corruption to improving our living conditions and are
interjected at strategic points during his yoga instructions.
In addition to humour, the swami masterfully conveys a sense of pride and possibility among
his listeners. Seeing positive health results makes one feel strong and well- endowed to instill
bigger changes in the community and the country. More than the actual realism in these
sentiments, it is the message of hope and confidence that creates higher self-esteem and a
new found sense of empowerment among the common follower.
Point 4: Professor Prahalad writes, “The traditional approach to creating the capacity to
consume among the poor has been to provide the product or service free of charge. This has
the feel of philanthropy. As mentioned previously, charity might feel good, but it rarely solves
the problem in a scalable and sustainable fashion.”
Swami Ramdev has done no charity. Instead, he has cleverly camouflaged what could have
been straightforward ‘pay-per-service' such as the Art of Living programmes. He charges for
attending his camps but only through price discrimination. Those that can pay more are able
to get better seats the front.
Point 5: Professor Prahalad writes, “By focusing on the BOP consumers' capacity to
consume, private-sector businesses can create a new market. The critical requirement is the
ability to invent ways that take into account the variability in the cash flows of BOP
consumers that makes it difficult for them to access the traditional market for goods and
services oriented toward the top of the pyramid.”
Swami Ramdev has indeed created a new market. Or maybe he has simply uncovered a latent
one. And yes, he has certainly accounted for the variability in cash flows of his consumers.
His masterstroke has been to utilise the masses at the bottom of the income pyramid and
unlocking immense value for his own projects and aspirations. By tapping into his follower's
resources based on their comfort level, he is able to secure large collective donations for his
gigantic yoga learning retreat in Haridwar.
Not only has he effectively factored the variability in cash flows among his followers, he is
also tapping into the more affluent foreign NRI segment at the moment. It is interesting to
note that he delayed his global strategy till the time his stronghold in the Indian market
became unshakable (as evidenced recently when millions of supporters backed him up amid
allegations of the use of human remains in his ayurvedic medicine).
MASS CUSTOMIZATION: A NEW IDEOLOGY OF SWAMI RAMDEV
Mass Customization is the new paradigm that replaces old ideology of market segmentation;
an idea which is no longer found suitable for today's turbulent markets, changing customer
needs and growing product variety. Baba Ramdev has used the strategy of Mass
Customization to sell “Yoga” as a product to cater the needs of the masses in an era of high
individual customization.
Companies choose from mainly three value disciplines to frame their value propositions:
product leadership, operational excellence, and customer intimacy. The product leadership
discipline leads to the `best product' value proposition-an assertion that the company's
products have the greatest performance impact or experiential impact for its customers. The
operational excellence discipline leads to the `best total cost' bid- an assertion that the
combination of the company's prices, product reliability, and hassle-free service is matchless.
The customer familiarity discipline leads to the `best total solution' scheme – an assertion that
the company helps its customers identify their exact problem and the best solution, and then
takes charge of implementing it. Baba Ramdev addresses all the three value disciplines and
he has developed a unique blend of Ayurveda and Vedic philosophy to cater to create value
for his customers.
MARKETING MIX RUDIMENTS: FIVE P’s OF BABA RAMDEV
In order to know exactly the reason for success of Baba Ramdev, it is imperative to throw
some light on the marketing mix rudiments. To be a successful marketer it is important that
all the marketing mix elements have to be fine tuned to support and strengthen brand
personality.
Product: Introducing the Value Discipline
The society in which we live today is a brand- obsessed society. Thus, creating, developing,
implementing and maintaining successful brands are frequently at the heart of marketing
strategy. (McEnally,M . and Chernatony,L. de 1999) Successful branding requires a strategic
perspective (de Chernatony 1998) whereby strong brand concepts are presented and
communicated to target segments resulting in favorable brand images which reflect the
brand's identity (Gardner and Levy 1955, Reynolds and Gutman 1984, Kapferer 1997). This
brand of Baba Ramdev has a universal appeal, is sharing and collaborative, and the customers
range hail from all age groups and regions. The service that Baba Ramdev is selling is the
product. To deliver quality service, it is essential to understand customers' expectations.
Customer expectations of service can be of two types; desired service and adequate service.
Desired service is the service that a customer desires and expects to get. Whereas an adequate
service is one which is the minimal level of service which a customer is willing to accept
based on his perception of service acceptability. The service that is being provided by Baba
Ramdev is well orchestrating with the desired service expectations.
Patanjali Yogpeeth, a multi-million rupee venture, Ramdev's dream project, set as a rival to
World Health Organization only on the basis of sound service that it boasts of providing.
Divya Yoga Mandir Trust in Haridwar, Uttaranchal is armed with all the latest and most
sophisticated gadgets sees a regular stream of devotees who wait to be called by a doctor in
the Out Patient Department (OPD). There are 40 doctors in the OPD who deal with 2,000
people every day. Some days the dispensary sells medicines worth Rs. 3,000 a minute. And
again this can only be possible if the waiting tie is reduced by quality service. According to
Swami Ramdev, looking good is everyman’s dream. With this ideology in mind, the
ambiance of Patanjali Yogpeeth is made world class.
Package For various Diseases
Swami Ramdev's Divya Medicines are claimed to be 100% natural, made from potent herbs
available in the Himalayas and no or very little side effects. Swami Ramdev has proved and
declared on Indian & International TV Channels, "Pranayama Yoga is the complete natural
cure for all Physical and Mental Ailments". But if medicines are required they are also
available and these packages of medicines are available at a very low cost. In a bid to
promote Ayurveda, Ramdev's Trust has tied up with 600 qualified Ayurvedic practitioners
who are offering treatment to masses for a variety of diseases, some of them termed incurable
by the modern system.
Customer Management: USP
Swami Ramdev’s Dream was to create a "Disease Free Society - Medicines Free World", He
has been daily declaring on Indian TV Channels, since the year 2002 that Patients of so called
incurable diseases like Diabetes, AIDS, and Cancer should immediately start practicing
rhythmic control of breath for complete cure without medicines. It is claimed that after
extensive research of the valuable effects of Pranayama Yoga during last numerous years, on
millions of people in India, it has been proved now that proper Breathing Technique's
practice can cure all diseases completely without medicines or surgery. And this is the unique
selling proposition of Baba Ramdev.
Another USP of Yoga guru Baba Ramdev is to fulfil the requirement of the customers
without any delay. For this purpose, he claims to have trained 35,000 persons that are well
equipped to hold yoga classes in different parts of the country. In the first phase of next five
years, his target is to train one lakh instructors, who could impart yoga training to one crore
people so that they could stay away from diseases and avoidable medication through practice
of yoga. To train the yoga instructors, Pitanjali Yog Ashram has set up 535 branches and 15
more centers are in the process of being established.
Pricing Strategy
Developing an effective pricing strategy remains the most important and difficult part of the
marketing process. The price-positioning and the value-delivery mechanisms should be done
with one rule in mind: the performance of the product, or the value associated with it should
always be higher than the price. Well in tune with this, Baba Ramdev's potion of Pranayam is
cheap. He urges people not to lose hope or suffer and depend on expensive treatments.
Indian Pranayam Yoga is there to help treat all the ailments like Diabetes, Cancer, HIV &
AIDS and many others completely without costly medicines, operations or surgery.
Promotional Strategy
Baba Ramdev started promoting yoga in the year 2002 when Sanskar television channel
started airing his yogic classes; overnight, he became a sensation as he had hundreds of
followers who morphed into thousands. Then Sanskar channel's rival Astha channel signed
him. In two years time he was a hit and with him also the channel benefited. His TV
shows have the largest TRP. Today, he is one of the biggest draws on Indian television. He
can be seen not only on religious channels like Aastha, but also news and features channels
like India TV and Sahara One. His yoga sessions were beamed live into 170 countries (Bijay
Simha, 2007). Millions around the country follow his programmes religiously and use
ayurvedic medicines prescribed by him.
Baba Ramdev pack one DVD, two Video CDs written three books on Yoga, Pranayama
Herbal Remedies and Magazines are available. This set of four promotional material with a
Research Oriented Monthly Magazine of Yog, Spiritualism, Ayurveda, Culture And
Tradition-Yog Sandesh available in 5 languages can do much to lure customers.
Another promotional strategy adopted by Swami Ramdev is that he has been visiting
different countries in order to popularize yoga as recently he has finished a yoga cruise from
India to China. Last year he visited Westminster to give British politicians a chance to sample
his yogic wisdom.
Last but not the least, he is selling his products by adopting the technique of e-marketing as
he is coming up with online shopping facilities for his customers all over the globe to make
his products highly accessible.
It is a well established fact that; "Brands set the product and the producer of that product
apart from the competition". There are special though very obvious facts that this Brand has
also mass customized itself to satiate all and thus have made a distinct place for itself. In an
era when the marketers are faced with the challenge of getting their message heard by
consumers who are hard to find and even harder to influence, this Brand has worked wonders
and all because of its all inclusive image.
PATANJALI FOOD AND HERBAL PARK: RAMDEV’S MEGA FOOD PROJECT
Swami Ramdev has entered the food processing market in India by promoting Patanjali Food
and Herbal Park worth Rs 1,000 crore at Haridwar, which is one of the 10 mega food parks in
the country under the Union Food Processing Ministry. The park has 32 processing units for
fruit and vegetable products like juice, pulp, puree, candies, herbal products and pickles. The
promoters claim that this would be the world's biggest food park. According to Swami
Ramdev, the food processing sector in India has a growth potential ranging from Rs 5000
crore to Rs 100,000 crore in a few years time. This mega food park can also said to be one of
the major promotional strategy of Swami Ramdev.
SWAMI RAMDEV’S: FUTURE STRATEGIC PLANS
India's most famous yoga guru is now working towards becoming a Media- Crazer. After
taking over Aastha channel, Swami Ramdev is now all set to launch two 24-hrs One will
explore Indian traditional and devotional music like bhajans and the other will propagate
Indian culture through the learning of the Vedas.
CONCLUSION
Although India has a long tradition of mystical gurus, Swami Ramdev represents a new
phenomenon: the television yoga evangelist. As every coin has two sides, Swami Ramdev’s
strategies can be studied in two aspects. On one hand, his Pranayam techniques proved to be
highly effective in curing a bewildering array of diseases and on the other hand he is
competing with other Multi National companies in promoting yoga as a product as he calls
Coke and Pepsi good only for “Toilet- Cleaning” on various television channels.
This research reveals the power that Swami Ramdev has been able to exert over the mindsets
of the people and the rapidity with which he gained approval and acceptance at all levels of
the society. The adoration he inspires was seen in 2006 when Indian Communists accused
him of using human bones and animal parts in ayurvedic drugs produced by his pharmacy but
the Communist backed down because of the public sympathy laid in the mind of his
followers. This close case study of his power has proved to be a signpost for further
developments in capturing the psychology of the consumers.
So from the above study we can conclude that the marketing strategies adopted by the famous
yog guru have reached the new height of success in influencing people in all aspects. His
efforts had set back many Multi- National companies as his cures are based on naturopathy
which soothe patients from unbearable pains at reasonable cost. By using Pran as a medicine
he has been able to treat various incurable diseases such as Cancer, Aids, Swine Flu etc by
his extensive research in Pranayam/ Yog. So these relentless efforts of Swami Ramdev
captured the masses by reviving the interest of the consumers in the age-old yogic traditions
which led to the Pranayam Revolution across the globe and made this “Saffron-Clad Sanyasi”
a great business tycoon.
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