Corporate Culture Seeps Into Durga Puja Festivity

[Guest guest]

Not unscathed by the global onslaught of corporate culture, Durga

Puja in Kolkata falls in line as big brands are busy cashing in on

the festive effervescence pervading the four-day annual visit of the

goddess to her parents' home.

 

Puja has become a happy hunting ground for such big names as kraft

cheese, Tyson's chicken wings, Armani suits, Gucci shoes, Davidoff

cigars and Rolex chronometres, besides glitzy departmental stores

and foreign car makers. With the city turned into a shoppers'

paradise in the run up to the Durga Puja, it is time for `big ideas'

of the advertisers to flourish.

 

"Apart from the celebrations of the elephant-faced lord in Mumbai,

perhaps his mother's festival boasts of such a conglomeration

turning the four days of festivity into a secular affair with

unbelievable visibility," says Rupam Bora, Creative Head, Ogilvy and

Mather, Eastern Region.

 

The city is awashed with advertisements riding on the crest of puja

as slogans like "Ja Iccha Tai Hok Ebar Pujoi Chai Coke" (Coke is a

must for the Puja), "Pujoi Jomuk Tufani Chumuk" (taste the thunder

of the Puja) and "Pujoi Yeh Dil Mange More."

 

The organisers are also enjoying the new found patronage of the

corporate houses. Says a member of the Sribhumi Sarbojanin, one of

the biggest crowd pullers in the city, "para subscriptions are on a

wane. Till the 80s the mainstay of every Puja was door-to-door

collection. Now this hardly accounts for 10 per cent of our budget."

 

"With extravagence becoming the mantra, sponsorship has taken over

and hence grandeur is linked to funds from advertisements," feels

Binoy Dhar, treasurer of the Park Circus Sarbojanin.

 

"The corporate presence has increased manifold. They are certainly

not taking over the Pujas individually, but the stalls they put up

at the Pandal premises are in exchange of heavy sponsorship. They of

course register more benefits than they dispense as reflected in

their eagerness to come back this year," he said and added that

Kolkata has certainly taken a big leap forward as far as

corporatisation of the Puja is concerned.

 

However, the officials of two major soft drinks companies have made

it clear to the Puja organisers that they are not so concerned about

visibility of their product. "The Puja is not the only time for

brand promotion as we are making ourselves visible round the year on

television and in print media," an official said.

 

On the contrary they were willing to spend that extra penny on their

outlets to see that their products sold.

 

Mr Bora, toeing the same line, added, "the organisers actually

fleece the corporate houses in the name of sponsorship. This has

turned into a desperate means for earning easy money. So it's time

that the houses took a good firm step."

 

He recalled a recent incident of two salesmen of a Bothra Ford

Showroom taken hostage by a reputed Puja organiser when the showroom

manager refused to give in to their subscription demand.

 

However, though Kolkata is deluged by a sea of festoons, banners,

sponsored gates and hoardings during the days of festivity, most of

the brands showcased are local, regional and of middle stature.

 

They range from spice companies to local shoe brands to Guthka

companies. Though ITC takes an active part in the Pujas, the brands

projected are also middle-ranged.

 

"The people here are conscious of every penny they spent and value

earned in return. Its much like a fish market bargaining. So its no

use trying to project a high valued brand that will cut no ice with

a majority of the Pandal hoppers. Of course its different for the

cell phone companies, which being city specific have the Kolkatans

as the target customers, " said Mr Bora.

 

He went on to add, "otherwise why will you find only a couple of two

wheeler companies and a foreign car actively participating in the

Puja. Add to this a cement company and that completes the corporate

fanfare for organisers. Asian paints' and Tara Bangla's efforts are

just two drops in an ocean of Pandals".

 

"The festive spirit and unbridled rivalry apart, Durga Puja is still

very Bengali and stuck to the traditional roots," he concluded. (UNI)

 

SOURCE: Daily Excelsior, Jammu and Kashmir, India (2001)

URL: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/01oct23/national.htm#1