Dhirubhai was also a showman besides being a skillful manager and entrepreneur. He knew the importance of advertisements and glitzy events in the modern world to become a successful business man. Only the product being of quality is not enough for success. He wanted to convey to the consumers the qualities of his product. He had accepted the power of advertising to reach the mind of the peple. Price had to paid for marketing for success. He never avoided holding glitzy events. Dhirubhai wanted the people to know that grandeur of Reliance. Some people think that during the decade of eighties the grand advertising resorted to for marketing had greatly contributed to the spectacular progress of his Reliance Industries.
The careful study reveals that Dhirubhai, the founder visionary of Reliance wanted whole country to know that a Reliance product had arrived in the market. He would make the announcement with a lot of razzle and dazzle.
A decade earlier, during Vimal Fabrics days a fashion show was a far off dream. It was in vogue in foreign lands only. Dhirubhai organised a glitzy fashion show for Vimal Fabrics. Dhirubhai set examples of grandeur. The following informations will give you some idea of it.
- During fashion shows for special dazzling effect double projector AV was used. For mega sound effet 40,000 watt audio system was turned on. From three sides the models would sashay in on a three-way ramp wearing Vimal fabric dresses. It used to cast a spell on the viewers.
- Eighties was a decade of dazzling show-rooms. Then mall culture had not come. The idea of setting up dazzler show-rooms was a new one. Dhirubhai set up simultaneously 100 exclusive show-rooms all over the country for his fabrics. Ads were splashed in the news papers. Those centre-spread ads are still talked about and referred to.
- Bangalore show-room was set up on a 6000 square feet area. On the occasion of its opening Dhirubhai got rose petals showered all over the city. The publicity pamphlets were dropped over the city from an aircraft. It made the people flock to the opening ceremony and the show room had become a destination spot. The dazzle and the grandeur had made the eyes pop out. The show man had deeply etched ‘Vimal Fabrics’ in the minds of the people.
- Sponsoring the Cricket World Cup was another winning move made by Dhirubhai. It had drawn the attention of the world towards Reliance brand name and its creator Dhirubhai, just like his advertisement slogan said he had “take the world in his grip.” All the cricket lovers became the fans of Reliance. Dhirubhai had won the imagination of the viewers all right and told everyone who was sitting on top of corporate heap.
- Before eighties period Vimal ads accounted for 30% of the total ads of the textile industry of India. It was a huge advertisement outlay for a single brand.
Thus, to take Reliance up to the top ads had played a great role. And the idea was the brain child of Dhirubhai. His own personal life remained completely untouched by showmanship or any razzle-dazzle. Dhirubhai’s image retained his natural family elderman’s serenity. That is why when he went into the public as an ordinary man no one could connect him to Vimal dazzler. He looked a simple Indian face, one amongst the million others. Dhirubhai was truly a man of ‘simple living and high-fly thinking’.
in a celebration
For his business Dhirubhai would become a great showman. His projects were show pieces in grandeur and his publicity was glamorous and his meetings were mammoth. His Reliance share holders annual meetings had been arranged in Brabourn stadium and Cooperage stadium. So massive used to be their attendence. The showman really cared for his investors.
