The campaign that swept the Liberals to power in Victoria in 2010 was not the result of a last-minute sprint but a steady, four-year effort built on consistency, community engagement, and a disciplined media plan. Former ministerial adviser Nitin Gupta, who helped shape the party’s multicultural outreach, says the real victory lay in the groundwork.
“With regards to the Indian/South Asian media—I had sat down with the team towards the start of election cycle after Victorian elections in Nov 2006,” Nitin said. “In that meeting I had made the strategy for the November 2010 elections, and set targets for coverage in the Australian Indian media. The minimum target I had set for myself was two thousand media articles over the four year term—and broke it down into monthly and weekly targets. So benchmarks were roughly ten media articles every week—roughly forty articles every month—and five hundred articles every year.”
Those were largely print media days, with eight or nine monthly Australian Indian newspapers forming the backbone of community communication. “Plus there was additional coverage in Sri Lankan, Nepali, Pakistani, Bhutanese, Afghan, Fiji and other South Asian media as well,” he said. “And I had achieved or exceeded those monthly benchmarks at least 85% times—and the months where I had less media articles out I had to make it up in other months. I had reached the target of two thousand media articles around July 2010, few months before the elections—after which I stopped keeping the count, but still kept doing the work.”
For Nitin, it was about long-term trust rather than short-term headlines. “So it was not just last few months of media coverage—but a consistent media coverage over four years that had helped us get the message and goodwill in the Australian Indian community.”
He added that relationships with multicultural media were sustained through mutual respect and practical support. “Now to make sure that we got regular media coverage—as these multicultural media houses were mostly self/employed or small businesses—I used to regularly call my business and community contacts, and try and get some advertising revenue for these media outlets. Without that extra revenue support flowing in to those multicultural media outlets, purely through my efforts and referrals—that sort of constant media coverage over four years would simply not have been sustainable.”
Alongside regular news coverage, Nitin ensured that then Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu’s personal engagement came through. “On top of those monthly media articles, there used be two monthly columns by Mr. Ted Baillieu in two different monthly papers. So over four years, there were roughly one hundred personal monthly columns by Ted covering and raising various issues, and his experiences at various Indian events that month. Each of those columns started with Namaste, and there used to few Hindi and other Indian language words strategically used in those monthly columns by Ted. Local artists and sports people were also acknowledged in those monthly columns every now and then.”
Visibility mattered as much as tone. “I made sure that Ted was attending plenty of events in the outer suburbs—and made sure that those visits got plenty of media coverage. I used to make sure that Ted was also photographed with people like local artists, local cricketers, general community and families rather than just the elites and nepokids etc., and ensured that those photos ended up in media with articles.”
Planning extended even to trips abroad. “During the July 2009 Indian trip by Ted as an Opposition leader—I had chosen the meetings carefully. I made sure that meetings also happened with people who were known to Australian Indian media ensuring extensive media coverage of that trip. We had also met with then youth leaders like Rekha Gupta, Revanth Reddy, Harish Khurana—who were reasonably well known to young Australian Indians back then as well.”
For every visit, Nitin coordinated closely with the media. “For every visit, event, forum or meetings which Ted attended—there was lot of pre and post event planning, and media coverage. There was careful and strategic referencing of past and future events in the media coverage, and Ted’s speeches at the event as well.”
Crime was a hot issue in those years, and Nitin said they handled it through direct contact with affected community members. “Crime was a big issue back then. I arranged for Ted to meet with quite few of the victims of crime from Australian Indian community. We visited few scenes of crime along with the victims to understand the situation better. Those meetings got plenty of coverage in mainstream and multicultural media.”
He believes those human connections made a difference. “Those meetings with the victims played a very big role in Australian Indian community relating with the crime issue more prominently. Mr. Matthew Guy and Mr. Brad Battin have also been going tough on crime issue—perhaps they may even have met victims of crime as well, but I am not aware of much media coverage with regards to those meetings with victims of crime. Messaging through multicultural media can be significant.”
Nitin says clarity and responsiveness were at the heart of his approach. “The words and language used in the articles were always simple, and easy to understand. Also whenever there were any follow up questions or concerns raised by media regarding articles, or policy issues—they were promptly answered back. Any interview questions emailed by the media were answered within 2-3 working days. There was prompt, open and transparent communication with the media. Phone calls from media were also answered during the late evenings, or even weekends/public holidays.”
Distribution mattered too. “Those were the days of print media. Few months before the elections I made sure that Indian grocery stores in all the relevant marginal seats were getting enough copies of newspapers delivered to them, for people to pick up. On many occasions I had to help with logistics as well, to make sure that deliveries were taking place to get message out in the right areas.”
His philosophy was simple. “My media strategy in opposition was pretty simple and straight forward. I wanted to make sure not just maximum printing of articles—but maximum people also actually reading, and relating with those articles. For that to happen we had to come out consistently with innovative policies that appealed to the community.”
Those policies ranged from the practical to the bold. “So from drafting the Bollywood Policy in October 2006 that had the original idea of creating the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM); to announcing the Sunday Bus Service for Durga Temple in Rockbank during Kororoit By-elections; or promising Victorian government submission for including Hindi in the Australian National Curriculum on being elected; to including Ahmedabad in Gujarat as prime destination for future Victorian trade missions to India (attending Vibrant Gujarat as part of TEPI ‘Trade Engagement Program India’); recommending the Premier to meet with then rising future leaders like Narendra Modi, and Yogi Adityanath in his next India trip; or meeting with then BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla in July 2009 during Opposition years itself to help secure future ICC Cricket ODI World Cup 2015 finals for the MCG—indirectly sending a message to community that we were ready to govern; to making the courageous phone call on being suggested by Mr. Ted Baillieu to Shiv Sena supreme leader Shri Bala Sahib Thackeray Jee in Feb 2010 and personally requesting him to lift the proposed ban on Australian players in the IPL—and send a positive message to Australian community back here. (Which Bala Sahib Jee had agreed kindly, to the biggest pleasant surprise of my life).”
Those initiatives, he said, built credibility and anticipation. “Plenty of policy ideas, and other initiatives had been presented for community to know that what we would bring in government. New community specific detailed policy ideas were exclusively drafted by me every now and then that kept community engaged, and looking forward to a Baillieu government in Victoria throughout the opposition term under Mr. Baillieu.”
He also contributed to wider party ideas. “And I also contributed in few other policies. Like the PSOs at Stations policy where I was just one of the many contributors. The PSO policy was one of the major game changers for Nov 2010 Victorian elections.”
Reflecting on the campaign years later, Nitin keeps the formula simple. “Hard work, innovation and consistency throughout the 48 months election cycle was the key. And it seemed to have worked well in the end.”The campaign that swept the Liberals to power in Victoria in 2010 was not the result of a last-minute sprint but a steady, four-year effort built on consistency, community engagement, and a disciplined media plan. Former ministerial adviser Nitin Gupta, who helped shape the party’s multicultural outreach, says the real victory lay in the groundwork.
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