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The Marketing of the Dalai Lama

A P Kamath in New York

Would the Dalai Lama have drawn over 100,000 people at his public discourses in New York, Bloomington and Chicago without the Hollywood connection -- and without his backers including Hollywood star Richard Gere spending at least $ 8 million to promote his tour and pay for the concomitant expenses? The organizers are not saying how much money has been spent but many people, speaking on conditions of anonymity, believe that $ 8 million is a realistic figure.

"You should not, of course, judge everything by how much it cost," says Ric Ornellas, an American Buddhist convert and a former editor of The Washington Square News.

"What was important here was that the Dalai Lama's message was widely disseminated -- one is not surprised that he has two hardcover best-sellers at the same time."

The promoters of the Dalai Lama's recent appearances also point out that a substantial part of the expenses will be covered because many events had stiff admission prices, and the visiting leader also attended several fund-raisers.

In New York, over 3,000 people paid about $ 60 per person to attend the Dalai Lama's lecture held on three days. There was also a $ 750 per person dinner cooked by some leading New York chefs during which the Dalai Lama ate just Miso soup because he had to wake up very early the next morning to start his meditation. In Bloomington, about 100 people paid $ 1,000 for the privilege of sitting in the first five rows -- or on the stage -- with an entourage of maroon-and saffron-clothed monks who sat cross-legged on the floor around the Dalai Lama. Others paid about $ 50 to attend the 12 day religious and spiritual ceremony, the Kalachakra World Peace 1999.

By any account the Dalai Lama's recent visit drew audiences more than 10 times that of his previous visit.

"The Dalai Lama people stepped into the 21st century this time," says Vipin Rao, a New York businessman who attended several of the Tibetan leader's engagements. "They made sure we knew what was happening. Look at the number of articles published on the Dalai Lama before he arrived in New York... look at the number of posters at the subway stations and other prominent places in the city."

Several top advertisement and special-events agencies in New York, Indiana and Illinois were used to promote the visit.

In Bloomington, Montgomery Zukerman Davis Inc devised the publicity and marketing strategy for the Kalachakra World Peace 1999 event.

In conjunction with Jigme Norbu, executive director of the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana, and the Dalai Lama's nephew, MZD created tremendous amount of awareness for Transform the Millennium, the theme of the 12-day event which concluded last week.

The production budget for Kalachakra was about $ 2 million, and about $ 500,000 was spent on promoting the event. The campaign effectively utilized billboard, radio, and print as well as a direct mail pieces to promote the event.

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