MxMIndia

Category: THE ANCHOR

  • When it comes to reaching customers, keeping costs down and getting specific, constructive feedback, direct selling has the advantage, says Manisha Amol

    The Anchor: 5 reasons direct marketing scores over other forms

    By Manisha Amol

     

    There are many benefits of direct marketing – to both buyers and sellers.

     

    #1 Direct marketing empowers women. Direct selling offers self-employment opportunities to a large number of people, especially women. The direct selling industry is not only offering an alternative employment opportunity but has also contributed in terms of increased incomes for those who have entered the industry as direct sellers. Financial independence, development of personal and business skills, flexible timings and an improved ability to take care of families are other benefits of direct selling. It has enabled women to be financially independent and increased their ability to save. Direct selling also provided a safety net during the global slowdown as a large number of direct sellers joined this sector during that time.

     

    #2 Direct marketing offers products with differentiated USPs, customized according to the direct feedback received from consultants and their customers. These products are manufactured through best contract manufacturers across the world and are offered with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, as in direct marketing your buyers are loyalists hence the quality can never be in question. Example: The Wellness category today has rapidly grown, majorly through direct selling, and there are various products customized and targeted at different age groups.

     

    #3 Customers enjoy the convenience of direct marketing as they do not have to battle traffic, find a parking space, or shop through stores. Often they can simply order from a catalogue using the telephone or while shopping online, and never even have to leave their home as goods are shipped directly to their doors.

     

    #4 Buying through direct marketing channels is also private and easy and does not have to involve a face-to-face interaction with a salesperson.

     

    #5 Direct marketing reduces cost (minimizes overhead of retail space, utilities, etc) while increasing the speed and efficiency of the operation.

     

    In short, direct marketing allows sellers to customize offerings and create ongoing relationships directly with customers.

     

    Manisha Amol is VP – Marketing, Modicare Ltd

     

  • Marketing of television properties has acquired an added dimension with changes such as the advent of social media. Akash Sharma explains how savvy marketers can make the most of the new scenario

    The Anchor: 5 non-conventional ways of financing and marketing television properties

    By Akash Sharma

     

    #1 Online marketing for television properties has been in the scene for quite some time. But what makes it unconventional is that it can be done for a cost or for free too. Social media campaigning of the property and utilization of online assets of the entities involved can bear fruits in reaching out to the target audience. This is exactly what we did with People’s Choice Awards (PCA). The voting activity for PCA was predominantly online. Hence, apart from on-air and other media, a major weightage of the campaigning happened online through the official website and social media.

     

    #2 Crowd funding & partnership: Getting similar minded people who have conviction in the property to invest in it has been executed in producing movies. A similar principle can be applied to television properties. Also, the broadcaster and sponsor can also be roped in as a partner in the venture. This rouses the parties to bring in more interest towards the project and the execution shouldn’t suffer due to financial reasons. In reciprocation, the format, themes & storylines can be matched with the funders’ market.

     

    #3 Merchandising: This is one of the most nascent ways of marketing a television property in India. During the making of ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain’, Bulldog launched the biggest merchandising program for a TV show ever. From stationery to quiz books to game DVDs, we knew that our target audience was communicated and reminded about the show through the merchandise. We even had a ‘Paanchvi Pass’ ice-cream flavour, partnered with Baskin Robbins. You get to advertise your product to the consumer, and what’s even better is that the consumer is also willing to pay for the same.

     

    #4 Incorporating an unrelated industry which can be a sponsor for the show: Tapping an industry for sponsorship which may not be a direct fit with the property can be a tough task. But, once cracked, this opens sponsorship opportunities for the property and thus for similar properties in the market.

     

    #5 Pre-air distribution: Giving exclusive sneak peek video content to one of the online media partners can also be beneficial. These can be few minutes long or maybe entire episodes. This not only increases the curiosity amongst the loyal viewers towards the next episode, but also interests people who are not familiar with the show to watch it and thus expanding viewership.

     

    Akash Sharma is Co-Founder & Managing Director at Bulldog Media & Entertainment

     

     

     

  • Ganapathy Viswanathan lists reasons why memorable tunes help connect brands

    4 reasons why memorable tunes help connect brands

    By Ganapathy Viswanathan

     

    1. Attention-grabbers:  By creating a unique or refreshing tune you try and catch the consumer’s attention on the first go. Some time you will not have a great commercial but if you have a memorable tune it can still help you connect your brand. Brands like Britannia and Titan have such great tunes that consumer can easily connect with the brand. While tunes play a significant role in enhancing the brand or product but it will work well only when it blends well with the overall communication of the brand.

     

    2. Differentiates the communication: The originality of the tune helps you differentiate your brand. So therefore it is important that the tune is composed keeping in mind the product offerings, values attached, the personality of the brand and of course the target audience. You can differentiate your tune to break the clutter by starting from using different musical instrument and to the way it is sung. Now let’s take an example of Airtel where the ringtone is an important element of the product offering. This was very well leveraged by Airtel using ace Music composer A R Rahman to compose the same. The tune became so popular that it became the ring tone for many Airtel customers and the brand connect was further strengthened.

     

    3. Memorable tunes become a brand property: Many trusted brands like Lifebuoy have created tunes many years back which is still popular. Today it has become a brand property for Lifebuoy. Even without any visuals you just play the tune and people can connect with the brand. Great and memorable tune is what brings in the extra embellishment to any jingle or song. So it is important when tunes are composed they should be thought with a solid vision and as a long term property.

     

    4. Memorable tunes become part of brand identity:  In the past when you think of brand identity the focus was more only on the design, colours and font as the focus was only the print medium. But with the popularity of TV and internet memorable tune with a combination of music, audio and words are composed and then integrated as part of a brand to be its identity for easily connecting the brand. This brand tune is created based on the overall values of the brand and its target audience. Going forward when brands will revisit their brand identity they will also look at the sign off tune for the brand to match the overall look, feel and personality of the brand.

     

    Ganapathy Viswanathan is Vice President Optima Response

     

  • A N Chorrea on 5 international soaps Indian general entertainment channels and look at acquiring and adapting

    The Anchor: After acquiring ’24’, 5 international soaps Indian GECs must adapt

    By A N Chorrea

     

    Okay, so Colors and Anil Kapoor are bringing us the mega-serial ’24’. Here’s a list of other serials that we think should be adapted for Indian conditions:

     

    Big Bang Theory:

    It’s geeky, there’s some physics thrown in, but, heck, it’s funny. Very. Question is who will play the role of John Parsons as Sheldon Cooper.

     

    Castle:

    We like our ACP Pradyuman and CID and we’ve had our Karamchand, but nothing to beat a comedy drama like Castle. Question is who will play Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion)… someone like Navin Nischol of the new age?

     

    Grey’s Anatomy:

    Okay, it’s not that we’ve not a soap based in a hospital (remember Sanjeevani in the good ol’ days?), but surely we could do a classic on docs, nurses, patients and interns.

     

    Glee:

    This one is the easiest to replicate, methinks. The musical comedy-and-much-melodrama series can be much fun in a song-and-dance crazy nation. And replicated in not just Hindi, but various Indian languages!

     

    Friends:

    Okay, okay, this is not really a ‘current’ television series and we’ve tried doing similar things in the past, but possibly the time is right now to have an easy sitcom like Friends… how about tracking the life and loves of  six friends in Bandra. What men?

     

    AN Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • Men are increasingly buying higher quality branded watches to express their individuality, writes Arjun Sekri

    The Anchor: 5 reasons why luxury watch market is on an upswing in India

    By Arjun Sekri

     

    1. A stylish and elegant luxury watch is a man’s only and ultimate personal fashion accessory: Unlike women who have many choices among personal accessories to show off their personality and sense of style, a man has only one, his watch. As the concept of a watch being more than a utility device gains wider acceptance in India, an increasing number of men across the age and income spectrum are buying higher quality branded watches to express their individuality. This trend is only going to accelerate with the growing urbanization and higher incomes.

     

    2. Rapid increase in the number of fashion and lifestyle magazines and blogs leading to higher brand recall: Advertising creates desire and luxury watch brands are known to be among the most active and omnipresent advertisers across the print media and online. As the number of glossy fashion and lifestyle magazines and blogs keeps rapidly growing in India, and with the arrival of many international glossy periodicals, the brand recall and exposure of branded watches in the mind of the consumer has gone up rapidly, creating a strong desire to purchase and own these brands.

     

    3. A luxury watch is a relatively more affordable status symbol: While a luxury house or luxury car may remain the ultimate status symbols in today’s increasingly materialistic society, these remain out of reach for most except the highest income group. An elegant luxury watch on the other hand, is a powerful status symbol and is within the reach of a much larger middle to upper income segment of society. With higher incomes and wealth creation in the metros and second tier towns across India the desire to own a luxury watch has rapidly grown.

     

    4. Rapid increase in range and variety of imported branded watches: As the sheer number and variety of imported watch brands continues to explode in India with the arrival of new fashion, sports and luxury brands every month, the choice of brands, designs and price points available to the consumer goes up significantly attracting a new generation of customers to purchase different types of watches which catch their fancy.

     

    5. Growth in gifting market due to commercialization of gifting events: With the increasing commercialization of so many traditional festivities and memorable personal events, such as Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Engagements, Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Graduations, Corporate Events, etc, the occasions, requirements and budgets to purchase gifts has gone up tremendously over the past few years. A stylish and elegant luxury watch remains one of the most desirable and prized gifts an individual can get and can be worn proudly for lifetime. Hence the gifting market for luxury watches continues to grow at a healthy pace.

     

    Arjun Sekri is Founder, Promoter and CMD of Chrono Watch Company

     

  • Since weddings are such a boon for the economy, A N Chorrea believes the government must subsidise wedding services

    The Anchor: 6 reasons why the government must subsidise weddings

    By A N Chorrea

     

    It’s the season for ‘shaadis’ with more than 30,000 reported to be held in Mumbai alone today (Friday, November 30). There are no clear statistics for these – since most people do not seek marriage certificates from the registrar, but about a crore Indians get married in the winter season alone. And this number would multiply at least four times for the entire year.

     

    01. Given an estimated 2 crore weddings in a year in India, and a majority of these requiring the couple and their respective parents to indulge themselves for The Special Day. Much of the spending is out of societal compulsions than a mere desire to show off, so the government would do well to subsidise marriage expenses

    02. The spends benefit the lowest common denominators and service providers of all hues. If taxes on marriage halls are reduced, the money can be used for more spends for people who will benefit even more

    03. Marriages are a boon for farmers as the consumption of vegetables increases much. Reduce on service taxes levied by contractors will ensure that the Indian economy may benefit more as some of the money will be used for greater spends on food

    04. Typically, a lot of casual labour is employed around the time of marriages. Painters, carpenters etc to renovate homes. Similarly musicians, mehendi (henna) artists and lighting contractors are engaged to add to the festivities. Spending on these will increase if many of the organized services are added to the negative list of service tax.

    05. It’s not just marriage halls and food that will benefit. Marriages are ‘events’ which employs are a variety of service providers. The Indian economy needs out-of-the-box ideas to help it grow… Aid to the The Great Indian Wedding Industry will be a master-move. If it happens now, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government could well gladden the hearts of a few crore Indians.

     

    A N Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • Savvier than ever, Indian consumers now spend even more time researching products, and prefer quality for every purchase

    The Anchor: 5 things to consider when catering to the India market

    By Sajjan Kumar

     

    As India races towards its manifest destiny of becoming a developed nation, its growth paradigm continues to rise. India is witnessing great social, political and cultural changes and has become one of the fastest growing economies. The sheer size of the India market is the primal cause of the complexity a marketer has to consider before they decide to bring their business here. India market consists of more than a billion people who differ from each other in terms of language spoken, religion followed, and personal beliefs. This diversity is also reflected in the buying decision.

     

    Indian consumers prefer quality for every purchase. They consider the best product available, quality and price offerings collectively before making any purchase decision. Recent study by Nielsen states that Indian consumers are now more informed about the product they want to buy. They invest significant amounts of time and energy in doing primary research for their purchase decision.

     

    1. Consumers are now aware of the offerings in the international market and are willing to spend for the same.

    2. Consumers are selective in their choices. They conduct a careful assessment of all their options and go for best option available. They don’t compromise on a better product or service but actively hunt and look for the best deals, or will restrict consumption to buy the better offer.

    3. Across categories, consumption is not limited to the metro cities. With increasing incomes and awareness levels, the needs and consumption patterns in Tier 2 and 3 cities are rapidly converging with those of the larger, more affluent towns.

    4. Consumers don’t just jump at the more expensive offer; they hunt for greater value, look for distinct differences and make careful choices.

    5. The disposable income of consumers differs largely with different geographical areas. The vast expanse of regions and great differences in culture and social systems will always formulate different consumer psychologies.

    These reasons will always create various clusters of consumers divided geographically and with their social systems, thus keeping India a complex marketplace even in the near future. But, we can say that this complex market provides great opportunities for brands to grow. Due to different requirements brands should focus on providing quality products available at different price points and specifications, catering to every customer need. It is achievable for brands to become a box of ability catering to each and every consumer need and thus growing.

     

    Sajjan Kumar is VP, Imaging, Nikon India

     

  • A N Chorrea wanders around to write on how 24×7 News television would cover Babri Masjid demolition if it were to happen today

    The Anchor: How 24×7 TV would cover Babri Masjid demolition today

    By A N Chorrea

     

    The attempt is not to make light of what happened at the Babri Masjid structure on December 6, 1992 and what happened before and after the incident. But given the way 24×7 news is on television these days, the mind wonders what the coverage would’ve been like if the event had occurred 20 years hence and often wanders :

     

    So in the style of a a stand-up act, here we go with eight of the several news channels we have beaming to the country:

    Times Now: Arnab Goswami has a 24-hour coverage of the event and a floating 24-member panel. People from across the world are connected and he says for the first time “our” channel is bringing such live footage… cecause India wants to know. Before the discussion starts, Arnab talks for some seven minutes on the incident and tell us how “our” channel is the only channel with six cameras at the place of action. Among the panelists: Lord Meghnad Desai, Shobhaa De, Vinod Mehta, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Suhel Seth, Mohandas Pai

     

    NDTV 24×7: The channel’s most bankable faces are on the job. Barkha Dutt embeds herself in special helicopter with P Chidambaram (yes, we know he’s no longer Home Minister, but still has a say in most matters) and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. Get ready for the inside dope as a makeshift studio is made with the structure as the backdrop. Among the panelists: Vinod Mehta, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Brinda Karat, Ramchandra Guha, Mani Shankar Aiyer, Swapan Dasgupta

     

    CNN-IBN: A dismayed Rajdeep Sardesai and Bhupendra Chaubey evaluate the impact on the society and polity. In between the discussion, he keeps asking for calm in the country… being the unofficial conscience-keeper of news television. A discussion follows on how the media treated the coverage. Among the panelists: Yogendra Yadav, Vinod Mehta, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Swapan Dasgupta, Ramchandra Guha, Mani Shankar Aiyer

     

    Headlines Today: Rahul Kanwal leads the discussion, enraged. The panel goes on about whether the event could’ve been avoided. The discussion takes a break with Kanwal’s exclusive interview with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief.

     

    Aaj Tak: The channel airs an interview with one of the actors of a movie it is associated with. Later, a discussion follows on the issue with a large panel: Uma Bharati, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mahesh Bhatt and the UP Chief Minister.

     

    ABP News: Deepak Chauraisa leads the discussion, and as always give you a feeling that he’s on top of the news… he knew it all. Tough questions asked with panelists: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Mani Shankar Aiyer and the UP Chief Secretary and the Collector of the Area.

     

    IndiaTV: High decibel relay of story. There are interviews with people who have bought bricks from far and wide. Plus an exclusive telephonic interview with the person who was the first to go up the structure

     

     

    DD News: The President is travelling to the North East for the first time and there is a four-minute report on the event, followed by the release of a postage stamp of well-known actor Rajesh Khanna. Before the news is summed, the anchor tells us about what happened at Ayodhya. Not surprisingly, in the two minutes we get more information of what the status is on the ground than most of the private news channels.

     

    AN Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • It's a myriad mix of cultures. In good old diverse India, localization is the only way to make it work, says Rahul Kumar

    The Anchor: 5 reasons localization is important

    By Rahul Kumar

     

    1. Localization is becoming paramount and extremely important in the Indian market.

     

    2. India is a country of many sects; each sect represents different communities. For the food Industry it is very important for an international brand like us to have extensive market research to determine what assortment is the best fit for Indian culture.

     

    3. Localization is essential as it demonstrates a brand’s commitment to its consumers and builds a strong connection with them.

     

    4. A diverse product range can also increase customer satisfaction.

     

    5. It is also important to localize in the Indian context as there are seasonal changes, various festivals, and to attract consumers we need to adhere and revolve as per these changes. It’s essential for a brand like us to keep reinventing and customize or localize flavours as per our customers’ demands.

     

    Rahul Kumar is CEO & Principal Owner, Red Mango India

     

  • Navneet Anand lists five not-so-talked about ways in which PR agencies can deploy social media tools for their clients

    The Anchor: 5 ways PR agencies can employ social media for clients

    By Navneet Anand

     

    Technology has continuously added to the comforts of the communicators. Migrating from old-style bulky phones to fax and then to emails and finally to the two-way social media tools, as professionals we have watched with glee the many comforts that technology has bestowed upon us with the passage of time. Technology has made us more efficient and this is especially true of those who in the business of communications.

     

    Public Relations agencies today can use social media for a variety of purposes – ranging from simple dissemination of information, to crisis mitigation, stakeholders engagements and creating platform for dialogues and so on.

     

    I list below five not-so-talked about ways in which PR can deploy social media tools for their clients.

     

    Go Beneath the Dust Cover: Often advertising, and even regular PR activities, capture and depict only some aspect of an organiation – akin to the dust cover of a book. So you tend to highlight the mission and the vision, or a new product, a new initiative, the financial results and so on as per the needs of communication, which is defined by the top management of an organisation. The consumer or stakeholder gets to see very small part of the corporate personality – You can surely make a first impression from the cover of a book, but to know the real worth you have to get onto the pages inside. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Blogs can help us get inside the book – meaning they can help disseminate many aspects of organisations which conventional communication may not capture.

     

    Converse Closely:  Social media tools have opened numerous windows for conversations. They have expanded the scope of communication – not too long ago organisations had to depend on tools like surveys to gauge the mood of their consumers / stakeholders. Some such tools, while still in use, have their limitations especially in understanding the softer side of human personality – their predilections, association, anguish and anxieties. For those who are willing to get close and personal with their consumers and stakeholders, social media surely provides a way out and this is a great opportunity for PR agencies.

     

    Advocacy – Find a Voice, Create a Noise: Social media is very effective, if used judiciously, for articulating serious issues and generating dialogues around it. Our client ABLE – AG or Association of Biotech Led Enterprises-Agriculture Group, which is an industry body representing agri biotech seed companies including giants like Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont and Monsanto, is grappling with a misinformation campaign unleashed by those opposed to GM crops in the country. Fact is the myths being perpetuated around safety of GM crops is nothing more than a bunch of distortions and lies. Along with our regular advocacy campaigns including reaching out to policy-makers, we work closely on Blog and Twitter to dismiss fallacious claims and submit science and evidence-based facts in public domain. We collate large number of academic papers and write-ups in media and put these on a blog and share with journalists, scientists, academic and policy makers.

     

    Be a Resource Hub: Social media is also a great tool to enable journalists and other stakeholders understand the many issues that your client may want them to know, understand and follow. As part of our advocacy campaign we have created a page on the Facebook and an account on YouTube where we capture / upload the many updates, beneficiaries’ testimonials and global studies on the same. We also use social media for facilitating updates on issues which are of constant interests to journalists.

     

    Read Faces on Facebook, Map Journalists: Often social media can serve as critical tools to map journalists and gauge their preferences and orientation. Many clients today have specific needs in terms of media visibility – which may require a non-conventional approach to media engagements. Non-conventional means looking beyond only the beat reporters for a particular sector.

     

    Navneet Anand is Secretary of Delhi Chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) and  founder of GreyMatters Communications & Advisory.

     

  • Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance lists five reasons why Corporate India should not ignore Public Relations

    The Anchor: Anisha Motwani on 5 Reasons why corporates should not ignore PR

    By Anisha Motwani

     

    1. It’s the age of transparency – In the age of Wikileaks, everyone needs Public Relations (PR). The world is almost like a glass now – transparent. There may be true and untrue stories always doing rounds about your business in a bigger scale or a smaller scale. PR is that tool that helps bringing out the accurate story proactively and steer clear of controversy.

     

    2. Crisis Management – Today, the media is all-pervasive and still remains the primary influencer of public opinion. So an ultra-quick reponse with finely-tuned messaging is a must.

     

    3. Creating correct visibility – It’s the PR job to know how to connect when and where. It is obvious that we all want to feature in mainstream media but that may not happen and be relevant all the time. The job of a PR team is to understand how to play the cards correctly and deal with it in the most efficient way possible. This means knowing all facets of any story being told, keeping up with the changing face of media and creating client interface through the right channels. May be those channels are local newspapers or even a blog.

     

    4. Increase loyalty – It is easier than ever to access information. We always have to keep pace with it. If I don’t provide information first, someone else will. Customers expect companies to act with integrity and the best way to control what is shared is by sharing it yourself. We can get increased customer loyalty by shaping third-party influence which often leads to greater trust with customers.

     

    5. Stand Out – It is impossible for businesses to connect with everyone. PR helps in getting the company increased followings, entice buyers to switch to your brand or become a loyal customer, or to simply share what you have to say. It is a great outlet as PR creates the opportunity and create that outlet for businesses to talk and stand out of the crowd.

     

    Anisha Motwani is Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance

     

  • PR is coming into its own in India, and as the industry evolves, PR practitioners are faced with a number of issues. Vivek Rana takes a look

    The Anchor: 5 challenges that PR in India still grapples with

    By Vivek Rana

     

    PR is coming into its own in India, with more and more companies recognizing that strategic communication can help build brand equity and support a company’s marketing goals more effectively than other disciplines. As the industry evolves, and principles of human behavioral change become core to spirit of communication, there are a number of dilemmas its members have to ponder over, to move the needle forward. Here are a few of these challenges:

     

    #1 Identifying the target market: When they are up against the wire, many PR professionals reach for a generic set of tactics that ignore target market demographics or preferences. Since success depends on correctly defining the audience, practitioners must have a firm handle on this aspect before they roll out a PR campaign or initiative. Studying customer profiles, consumption patterns, market research reports or other relevant data will help in this direction. Relevancy of stakeholders is key to a successful program.

     

    #2 Looking beyond print: The Indian PR industry continues to be fixated with print coverage with results often measured in column centimeters or some variant of this. In today’s world, people get their news from many different sources, spanning traditional and new media. So, PR professionals must encourage both themselves and their clients to invest to measurements tools that look at direct impact on behavior. After all Public Relations is not just media relations. This approach will also help identify the most relevant channels that resonate best with the target audience.

     

    #3 Do not compromise on creativity for ‘paid editorial’: We have heard enough on the debate around paid editorial v. earned editorial. While this trend becomes an increasingly mainstream practice, the concerning factor is that many PR professionals are willing to compromise on being creative, on walking that extra mile, because yes its easy to pay and get written about! And when you have a willing client, voila! To be sustainable and maintain credibility innovation and good ideas will continue to hold you valuable and in business.

     

    #4 Ethics and Integrity: The challenge today is not that we do not communicate enough; we just do not communicate in a manner that displays integrity and ethics. Everyone seems to be in the race to “kill stories”, influence the media through relationships and not by providing accurate, unambiguous messages.  Often I meet candidates at an interview to gloat about how they are skilled to “STOP PRESS” and I start wondering what drug is he on! Respect the intelligence of the media, and partner with them to ensure they have access to clear and genuine information.

     

    #5 A need to raise the bar: Mediocrity can crop up in many forms in the PR industry’s output: a poorly written press release, an uninspired campaign, a campaign strategy that is not based on research, a lack of attention to detail… the list goes on. On the flip side, when substandard quality is accepted and condoned by clients, it gives PR professionals little reason to up their game.

     

    The good news is that these are problems that are now acknowledged by many in the industry.

     

    Let’s not remain armchair reformists. Let’s lead the change.

     

    Vivek Rana is Principal at The PRactice