MxMIndia

Tag: PR

  • In conversation with MxM India, Dilip Cherian, Consulting Partner, Perfect Relations talks about the talent crunch turning into a big area of concern, something he regards as India's huge pitfall in coming years.

    [PR Channel] We are producing pathetic people for almost every kind of task: Dilip Cherian

    Text and Videos by Shruti Pushkarna

     

    He is one of the first names that crosses anyone’s mind when speaking of public affairs management or image management. Addressed by many as an ‘influencer’, he is known for his roles as an image manager and a policy advisor. Dilip Cherian, Consulting Partner at Perfect Relations started the company in the early nineties and now the firm is South Asia’s largest communications consultancy with 14 offices and 550 professionals on the team. Mr Cherian has also been the editor of the business magazine, Business India and the Observer before he entered the communications business. His work goes well beyond public relations and media. Mr Cherian is the member of the Board of Advertising Standards Council of India and on the Governing Council of the National Institute of Design. He has also been a member of the Censor Board.

     

    In this conversation with MxM India’s Shruti Pushkarna, Mr Cherian confesses to being an ‘image guru’ and shares his views on various subjects like managing public affairs in the PR space, lobbying, policy making, PR in a social/digital world and the biggest challenge he thinks the PR industry is facing today. While many in the communications business have admitted to the challenge of attracting talent into the business in the past, Mr Cherian goes a step further when he says, “I think talent is going to be India’s huge pitfall in the coming years. We are producing pathetic people for almost every kind of task.”

     

    Dilip Cherian Interview Part 1
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z4b_10_GWk[/youtube]

    Q: You are often referred to as the ‘image guru of India’. And a lot of people address you as an ‘influencer who opens the right doors for his clients’. How do you react to that?

    A: The image guru part I confess to, the opening doors part… I don’t do that. What I do however is, as an image guru, I try and help my clients to focus on what are the issues they should be communicating about. I also help them understand what are the implications of what they are doing and whom they are communicating to. So what I am good at is, pointing in a direction and also very often enhancing their skills in being able to project themselves correctly. This kind of situation requires knowledge of who they are communicating to, so it’s not that I open a door, it’s just that I tell them when they walk through the door, what should they say and how would that impact their image.

     

    Q: So you do confess to being an ‘image guru’?

    A: It’s both the kind of appellation which works in a positive sense for the company because I only work through Perfect Relations and through the five group companies that we have. I think that the designation, as it were, helped me focus on what my real work is. My real work is more in the nature of someone who provides coaching to my own people, or to the people we work with, to enhance their skill sets in being able to better manage their image. So the ‘guru’ part is about the teaching part and that really is about helping others enhance whatever skills they may have, or to reduce sometimes, and this is equally important in my view, to reduce the aberrations which prevent them from having the image which they desire.

     

    Q: You have done an extensive amount of work in public affairs management. Tell us a bit about your experience of work in this area of PR. Also, how critical do you think is public affairs management to the communications business?

    A: Public affairs management is a relatively new science as far as India is concerned, and that’s because of the fact that public affairs used to be, the way it was practiced, largely a dirty word because it had nuances of ‘off-the-balance sheet’ activity. Where we have come in and over the last ten years what Perfect Relations has done is that in the public affairs space, we have created space for a new kind of activity. And that is, helping to communicate with policy makers to influence the direction of policy; policy when it’s wrong or policy when it is being created or policy as it’s being created. In the public affairs area, the relationship with the client is that of the guru kind but also of a confidential advisor, telling them what are the aspects of decision-making they need to focus on rather than the people. Because what’s happened over the past is that too much enthusiasm has been expended on people. It’s not about people, policy making is about a process, and that’s the first skill set we have managed to bring into this area of public affairs. The second thing that we do in public affairs is we help global companies understand that decision-making in India is not uniquely different from anywhere else. So Perfect Relations is the only company which has had experience and skills set in working at a panchayat level, at a district level, at a state level and at the central level. The decision-making vectors and the parameters in each of these spaces is different. Global companies don’t necessarily have somebody who can lead them through this; this is not about market entry strategy, this is about understanding the policy landscape of the country.

     

    Dilip Cherian Interview Part 2
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDi643AWsD4[/youtube]

    Q: How critical is the function of crisis management in PR?

    A: Over the last 25 years of existence if there were one function for which we’ve been called in at the highest level, whether it’s in the public sector when for example there was a fire on an oil rig, or whether it’s in the case of a global company when there was a firing in faraway Goa, or whether it’s in the case of an Indian company whose licence got cancelled, Perfect Relations has always been the first port of call for somebody who is in really deep trouble. So crisis management is something that happens as a plug-on rather than as part of a process. Largely we have come in when the agency that was currently handling a client was seen as not geared to have the bandwidth, the experience, the specialized people and the local teams available on the ground; and that’s the reason why we get called in. Over the last 25 years of doing this in India we also realized some years ago that crisis preparedness as a module needs to be put into companies. So for some of the clients who have the budgets to be able to do this because this is expensive, today we have teams that go in and train top management in the five life-saving skills, life-saving in terms of corporate life of a company, that are needed to ensure that crisis preparedness is at a higher level than it ever was before.

     

    Q: What are your views on lobbying? Do you think past controversy has tainted the image of PR as an industry?

    A: Lobbying is a dirty word in terms of the kind of nuances and practices that a large number of players have indulged in. Is this a result of the way our democracy functions? I don’t quite know. But is it possible to function differently? The answer is, absolutely yes. It takes more patience, it takes much deeper skills and it takes a lot more of focused attention of top management. The problem with ‘bad lobbying’ as I call it, is because sometimes CEOs or owners want to outsource it, saying, we are not doing this. Let somebody else take care of the dirty work. And then it becomes a dirty job. So where we are concerned, what we advise our clients and owners of companies who work with us is, that this is something that you need to integrate yourself into because when the mud starts getting splattered it’s bound to hit you; so rather than outsource it, be part of the process and ensure that you take liability and responsibility for what goes into it. We find that kind of lobbying does not have a bad name, whether it’s a government department, whether it’s a minister, whether it’s a panchayat, everybody is willing to talk to the person who is actually the ownership person in terms of what he or she is planning to do on the ground. Very often they get heard and very often the problems get sorted out. So lobbying of the kind that we call ‘ethical lobbying’ is something we are quite happy to say that we do, and we’ve had no problem dealing with multiple organizations using these techniques.

     

    Q: How do you think PR can be more than just mere press relations?

    A: I think PR is already more than press relations. What is happening is that, like any industry, you follow the 80-20 rule – 80 percent of agencies in the business do what is easiest to do, which is, merely handing some pretty pathetic material to journalists who are absolutely uninformed. There’s a market there and so 80 percent of the companies like to do it. The 80-20 rule when flipped on its head, today we get 80 percent of our revenue not from our press relations work but from the advisory work where we talk to the brand managers and we talk to marketing directors, we talk to the people looking after the digital space. For example, digital – it’s a huge new way for corporations and companies to reach out to customers, it’s a one-to-one designed sort of communication. It’s difficult, it requires the same set of skills which PR people thought they used to have, which is communication. But it’s a whole new technology landscape and it’s a whole new idiom. So what we do now is to try and ensure that 80 percent of our revenue comes from the activities which are no longer those that 80 percent of the players in the industry try and do.

     

    Q: How do you think social media has impacted PR and its functioning?

    A: I think it’s important to distinguish two things. Social media is changing the way humans communicate with each other, that’s one. But digital media goes far beyond that. It’s also about ensuring that your reputation is intact in the vast new internet space. So the way we look at digital PR is probably along the same lines that we look at press relations. It’s not about putting one-to-one communications in a mass market, it’s about actually changing the platform from which you communicate so that you don’t need to say too much and you already are in a sense transmitting those values to everybody who reaches out to you. So you need to communicate less but you need to have much higher quality. So it’s strategic, it requires a vast volume of monitoring which our teams now have tech tools to help them do, and it’s about training – because like in the case of lobbying, in the digital PR space, we recognize it is the voice of the CEO, it is the voice of the brand, it is the voice of the marketing specialist that needs to be communicating directly to the customers who reach out to them.

     

    Q: Tell us a bit about your role as a policy advisor?

    A: I took a decision about ten years ago, which is about 15 years after running the company full time, that you need to put a certain part of your skills back into society. So whether it is working with the Censor Board, which is taking calls on which films could cause communal disharmony or relate in sexually inappropriate kind of behaviour being encouraged, I spend a certain part of my time in ensuring that I am available with my skills to organizations that in a sense implement policy. At the other end of the spectrum is the Advertising Standards Council, which helps corporations to figure out in a pure industry-based platform what is appropriate behaviour for advertising agencies and what is not. I am a great votary of self-regulation for some of these industries. If you want to prevent strangleholds of government, you’ve got to have powerful industry bodies that do self-regulation. So at the ASCI, my contribution is to ensure that as a PR person, I am able to look at advertising from a slightly different standpoint and provide guidance to the other advertising people about the way it would be looked at in government, by the media etc. So in the contribution to the debate, to the framing and the implementation of public policy, I hope that in the last ten years that I have spent, I am putting this contribution back in terms of the life skills I have built up.

     

    Q: How was the transition from a senior journalist to that of a PR practioneer, especially since, at the time when you moved to communications, PR was not taken very seriously?

    A: Whether it was working with an editorial position at Business India, or whether it was running a newspaper for the Ambanis called The Observer, or whether it was setting up a journal for parliamentarians, all the journalism that I used to do actually impinged on some of the areas which I today work on. So in Business India it was the element of business strategy, in the Observer it was the ability to understand how the government at the bureaucratic level functioned, and at the paper we were launching for parliamentarians, it was looking at policy-making inside the rotunda. So I thought with the skills I had, over a period of time, I was beginning to repeat myself and I felt that rather than repeat myself ad infinitum, I need to move to the other side, flip it over and become an advisor to corporations. So it was in a sense a random decision which was sprung up on by circumstances but also it was something I had prepared myself for. Was it for this, the answer is no; but was it for something else, the answer is yes. It just happened that this was the something else.

     

    Q: It is believed by some that PR professionals influence journalists and content is published in lieu of money. Do you think it’s a correct allegation?

    A: My read on paid content is that for a variety of reasons and not a small element to do with social media, I think it was an idea which came and it is an idea that’s not going to last because the piercing of that kind of pretended journalism veil is over. So today when there is paid content, it gets pilloried in a manner that social media alone can do. On the other hand, there is at a social level the whole issue of right to information. So between the right to information and social media, I think the days of conventional paid media is reaching its end already very fast.

     

    Q: What are the challenges that face the PR industry today? Do you think attracting talent to PR is one of them?

    A: I think talent is going to be India’s huge pitfall in the coming years. We are producing pathetic people for almost every kind of task. Also with this new urbanization that’s happened over the years, people have created a new generation of people with expectations that simply cannot be fulfilled in the workplace. So people are hopping around hoping that they can find someone who will recognize their talent. That’s not going to happen. The world over, today Spain has somewhere like 40 percent of the youth unemployed, the UK has 30 percent youth unemployed, I think unemployment is a result of not preparing a new generation for what a work field actually is. It’s not about jobs, it’s about talent and it’s about recognizing that talent needs to do it every day to become talent, it’s not talent because they think they have it. I think the PR industry has a huge talent problem. What are we doing to address our problem of talent as an industry? Eighteen years ago we set up an institute to work on training PR professionals. It didn’t work. But we have started one again because I think the time was too early then. I think now, seeing the demand there is for PR, the time has come, the industry is recognizing, also students are recognizing they don’t have the skills. So we are now beginning again the process of creating talent. And the first batch should be out in a few months.

     

    Q: Where do you think is the PR industry headed in the next five years?

    A: I think the industry is headed to greater growth without a doubt because industry will grow at at least twice the pace at which industrial growth happens, so that’s almost a given. The direction to go in the future is going to be specialization and specialization at all levels, press relations, strategic advice, digital advice. Another big change that’s going to happen is that you are going to probably have to bring back people from retirement to find jobs because I think you are not going to get the talent you are going to need for many of the things that the PR industry will need to do. So I see the age profile in the industry actually going up instead of going down as is the case with most service industries.

     

    Q: Who do you think does the best PR for himself or herself in the country today?

    A: I think the people who do PR for themselves perhaps do it unwittingly because they have natural skills at it. So I would say that if one looks at individuals who are doing a great job at portraying who they are, the one who is kind of a runaway success is Abdul Kalam. He has done a fabulous job as a President and he’s actually found an afterlife. In terms of stars, Amitabh is a shining example of PR and he is also one of those who have managed the transition to social media quite cleverly.

     

  • Companies have realized that investing in PR campaigns and sending out the right messages is critical for business recovery after an economic downturn, says Nitin Mantri.

    [PR Channel] ‘Industry resilient in times of turmoil’

    By Nitin Mantri

     

    A new year heralds a new beginning. Year 2012, however, began on a note similar to last year’s, with news of a world economy in crisis continuing to grab front-page headlines. As the world kept an anxious eye on Europe, where talks to avert a debt default by Greece are under way, the rupee recovered its lost ground, touching a two-and-half month high of Rs 49.65 against the dollar. However, a CII survey has shown that Indian corporates are not very upbeat about the economy and their own businesses.

     

    So what does a tottering economy mean for the public relations industry? Nothing damaging, thankfully. There used to be a time, about 10 years ago, when PR budgets topped the list of cutback targets whenever the financial markets dragged down the economy. Not anymore. The industry has proved to be a valuable partner to companies in good times and more so in bad times by internalising all critical issues affecting clients. PR advice has become especially valuable during difficult times, primarily due to the advent of social media and a changing communication milieu. PR also delivers more cost-effective results when compared with advertising and marketing. Companies have realized that investing in PR campaigns and sending out the right messages is critical for business recovery after an economic downturn. In fact, experience shows companies that desist from PR engagements fare the worst.

     

    Year 2012 will provide plenty of growth opportunities to PR professionals who spot the key trends and react early. While global trends remain relevant for us, in the Indian context the stress will be on a few areas. With businesses slowing down, client retention will be the natural focus. PR professionals will have to walk that extra mile to be a valuable partner to our clients. This means more value-driven PR campaigns that give a demonstrable return for the clients’ money. This is also the time to leverage research capabilities and provide real-time information and analysis on different industries and competition to clients. But it all has to be done ethically. With Public Affairs capabilities being offered by agencies, it has to be done in an honest manner.

     

    The controversy last year has also turned the spotlight on media accountability. The industry has nursed a secret hope that the Indian media will become more accountable and with the recent controversies, it may just become a reality. But blind worship of the media should stop. The focus should be on what value we can give (to the media and client) and not what we get. Accountability-based influence should be the new harbinger of change and we should be the face of that change. This will also be the year when regional media will continue to grow. Since mainstream English publications have limited reach (read urban population), clients will shifted their focus on regional newspapers and channels, which hold the key to the semi-urban and rural markets.

     

    Social media will of course continue to grow, but there will be blurring of lines between paid and unpaid. The important thing is to be present in all streams-paid, earned, shared and owned-so the message is heard. Content will continue to be king, but the industry needs to think of ways to use the content strategically in both traditional and digital media. Since consumers are spoiled for choice, the key differentiator would be good content that breaks through the information overload and relays the clients’ brand messages. 2012 will also be the year of knowledge curation. All of us will have to play the role of curator at some point or the other and lead our clients to the content that they really value.

     

    There is, however, one thing that remains unchanged in this business of people – connections. PR is creating and enhancing connections with various stakeholders. In this era of social media it is even more critical as opportunities to interact are many. We have to look for peers, journalists, organisations and allies who with time have vanished from our list and make 2012 the year to re-connect.

     

    The past decade has shown the results of effective PR planning and it looks like we will get another opportunity to confirm the PR industry’s resiliency in these troubled times.

     

    Nitin Mantri is the CEO of Avian Media.

     

  • Ameer Ismail, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas opens up about his successful tryst with the PR and communications space, how LinOpinion has managed to outperform its growth every year, and his plans for the agency in 2012.

    [PR Channel] 2012 is about growth: Ameer Ismail

    It sometimes helps not pushing oneself too hard to prove one’s worth in the market. It is better if the industry itself does that for you and puts you on the pedestal where you deserve to be. It has been a similar experience for PR agency LinOpinion that has been doing brilliant work without creating much noise or fanfare about its work. Part of the reason for the agency’s good standing is the leadership team, and particularly a person who has been at the helm for a loyal 17 years.

     

    In conversation with Johnson Napier of MxMIndia, Ameer Ismail, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas opens up about his successful tryst with the PR and communications space, how LinOpinion as an agency has managed to outperform its growth every year and his plans for the agency in 2012. Excerpts:

     

    Q: It’s been a long run for you in the PR and communications space. How would you chart your personal journey thus far?

    It has been quite a long journey for me. When I joined the profession it was in a nascent stage but that also threw up a lot of interesting opportunities for young and aggressive people like me. In effect, it has been a journey where I have never stopped learning and I have never looked back. In the process of working in the PR space, I have done a lot of work in the communications space as well. So I do not consider myself only a PR professional; I consider myself first a professional, second a communications professional and third, a PR professional within the communications space. So the journey has been a satisfying one, to say the least.

     

    Also, it has enhanced my knowledge and skill-sets in certain areas – there’s management expertise, financial expertise, you have to be a motivator for your team, a seller, a marketer, a businessperson… all roles rolled into one. So it has been a journey of creation. This business did not exist around 20 years ago; even 10 years ago, it was not that developed. There were people who saw the potential and jumped into the business and started scaling up fast. That has not been our philosophy as an agency and it has never been my philosophy as well. We believe there is potential but we need to grow it in a certain space and we have been very successful in our own space and in our own way. We have built a very successful practice which today is one of the most successful marketing practices and continues to grow and outstrip everybody’s expectations.

     

    Q: Your stint at LinOpinion is one of the longest ever seen. How has the agency evolved under your leadership?

    LinOpinion has been a culmination of a dream. It has been a dream to have worked in a world-class institution that is respected for its values, work, ethics… this agency is bigger than just people. It was a dream to join the agency; more so, it was a dream to get an opportunity to be entrepreneurial within an agency system. When Prem Mehta hired me into the agency, I remember him telling me, “Listen, if you want to sell toothpaste and stuff like that then this is the wrong place for you, but if you want to create something out of ideas and build something really good and get exposed to all kinds of learnings in that journey then this is the space.” And the journey is by no means even close to getting boring or over.

     

    Q: The communications landscape is seeing a constant evolution in the way it functions as an industry. How in your experience has it changed over the past five years to what it is today?

    Not just five years, I see change in what we do five months from now and what we do five months from then. Though I would say that change is constantly happening in the way we think, the way we react, the way we structure, the way we benchmark and offer our services… The industry itself is in a phase of constant evolution itself. Anybody who tells you that we have got the systems and that these are the golden benchmarks is just bullshitting. At the end of the day, the PR agency business is constantly evolving itself across the globe. Every day is a day of learning for the PR industry. There are now centres and teams that are managing these kinds of developmental areas for us.

     

    Q: Has 2012 begun with a bang for the agency?

    Jan 2012 has been much more promising; we have shown good growth compared to January 2011. But there are signs that we may see less enthusiasm from clients where allocation of budgets towards PR is concerned. In terms of negotiations and new business, we actually get into high gear in the last quarter of the previous year. In that timeframe we talk to multiple clients across categories and segments and it is at that stage that you can actually gage the commitments that are happening for the new year. So we definitely see signs of a slight slowdown but I would say that in an evolving market and an evolving country, things are not going to slow down hugely.

     

    Q: How would you rate the growth story for LinOpinion in 2011?

    2011 has been a fantastic year for us because we did many things that stood out in the minds of our clients and the industry per se. We were even recognised for some of our achievements – we got recognised for several innovations that we brought to the table including Suzlon PR campaign for P.A.L.S where we worked in an integrated way with the entire group machinery and several other things. It was also a great year in terms of finance and business performance. We even bagged the best Marketing Services award within the group for business performance. So it was a fantastic year for us.

     

    As for the wins, a few notable ones include Tourism Victoria, Times Television Network, Polaris…then there was a consolidation of all the Starwood businesses where we now handle all of their mandates. We also managed to win clients like DHI, Siemens, and several others. To sum it up, we have had at least 40-45 retainer businesses added on. We also consolidated our teams; we launched training programmes and many other initiatives that we set out to do last year. And this year will see further change and evolution – more of a recasting exercise from our end. As for our growth last year, it would suffice to say that it has been over industry standard. Now we have to temper that growth with reality, we have to temper that growth with manageability… so anything is possible in this space. The criteria is to see what the industry is doing, what we need to do and how we can manage it best and then decide on throwing up numbers. But the numbers we achieve are good, and we achieve it on profit margins that are on par with advertising businesses.

     

    Q: How would you sum up your performance against other players from the industry?

    The thing is that we don’t like to benchmark ourselves against anyone because this industry has seen crazy growth. So for instance, you predict a growth of 50 per cent or more the question is whether you can sustain that kind of growth or no? That’s because the basic and fundamental fuel to that growth is talent – there are not enough talented people out there who stick to jobs. I have spent 17 years in this agency, which is huge, but I too in the early part of my career wanted to keep on jumping for better opportunities. So Ii do not blame people who want to move but when you move at that early stage so often it doesn’t reflect well on your career prospects.

     

    Having said that, we too have faced talent issues and we continue to do that. There is enough business out there but to get the right kind of people to service the needs is a tough thing. The other thing is when you get the talent in, you expect them to hone in skills much faster. We as an agency imbibe a lot of values and would never be found doing things that are unethical. We would rather give up a business but we won’t take the wrong path to appease a client. Our core competence is understanding where the brand needs to be and getting you there. And that can happen with sensible strategy and creative. The other challenge is in making the clients believe that there is a value in what you do more than what they are willing to pay for. There are still some clients who perceive PR to occupy the lower part of the communications chain; but that’s changing. While there are a few clients at the top who don’t mind paying a premium for your services, a majority of the clients in the middle of the pyramid still want to settle the deal for less. And with that kind of income you cannot deliver the quality of work that is desired. So people have to understand that the more you invest the better the returns.

     

    Q: Domain wise, how have each of the units contributed to the growth of the agency?

    We are not a lifestyle-only PR agency as some claim us to be. There are other domains that we cater to. We have a well-rounded portfolio; we have FMCG, brands, financial, power, etc. In fact we are not in the lifestyle space in a big way as before. May be we are not promoting ourselves well enough but that will change. We now offer well-rounded services across sectors. Where our thrust is concerned, one part of it will be in the area of where PR as an industry is headed towards – which, for us, would be helping clients around business issues. So we would be defining areas and how PR can fit in to help with those business issues for clients. The second is in the area of where media is headed. These two would be the main areas where our strategy for moving forward is concerned.

     

    Q: How do you view digital as a practice for the industry today?

    Digital is an extremely complex and badly understood medium, but is extremely powerful. I think the power of the medium is yet being defined. Even if you look at mobile you are looking at a completely different paradigm. It is so mind-boggling that even agency folks don’t have a command on it. The kind of communication that works on that space sometimes doesn’t work anywhere else. What is really interesting about this medium is the possibilities it offers. The dynamics of me sitting in India and doing a campaign for a client in Africa – why not? I can come out with a brilliant creative and I can tell you that the ability for our thinking as Indians is pretty damn good. We can be thrown into any situation and we can come out shining. That is the kind of innovation that works on the digital medium. I do foresee a future where a PR guy sitting here would be creating a campaign for a client in some other corner of the world. Creative is not the domain of just one or two people any more.

     

    Q: What are your expectations from 2012?

    We expect 2012 to be a great year again. We believe in being steady with everything that we do. As I said earlier, it would be a year where we would be recasting our offerings a bit. It would mean a couple of more interesting developments from our end. To put it mildly, it is going to be about growth for us in 2012.

     

    Q: How would you react to claims of the industry being largely disorganised? What would you estimate the industry size to be?

    According to my estimates, the industry size hovers around US 100-150 million dollars. There’s no way that Assocham’s figure of some billions is true at all. In terms of the industry being disorganised, I totally agree with that view. Do the senior PR industry folks even meet each other? We don’t. I am not interested in being in a coterie, to be part of something; I will run my business the way I want. Yes, there are common issues that would make sense for people to deal with commonly but we need to have the right forums to deal with it. When there is an appropriate forum, we will definitely be a part of it. I would be happy to be supporting a professional body which has teeth. But for that we all will have to get together and it is the agency heads that need to take that lead.

     

    Q: Have you contemplated turning an entrepreneur or is this where you will continue to exist?

    As of now, I am very happy being here in this agency. I have spent 17 years out here and that would make me a loyalist. The agency has given me the kind of growth that I require for my career. I sit at the top management today and have multiple responsibilities to look after. This is the thing I started with and I do want to see it go to great heights.

     

  • The intellectual growth of PR professionals has been inverse to that of India's economic growth rate, particularly so in the past few years

    [PR Channel] Young PR professionals need a reality check

    By Sayantan Sinha

     

    When the editor (no I am not talking about Mr. Mehta’s pet) called me to write this piece, I wondered “who’s going to read?”

     

    We, the breed of superior intellect and pray do not believe that, like to imagine (which is true) that we are the most well-read lot with deep understanding and knowledge on everything from needle to submarine. So my PR brethren, let us get out of our cocoon and do a little reality check.

     

    The stalwarts of the PR industry are people with huge repertoire of knowledge. Hence they are where they are today. The likes of Prema Sagar, Dilip Cherian, Madan Bahal, Supriyo Gupta, N S Rajan, Sunil Gautam, Roger Periera et al are known for their indelible track record.

     

    The intellectual growth of PR professionals has been inverse to that of India’s economic growth rate, particularly so in the past few years. While figure, physique and sensational sense of dressing have incorporated the oomph factor, lack of intelligence pervades the industry. Unfortunately, the finest of the gyms or the salons cannot add that aspect to personality. Add to that sheer indolence and Herculean attitude.

     

    Most of the younger lot, particularly in Delhi, have a lot of both. So much so, they successfully make new editors (refer to Person X as editor of one biz paper when s/he is in fact RE of another pink daily) , create awesome profiles (no link between the journalist, his area of expertise and publication) and above all confidently attribute journalists to publications which they left eons back.

     

    Why is this happening? I totally agree with my peers about the inflated egos of the younger generation. But we cannot absolve ourselves from the fact that we have not instilled the sense of responsibility in the new lot. Every agency has well-defined (and that has to be another critique) systems and processes. However, despite insisting on regular media rounds, you would hardly find youngsters rushing from one building to another on India’s Fleet Street.

     

    Of course, if there is a press conference, you will find a few hovering around. Penetration of internet and mobile have done all of us good, but our younger friends need to realise that relationships cannot be built only over emails and telephone /mobile or for that matter BBM.

     

    It is true that even five years back, it was far easier to meet a journalist. We could amble on the ET floor or chat with multiple journalists in Hindustan Times, but today that is not possible. But it is imperative to meet journalists so that there is connect between the face and the email id.

     

    It is a different issue that it is far easier to grab an appointment with the President than send a youngster out for media round. One is accosted with barrage of questions like “Why do I need to meet him / her? I get my work done”; “They must be busy”; “They do not come out to meet” and the best “What do I talk to them about?”!!!

     

    In the good old days, when people used to go for “shikaar” (hunting), they used to study the prey and its surrounding. Transform that to our profession. Even if there is no story to pitch for, go ahead and meet a journalist of the beat you cater to. Read his articles, talk to him about his stories, create a rapport and nurture it. A personal touch can go a long way. Don’t forget the brilliant line of Airtle’s campaign “BAAT KARNE SE HI BAAT BANTI HAI,” though the approach of today’s PR professional is as horrific as Airtel’s connectivity.

     

    And by the way, media rounds in Delhi can be great fun, if one is a foodie. From the crisp samosas of INS building canteen to dosas and vadas near Jantar Mantar, from bread pakora outside PTI building to finest fresh juices at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, the choice is huge. And make friends in Times Building, at-least to visit their swanky canteen.

     

    The other grey area is the fabled media list. More often than not, the most “updated” media list is the dated one. In Google age, youngsters seem to have forgotten the art of copy & paste! Otherwise how would one explain about a CoB who passed away some years ago still holding that position?

     

    More often than not, senior journalists complain about young PR professionals calling them and asking what do they write on! This brings me back to the first paragraph of this article. The stalwarts of the industry and anyone in the industry worth his salt, reads. Unless one reads, it is rather difficult to survive in the industry. Every byline has a name and in today’s day and age, most of the newspapers have compartmentalised content according to the beat. It is not rocket science. Even a child reading a newspaper regularly will be able to say what a particular journalist writes on.

     

    The angst in media against PR professionals is not unwarranted. We have provided them with enough ammunition to allot PR professionals as courier guys, adding no value. Unless one proves his mettle in this value chain, the individual must leave the profession. PR is serious business and we hope to have able people in the industry to take it forward. This is not written to demean anyone but to look within ourselves to find the answer.

     

    Sayantan Sinha is Founder & Managing Partner, Out-There PR & Communications

     

  • The single biggest challenge, which overshadows everything else and is already upon us, is the crisis of talent, observes Vivek Sengupta of Moving Finger Communications.

    [PR Channel] Being small is our strength: Vivek Sengupta

    By Johnson Napier

     

    With a career spanning the domains of journalism, PR, public policy and advocacy there is very little that Vivek Sengupta, Founder & Chief Executive of Moving Finger Communications, hasn’t tackled in the field of communication. Though a small shop, Moving Finger has its hands full in offering mundane services to its clients apart from other specialised offerings that include messaging and media training workshops as well as modules in crisis preparedness and crisis communications. It also offers a cloud-based service for global PR and sometimes works with other PR agencies which do not have these offerings.

     

    In conversation with MxM India, Mr Sengupta analyses the plight of the PR industry in India, how small agencies stack up to the larger forces and why regulation against lobbying isn’t a desirable option for the industry in India. Excerpts:

     

    Q: How would you analyse Moving Finger as being a distinct communications agency in India?

    We are a communications consulting firm that provides solutions in the realms of PR, public affairs, public policy and advocacy. We also offer standalone products like messaging and media training workshops as well as modules in crisis preparedness and crisis communications. We also offer a cloud-based service for global PR. In these areas, we sometimes work with other PR agencies which do not have these offerings.

     

    We are small, and that is our strongest suit. For our size, we offer unmatched experience and expertise. It’s a lot like how independent bookstores hold their own in a market awash with large chain bookstores.

     

    Q: As founder and head of Moving Finger, what were the initial challenges you faced in putting the firm together?

    The challenges were the challenges of a start-up. They come with the turf and you take them in your stride.

     

    Q: How would you differentiate between running a specialist agency of your own versus working for a large PR house in India?

    Where I am concerned, in a large agency, running the business profitably and growing it were my primary concern. Servicing played second fiddle. Now, servicing is my primary concern. Running the business is secondary; though, in and of itself, it is of paramount importance.

     

    Q: How would you analyze the performance of the PR and Communications industry in India? Has it recorded a commendable growth story in 2011?

    In a challenging market scenario, the industry performed creditably. When the business environment is tight, CEOs and marketing heads watch spends very carefully. PR tends to do better than advertising because the spends are way smaller and, I dare say, you get bigger bang for the buck.

     

    Q: How do you view the increasing entry of international PR firms in India?

    This is not a very recent development. It has been happening for some time and had to happen. These firms have their own markets, we have our own. The pie is large enough for everybody.

     

    Q: In a changing communications scenario, how has the journalist-PR nexus evolved over time?

    I am not sure what connotation you attach to the word ‘nexus’. I hope it is positive! I think the journalist and the PR person have come to have a better understanding of each other’s role. The PR person understands that the journalist is looking for information, while the journalist understands that the PR person is looking to provide information. Both have the common objective of purveying information. When there is a match between the two needs, there is win-win – a consummation devoutly to be wished for.

     

    Q: How do you see digital impacting the way a PR agency functions?

    The goal of purveying information does not change. Digital is just another platform or means to that end.

     

    Q: What are the immediate challenges facing PR agencies in India?

    The single biggest challenge, which overshadows everything else and is already upon us, is the crisis of talent. You can get the business, but do you have good, competent people to service the business? However, this talent issue is something that many verticals grapple with. In the communications industry, the media itself is assailed by this challenge. Every editor whom I talk to laments the lack of talent.

     

    Q: Why is the PR and communications industry devoid of a strong and agile regulator? How will the industry grow without proper policing mechanisms in place?

    Why would our industry need a regulator? Who has asked for one? There has been some talk of “regulating” lobbying, as it has come to be understood in India (which is wider than the US or EU definition of engaging with law-makers). But, in my view, even that is not called for. We have before us the experience of the media with the Press Council of India. A watchdog for lobbying must surely not traverse the same path. It would be better to limit regulation to existing laws.

     

    Do you think consolidation will be the order of the day soon?

    Some amount of consolidation will happen and that will be perfectly in order.

     

    Vivek Sengupta is Founder and Chief Executive of Moving Finger Communications. He has had a varied career in journalism, public relations, public policy and advocacy. He can be contacted at vivek.sengupta@movingfinger.in

     

  • In connecting the dots with these sweeping phenomena, we as public relations and digital communications practitioners can seek inspiration, think above and be even more creative in what we do.

    [PR Channel] Flashmobs & guerrilla PR in the digital world

    By Pranav Kumar

     

    Flashmobs in India are a rare thing – but when they do happen with the right construct, the impact is well, viral. I’m talking about the now legendary ‘Mumbai flashmob’ where two hundred amateur dancers took crowds at Mumbai’s bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station by surprise in late November 2011 by breaking into a stunning dance performance to a popular title track from the Bollywood blockbuster Rang De Basanti. The ensuing video assumed viral dimensions, trending across the Twitter-verse and attracting over 2 million views on YouTube.

     

    Flashmobs don’t happen every day in India. The closest we get (sort of) are politically-inspired rallies and other forms of activism that keep the nation tethered to its television sets (such as Anna Hazare’s Gandhian-esque style of revolt against graft and poor governance in India). Though the two don’t really compare in either purpose, ideology or scale, both do evoke public response and represent the widespread generational change currently sweeping India. All of this stems from a need to be heard, a need to make a change based on newfound confidence in a growing India. And none of this would happen if the country’s mainstream (read ‘traditional’) and fast-growing social media dynamics weren’t as conducive with mass penetration and growing adoption.

     

    In connecting the dots with these sweeping phenomena, we as public relations and digital communications practitioners can seek inspiration, think above and be even more creative in what we do.

     

    The Rang De Basanti gig in Mumbai is emblematic of the continuing spurt in social media (no surprises here). India’s over 100 million internet users now represent a sizeable audience and, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Co, will triple in size to 350 million by 2015. Smartphone adoption growth is pegged at 15 percent YoY and the mobile device is simply a huge enabler of internet access as opposed to current PC penetration (roughly 8 percent of population). On last count, India had close to 800 million mobile subscribers.

     

    Mumbai’s flashmob makes another point – the growing popularity of online video consumption. According to the Asian Digital Marketing Association, half of India’s internet users now watch videos online. In a country where traditional media continues to rocket its way up unlike most markets (2011 growth was at 18 percent for newspapers), social media is certainly not outpacing it but assuming increasing importance. Integrated campaigns are therefore essential from any marketer’s perspective and as we at Bite look at it, it’s all about helping companies join valuable and relevant conversations – whether in a blog, on Twitter or via a newspaper interview.

     

    Coming back to flashmobs, they too can serve as effective platforms to generate a terrific amount of buzz when done right. However, it’s one thing to organize a flashmob for fun, or indeed for a cause. But doing it for marketing reasons is another thing entirely and is much more risky. Innovative brands and organizations around the world have used flashmobs every now and then to their advantage resorting to such ‘guerilla’ tactics to either generate fanfare or indeed to steal attention from a competitor.

     

    Doubt if we’ll see a flashmob culture in India as yet but at least Mumbai’s Shonan Kothari, the brains behind the Rang De Basanti one, has shown just how effective a carefully orchestrated flashmob can be.

     

    In the end, the message is clear for today’s increasingly busy communicators: in a hyper-connected and integrated world, it’s all about telling your stories in the most compelling and creative manner. It’s about having a point of view that’ll eventually triumph and transcend through today’s cluttered environment to be heard.

     

    Pranav Kumar is Managing Director – India at Bite Communications, a part of the Next Fifteen Communications Group plc.

     

  • Dennis Taraporewala of Criesse Communications declares that boutique shops can redefine the way PR functions as a discipline in India, and that larger players will have to cooperate with smaller ones

    [PR Channel] We want to grow organically, not exponentially: Dennis Taraporewala

    In this competitive era where clients don’t mind slamming the brakes on services that do not bring much to the table, it is often the vulnerable who fall victim to the siege. And for an industry like PR which is anyway sidelined by clients and media alike, the scale is always in favour of large agencies. But then there are a handful of small – or rather ’boutique’ agencies, as Dennis Taraporewala, Director, Criesse Communications, would like to call it – which are changing the market dynamics and giving the biggies a run for their money.

     

    With a flurry of big and key clients vouching for the services of this communications shop, the going has been very good for Criesse thus far in India. In conversation with MXM India’s Johnson Napier, Mr Taraporewala declares that boutique shops can redefine the way PR functions as a discipline in India, and talks about how the larger players will be compelled to work in a cooperative fashion with the smaller players, and not in isolation, in future. Excerpts:

     

     

    Q: It’s been five years since Criesse made a formal foray into India. How have you grown as a communications agency in India since then?

    Criesse Communications was started in 2002 by Gitika Taraporewala (Managing Partner) as an agency in Singapore with Kodak as our first client. For quite a while it was a small firm based out of Singaporewhere we did a small amount of PR in the region for a few clients. But the real take-off for the agency was in 2006 when we came back toIndiaand decided to set up the company for the Indian market. We originally started out by picking up a few corporate-cum-entertainment clients like Mid-Day, Radio One, Indian Express Group etc. From there we also picked up a range of entertainment clients like Kangna Ranaut, Sonu Sood, Jimmy Shergill, Gul Panag, Chitrangada Singh etc. Eventually we realized that we were catering to two distinct kinds of clients – one was corporate and the other was entertainment. We realized we had a unique standing in the marketplace that made us different from the other players who were more focused around a single domain. So that was the differentiation that we were able to bring to the table.

     

    Q: Tell us about your client roster and the range of services that you offer them?

    We recently have signed up with new multinational clients like Sofitel Hotels, US-based FranklinCovey, etc. We have also been working for a long time with BBC Worldwide and have in fact been asked to come and pitch for BBC Global News as well. Then there is Elder Healthcare and O2 Sparkling water that have aligned with us. Also, there are clients with whom we work on a project basis like The Indian Express for their FE Best Bank Awards, etc. So quite naturally, the strength of our agency is the ability to bring together the corporate part of the business and the entertainment part of the business together.

     

    Q: What is unique about the way you function as a small agency? Why should a client stick with Criesse as the AoR?

    We intend to stay small – a boutique agency – as we offer our clients highly personalized services. Our retainer clients have managed to stick with us for the kind of solutions we offer them. What you get to observe nowadays is that agencies sign up a lot of clients and within six months the client is on the lookout for change. So we decided that we will work for only a few clients; we will be selective about whom we sign up with. So we have about seven people in our team but we offer our services whole-heartedly to the clients. We make it a point to see that there is one senior partner always involved even with the operations with the client. That is why our clients are extremely pleased with us.

     

    Q: As a boutique agency, is there a standard industry code you adhere to while pitching for a new client or do you follow a different practice?

    Initially, if we are called for a pitch it follows a certain process, especially for the large corporates. So we go and pitch just like any other big agency but we tell them that we are a small agency and we intend to stay small. But if we sign up with them we assure them that the team will have at least one highly experienced individual at the top along with the junior members. The main thing is that you can win big accounts, but if you don’t have good talent working on that account, eventually the relationship breaks down. So we may have 30, 50 or 100 clients with us, but if they are not satisfied with my work then it’s not worth winning such a large number of clients.

     

    Q: How friendly is the PR environment for boutique agencies like yours as compared to large agencies?

    I think there is a big opportunity that has been created for boutique agencies right now, because what is happening is that though the large companies have a vast network and are fantastic with their thinking, in terms of execution they have not been able to handhold the client. If an account director, for example, has 20 clients under his belt how can he get involved with each one of them at a personal level? It will be left to the juniors to build up the relationship with them and that’s not a good thing. What is unique about Criesse is that we have a brand strategy practice, and not just PR. We are always linking into the client’s corporate brand strategy. We always insist that the client share his corporate brand strategy with us; without that we do not proceed ahead. So this is how we are positioned as an agency.

     

    Q: How would you rate your growth story in numbers?

    We have witnessed very transformational growth in the last year as we have signed 2-3 large accounts. As for the numbers, all I can say is that we have doubled (revenues) from what we were a year ago.

     

    Q: It is alleged by large agencies that clients are not open to paying a premium because of the underpricing exercise that medium and small agencies resort to. What are your views on such allegations?

    What is termed as premium service and what is it that you can classify as premium for premium prices is very relative. So if a small agency undercuts a big agency just on price it won’t be a long-term relationship. Because eventually, no matter what a client pays, if you do not deliver they will leave you mid-way. So the best approach is to ensure that the quality is delivered. We only directly compete with the big agencies when there is a coordinated pitch. So if small agencies are undercutting large agencies, it won’t last if they are doing it based on cost. It will last if they are doing it based on the quality and the value proposition that they bring. And value is added only through a combination of quality and cost. Now if somebody comes and gives you great quality at a better price, wouldn’t you take it? So that is something big agencies have to think about.

     

    Q: Given that consolidation is the order of the day, have you ever been approached for a takeover?

    We were approached once by an Indian entity for a takeover but we didn’t really pursue it. Also, there was an agency from Singapore which had evinced interest as they wanted to enterIndia, but we declined. Our intention is clear: we want to grow only organically; we don’t want exponential growth. The reason being that we want to deliver on the quality front. Of course we do want to be profitable too. The key challenge is to get talent and groom them and get them to think long-term.

     

    Q: Are you looking at expanding your expertise from the regular corporate and entertainment services that you offer?

    There is a trend nowadays for agencies to offer multiple practices – finance, healthcare, pharma, etc but I just feel it becomes meaningless after a point. Because after all, why has a client hired you? Not because he wants domain specialization in his area, but because he wants his brand to be well communicated to the outside world. I think specialization in the PR firm has been taken too far but what happens is that it is being used as a tool of reassurance. The trend right now is that everyone is saying we are not generalists; neither I am saying be a generalist. I am saying be someone who can understand multiple industries, then only can you become senior in your approach and be valued for what you offer.

     

    Q: Would you agree with the claims made by certain large players that smaller players are responsible for the unorganized state of the industry?

    Let’s look at it the other way. Take some of the large agencies: are clients sticking to them? Some are, not all of them. There is currently a need in the market for high quality boutique players. And there are such players and they are attracting business. So it will always be a give-and-take affair. It wouldn’t be that the big will dominate and others will disappear; the market is large enough to support all of them. In fact, larger players should go ahead and leverage from these smaller players. What you may see is that larger agencies which are not able to offer personalized services to many clients will cooperate – not buyout – with the small and boutique players. It should be a collaborative model that will be a win-win for all.

    What has worked for us is that we have always advised clients to be simple, authentic and clear in their communication. If any of these are missing then people pick it up, and it may be damaging in the long run.

     

    Q: What are your views on digital, especially the use of social media in PR?

    We integrate online very well. Social media is not rocket science; anybody can get the hang of it. People only overhype it. Because facial expression or tone of voice is not there in the social world, the written word needs to be very authentic. So our strategy around digital is not very different from normal communication. Maybe what has changed is that communication is now more interactive. And if you are authentic in your message then people will be willing to listen to you.

     

    Q: Any other new client of Criesse that deserves a mention?

    There is a new client that we have signed up with – Spool. It’s a Singapore-based  company that is coming in the global market with Indian content online. The idea is that today if you go on to the internet there is no one place where you can get the latest Indian movie. On this portal, viewers would get to view movies and even news and other such programmes from any corner of the world. Initially it would be a free model, then a subscription model or pay-per-view. They have signed on with some major movie and TV players for the deal. It would be launching end of this month.

     

    Q: On a parting note, what can we expect from Criesse in 2012?

    We are going to be involved with a couple of large pitches; on a growth basis we are looking at a 30 per cent increase depending on which pitches materialize for us. The challenge for us in 2012 would be to carry on with churning out good talent and take them higher so that they deliver greater value to brands on the whole. As for our foray into newer regions, we may look at expanding our offices in Delhi and Singapore, but that is over an 18-month period and not immediately.

     

  • Percept Profile's Rahat Beri on the transformation of PR in India, and the need to adjust to this paradigm shift.

    Rahat Beri: New realities of public relations in India

    By Rahat Beri

     

    The Indian PR industry, though fragmented, is gradually growing and transforming. In India, the industry size is merely Rs 150-200 crore .What the Indian PR industry needs now is to move the communications business into the next stage of evolution, and that can only happen with awareness of the depth and scope of PR.

     

    In the last decade the market has evolved and also the coporate’s need for image building and leveraging strategy. Technology has started to transform the way public relations works today. Social media is redefining the PR tools, giving this huge opportunity to professionals to truly interact not just with press but public at large. In the Indian corporate sector, PR is well understood and accepted. More companies are investing in PR as social media is in sync with any communication in India and globally as well.

     

    With the emergence of blogs, user-generated content and other social media tools, there is a lot of debate about the digital space being the final frontier for brand communication. The face of PR is, of course, in digital. But, let us not forget that we are in a country which is still only beginning to explore the variedness and pluralism of traditional media. In fact India will be a great case study for blossoming PR since clients are amazingly enthusiastic about experimenting with new forms of communication, at the same time blending with traditional and alternative methods of communication.

     

    The new realities

    In addition to the modern organizational culture in India, it is evident that corporates understand the importance of managing both corporate reputation and brand image. Also increasingly stakeholders are more aware, educated and sophisticated about the choices they make. Social media specifically has enhanced the role of a PR agency. In a fast-evolving market-place, 2010 saw the continued expansion of digital and social media with companies and government agencies adopting new channels to communicate and engage with consumers, key influencers and all brand stakeholders.

     

    PR is becoming broader and strategic. PR professionals will need to develop a new hybrid set of marketing and communication skills, which will include the factors of management consulting, business intelligence, advocacy, reputation management, direct marketing and Internet strategy.

     

    PR is moving beyond media relations to digital communications, continuous flow of information, advocacy and image management. Digital will probably be the single biggest change in the business as it is new, innovative and dynamic, and gives quick results. Digital communication will ultimately change everything about business.

     

    PR industry is increasingly embracing new technologies, emerging trends, and the IT industry in a way that fosters honest communication and true relationship-building for both its clients and itself.

     

    PR is becoming more integral to the overall marketing communication of the company. It is getting integrated within the cultural profile of an organization, within the values embedded in the organization; and it is one of the strongest ways to ensure commitment and loyalty for the organization from various brand stakeholders.

     

    The rise of various forms of media has not only made the PR department more important in the overall marketing plans of a company but has also expanded the key responsibility areas for a PR agency.

     

    Given, PR companies gear up to undertake this new route to do business effectively. It is no surprise that public relations firms in India will be thriving provided they meet the following industry challenges.

     

    Challenges for the PR industry

    The high-growth PR industry is unfortunately caught in the classical trap of oversupply of clients and a shortage of good talent. One of the biggest challenges being faced is the lack of talent entering the industry – both in quality and the quantity.

     

    The PR business will need to develop a more consultative, brand custodian and strategic approach to meet the increasingly sophisticated challenges faced by its clients.

     

    PR professionals will need to unite around a measurement standard that emphasizes business results rather than media results.

     

    The state of PR pedagogy in India is yet to attain rigour and is theoretical. The industry needs to move cohesively towards a curriculum and talent that will be able to meet their needs.

     

    The PR industry will need to fend off competition from other disciplines that believe they have the skills to help companies communicate and engage with their stakeholders.

    The industry will need to recruit and retain top talent, persuading people that public relations is a worthwhile and rewarding career, a perception problem of the PR industry.

    If the Indian PR industry can meet these challenges, the potential for growth over the next decade is nothing but spectacular. There is immense opportunity to make PR a more important part of the communications arsenal using digital tools.

     

    Rahat Beri is COO – Percept Profile.

     

  • Luna Biswas says that communication agencies need to make two elementary changes in their outlook towards the digital space… The current approach of engagement with social media is dangerously short-sighted.

    [PR Channel] The digital revolution: Opportunities for PR

    By Luna Biswas

     

    It would be incorrect to say that traditional media is losing its sheen from the perspective of news vis-a-vis the digital media. While the latter is gaining ground, it is imperative to understand how the internet can be effectively used to position communication from PR perspective. In today’s day and age, web provides the platform to create and publicise content without waiting for a newspaper to print the same. Every individual has the power to write/upload about anything, be it good, bad or ugly without being vetted.

     

    The problem that comes to the fore is the legitimacy. While online versions of newspapers and portals have the credibility factor, it is the individual who can – through blogs and social media – impact a brand, for that individual has a captive audience who trusts him more than they trust a news item. and this is where the difference between traditional and online media is for the PR community. a potent tool that has to be integrated and monitored for reaching out to the key target audience.

     

    Where, then, is the solution? For PR agencies it is impossible to overlook the digital world. Every available tool counts to create an effective public relations campaign. The paradigm shift, or at least partial shift, has to be from depending on social networking sites and moving towards creating online mastheads for clients. Social media or social networking sites have to be used as tools and not the end means to reach out to the target audience. The problem with social media is that it doesn’t engage customers with brands after a point in time but actually takes users from brands.

     

    Integrated communication agencies need to advise clients, and create for them a strong masthead by sourcing their audience from the social media spaces. Unless a digital campaign encompasses the “own” space for audience to engage with a company/brand, the campaign will not be successful. a platform has to be created where the audience can engage with the brands in terms of proactive interaction.

     

    Dell and apple are two great examples that have created platforms to communicate with customers and vice versa. What they have ensured is that the audience uses “that own” space to interact, vent their ire and communicate requirements. From a digital campaign perspective, it is something that needs to be deeply looked into. The mechanism used by these companies has resulted in keeping the audience on one platform, without them using another platform to complain or run down the brand.

     

    a successful online PR campaign has to be evolved keeping in mind how best the consumer can be attracted and kept within the precincts of the brand for which the communication has been devised.

     

    For this to take place, communication agencies need to make two elementary changes in their outlook towards the digital space. First, they need to recognise the need to build unique spaces because they are the mastheads of the digital world, not simply search tags or social media ‘like’. For each brand and company, the agency has to build different grand strategy of owning the constituents and making their masthead the most powerful gathering point for the brand.

     

    The planning of these spaces has to be unique for each brand, and based upon content power that drives conversations around the brand. Like advertising, which has learnt that the most effective way to build memorable brands is by creating cultural connects, the chore for integrated communication managers will be to create new spaces where the audience is offered the entire gamut of experience that he would experience from a newspaper. The current approach of engagement with social media is dangerously short-sighted because the brand is engaging in a conversation with the audience.

     

    Luna Biswas is Vice President, Member-Leadership Team, Hanmer MSL Communications Pvt. Limited. a part of the MSLGROUP

     

  • Unless we get PR out of being just press releases into being something a lot more sophisticated and holistic, we will not get the right people feels Sukanti Ghosh, MD, India for APCO

    India is a long-term play for us: Sukanti Ghosh, APCO

    By Johnson Napier

     

    In a day and age where PR agencies are grappling with each other in offering services with a differentiated touch, US-based APCO Worldwide has its own unique formula of approaching the Indian communications space. Far from being referred to as a PR agency, the firm would rather let each of its verticals, be it corporate advisory, government affairs or civil, act as individual competitors versus the other full-time agencies in the space.

     

    Entrusted with the task of bringing a differentiated tactic to the market is Sukanti Ghosh, MD, India for APCO, who has donned several communication hats across the sectors of radio, advertising, and banking & financial services. In conversation with Johnson Napier of MxM India, Ghosh elaborates on the tremendous scope for agencies to make it big in India and how government relations & public affairs would be a large space to reckon with in the years to come. Excerpts:

     

     

    In a largely blurred communications space where agencies try to play the differentiating game very cleverly, how would you categorise APCO Worldwide as an agency in India?

    If you look at the Indian communications industry, it is at the various stages of maturity; it’s along a continuum. So on one hand, we have a lot of the commoditised services in India, and frankly speaking, there is no bottom to that pit – there is always another mom-and-pop agency who will offer a service at a cheaper rate – and there is another end of the spectrum that is highly evolved, extremely mature and as good as any other global market. So it depends on which end of the market you want to play in. APCO, nowhere in the world, really plays in the commoditised end of the communications industry. So like there are many Indias within India, similarly, there are many communication industries within the communication industry. It occupies and lives in various forms of maturity. You have to decide which slice of the market you want to play in.

     

    So what is it about APCO in India that you would say is different?

    What has defined APCO since I have joined is that we are very clear about the market that we want to play in. APCO looks at communications very differently. If you are aware of the Venn diagram that we studied in school (three intertwined circles), we typically turn around and say, if you look at the three circles – one is business strategy of any company, the other is public perception or civil society and the third is government regulations – there is an interplay between the three and whenever there is an interplay between the three that is where we are the strongest.

    So to begin with, if you remove the government element and look at the other two elements of business strategy and civil that is where you get marketing communications. Frankly, that’s not an area where we are the strongest and that is not an area that we would want to play in. Then if you take out the part of civil society, and look at the interplay of government and business only then that’s where you get the issues that keep arising every day.

    Today if you look at India and where we are as a country, civil society and the voice of civil society is here to stay and it will only become stronger going forward. Again, that is not an area where we want to play.

    We are very clear that at the outset, we are US FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) compliant, we are UK Bribery Act compliant; we believe in ethical representation and in the sphere of ethical representation, we are the single largest ethically-owned firm in the US, and also the eleventh largest around the world and that’s where we want to grow.

    If you look at the third element, where if you remove out business and look at the interplay between government and the people, that’s where public awareness advertising from the government arises. Again, if you look at the government and business, that’s where you have a number of government initiatives to try and rope in business, that’s where we are again strong. An example is the vibrant Gujarat campaign that won few awards despite being pitted against some brilliant campaigns from around the world. So that’s going to be our focus at this point in time.

    Do we really see ourselves as a marketing communications agency – perhaps not. That’s not an area we want to focus on. We would want to focus on selective areas of communications in the broader sense and do well in that.

     

    How would you analyse the performance of your core businesses in India?

    Globally, we are a market leader in public affairs, we are a market leader in STG (service to government) practices and we hope to replicate that model out here in India. It would be fair to say that we have got off to a very good start in India. We have more than doubled our revenues from the year before, we are working with some of the finest Fortune 500 companies in India, we are fortunate to have worked with the government of Gujarat and are seriously looking at growing business in that space. Also, even as we speak we are working with several companies, advising them on public-private partnerships; helping them work alongside the government because we believe the Indian government is at a stage where it is more than ready to look at and listen to global leaders to hasten the pace of progress in this country. That is something unique because most companies that have come into India have a misconception with regard to the government and the way it works.

     

    While it seems to be a merry-making affair for you in the government and public affairs space in India, it is not the case with other players who appear apprehensive of making it big into this space. Then there are also allegations of red tape and corruption. Your comments?

    Frankly, in the last sixteen months, we have never faced a single problem working with the government. Part of it is misconception and part of it is reality, but the fact is that it is only when a company wants to take a shortcut that the problem arises. The government has very clearly defined processes and companies need to understand and work the processes. The fact is that India is a long term play; so you’ve got to work here to stay and proceed accordingly.

    We also help companies in understanding policies and regulations. The latest example being the FDI norms in retail being discussed lately. So the output does not have to be limited to the media; there are cases where you will work with the media and that is only right, but it does not have to be limited to only the media.

     

    Increasing number of multinationals are evincing interest in India while India continues to look up to the outside world for encouragement. What are the trends that you foresee currently on that front?

    There are a couple of things happening on that front. If you look at the STG space – I am referring to outward investment as well – there are a couple of things being observed. One is the government bodies or the economic development boards, are today trying to woo Indian companies and get Indian companies to invest in their markets. If you look at the policies space, there are so many Bills that are being talked about, there are so many changes in terms of legislative reforms and these are throwing up hundred different opportunities for companies. So that in itself is humongous.

    Globally, if you look at APCO, we focus on a number of areas and those are the areas that we will continue to focus on. We focus a lot on energy and renewable energy, on telecom, on food & consumer products…we are probably the single largest player in the healthcare space. So we would be bringing and developing a number of these practices in India.

     

    How is APCO Worldwide performing outside of India? Also, what are your plans for India outside the two metros that you are already present in?

    Apart from Washington, US, which is our largest office around the world and 2-3 regional offices, our London office has a few odd people, Dubai has 40-odd people, Brussels has 40-odd people, and all the other offices are around 20-odd people in operations.

    In India we see ourselves moving to three offices by next year, we see ourselves adding one more office in the south besides Mumbai and Delhi. We would grow to be about 50 people soon.

    If you see recent industry reports that classify firms from small, medium and large, I think without trying too much in the span of one year, we are very much already in the middle. We are very confident of growing very quickly into the so-called large segment very soon.

     

    How would you rate the fee structure that agencies command in India? There are allegations of it being under-par compared to other countries?

    We are expensive and our clients know that we are expensive. Clients know that they will get firms for half the cost but they come to us for the quality and value that we deliver; they don’t come to us for the fees that we charge. In certain parts of the business we compete with the big four, in certain parts of the business we compete with law firms, with the communications industry, and so on but the fact is that we have never had an issue with fees. It is made out to be an issue primarily because you are on the wrong end of the value chain. So you won’t see our people running around with press releases, issuing statements or chasing people.

     

    Do you largely agree with the claim that the PR industry in India is largely unorganised?

    I thing the PR agencies have brought it on themselves because they have become so tactical at the bottom end of the spectrum that there is always a cheaper option. And when you are at that level, you would never command a premium and it will always be unorganised. But does that mean that there is no organised side of the business, of course there is. The thing is, India is a large country and is big enough for everybody. Even the largest PR agency is India is around about 40 crores or so, according to Holmes report. This despite them being very big in the communications space and having a large clientele. So you can imagine the opportunity that exists in the communications space.

     

    What is the emphasis that you lay on digital?

    Globally, we are very big in the digital space. We have a unit called APCO Online, a pureplay social media unit that has won more than 300 awards across the world. So those are resources that we would be bringing to India. So it’s one of the units that we would be looking at very closely in 2012.

     

    Given your diverse presence across industries, who would you cite as competition?

    I can’t name any one firm. In corporate advisory we compete with management consulting firms, in the public affairs space we compete with some of the large law firms; there are very few communication agencies that are doing serious public affairs work. The thing about APCO that strikes me the most is the number of clients who have been with us in upwards of ten years and also the number of people who have been with us average around 10-15 years. So it’s largely a firm that is relationship-led; it is largely a firm that is culturally very strong and frankly speaking, you either fit into the culture or you don’t.

     

    Is the current economic scenario casting its toll on the industry?

    We grew at a rate of 6.9 per cent in the last quarter which was the slowest in the last 8-9 quarters, but the fact is, how many countries have grown by that per cent around the world? We may be going through a bit of a rough patch, but we will get out of it eventually. Is it a period of concern for us, I guess not. I think there are austerity measures that have been undertaken and there is a note of caution everywhere.

     

    What are the imminent challenges facing the industry?

    There are two big challenges that face the PR industry, the first being the PR industry itself. The second being people. The skill gap that we keep talking about for other sectors is very real for our sector as well. The trend internationally is that people are very focused when it comes to taking selective career paths and so they go ahead and specialize in that from the beginning. That’s not what is happening here. In India, it is still an emerging profession and with all emerging professions there is a period of instability but there will be a shakeup. We need to elevate the status of the industry. Unless we get PR out of being just press releases into being something a lot more sophisticated and holistic, we will not get the right people.

     

    What are the trends you foresee for the industry, and for APCO, in 2012?

    For 2012, I see fierce competition and a certain degree of consolidation taking place. I foresee a lot of foreign companies coming to India and a lot of Indian firms willing to sell out. As for us, we are fiercely independent and we prefer to remain that way.

  • PR also lacks enough qualified people, says Ketchum Sampark's N S Rajan in a refreshingly frank interview with MXM, on life post-acquisition and mid-slowdown.

    PR must look up to advertising: N S Rajan

    By Johnson Napier

     

    With foreign players taking a keen liking to India, the PR industry is poised for a quantum leap. Not the one to miss out on the race, Ketchum Sampark is doing everything right to stay on track and be counted as a contender worth the deal. In conversation with Johnson Napier of MxM India, N S Rajan, Managing Director of Ketchum Sampark outlines his agency’s plans to be counted amongst the best and why quality, and not numbers, will be the differentiator in the race to win and retain more clients. Excerpts:

     

    Q: It’s been some 7-8 months since the much-hyped tie-up with Ketchum. How would you analyze your journey post the acquisition?

    There has been no change as such at the ground level but yes, processes have changed, reporting has changed – it is now more in terms of financial and MIS reporting and not so much in operations. Also, what probably has changed and helped us is the access to information, access to best practices, access to case studies… so it is a win-win situation for us while we continue to work the way we are.

     

    Q: Could you elaborate on your choice of shortlisting Ketchum as your foreign partner?

    We have been working with Ketchum for more than three years now so this tie-up is actually a formalization of our relationship. We have been very comfortable with the cultural match. I think philosophically, Ketchum and Sampark have always had the same focus in terms of client deliveries, choice of clients, etc so there were a lot of similarities between us.

     

    Q: Come to think of it, the venture looks like Omnicom’s reply to making its presence felt in India – just the way Publicis did with Hanmer. Your thoughts?

    I think this is something like a process of evolution. We have been working with them for 3-4 years, and it just happened that the timing is now. It did take time for us to tie the knot as there had to be a comfort level on both sides. We probably got into a JV at the opportune time as the media is opening up and India remains a good market for bringing a foreign partner where we are able to service global clients in India and also open up our offices and network for Indian clients wanting to go abroad.

     

    Q: On the growth perspective, how would you analyse the year 2011 for your agency?

    I think we have done well. We have grown by 25 per cent and this has come on the back of 30 per cent growth that we recorded last year. Also, we signed on a lot of good clients. This apart, we just recently announced Ketchum Sampark Digital and also set up specialised verticals in healthcare and infrastructure. We believe this tie-up will take us to the next orbit in terms of skill-sets, information flow, etc. More importantly, what we have learnt from this venture is best practices. We have to understand that the market dynamics are changing and people are looking for specialised services in each of the areas. I think there is a lot of comfort at the client level if you are able to bring in value in each of the domains. That’s because clients are also looking at core focus, specialisation, skill levels, agency background, etc. So to that extent healthcare and infrastructure remains our focus areas because a huge growth is predicted in these areas. Another important area for us is crisis communications; we believe a separate vertical would be good to go with for crisis.

     

    As for our agency, we are divided into four verticals – brand, corporate, technology and financial services. Healthcare and infrastructure would continue to be separate verticals but could probably be clubbed under corporate. This apart, sports is another area that is huge for us. We have handled some very big marquee properties across India ranging from cricket, golf, football, etc. So that would continue to remain a focus area for us. We also engage in organising festivals like the Jaipur Literary Festival which witnessed the gathering of more than 400 authors and many media professionals from around the world.

     

    Q: How according to you will digital change the way PR functions, say, in a few months from now?

    According to me, the game changer in 2012 for the PR industry will be digital, as its significance and importance will be largely felt. The traditional way of communicating today will probably go direct-to-consumer with the help of digital. Also, with digital, there is a lot of opportunity for content, for social media, for gathering traffic to your site, to build conversations around content and also monitor them, etc. With Ketchum being one of the global leaders in digital I think we have a huge advantage in terms of assimilating knowledge much faster, so we will be able to scale up very quickly.

     

    Q: You’ve mentioned a growth rate of 25 percent plus; does that translate to occupying a fair market share as well?

    While we figure amongst the top 5-6 agencies in India, our emphasis has always been on quality. We would probably be happy if we were perceived as an agency known for its quality. I may not be the No 1 in terms of size, but I certainly will be No 1 in terms of quality. We would love to earn the respect, trust and long-term partnership from our clients. Also, we would like our employees to be happy. If in the process of doing all this we improve our ranking, we’ll be happy with that.

     

    Q: Despite the low-warning signs, how are you warming up to the current economic situation being tagged as ‘tough’?

    While on the slowdown, let me tell you that during the 2008-09 recession, when most agencies lost business, we were the only agency that grew that year – even if the growth was single digit. So there will always be some amount of hardship so long as clients believe that you will be able to deliver value to them. In our experience, our clients have retained us during the tough times as well. The challenge for any business is to see through the bad phase and that is possible when you are focused on quality, people and such attributes. But if you are chasing to be the No 1 player then there are chances of you losing out.

     

    Q: Do you plan to scale up operations across other centres in India?

    We are currently present in seven cities and we do have aspirations to roll each of the practices in each of the regions. We just hired a senior person to handle our office in the South so we are taking all steps necessary to grow all our offices. Also, we have an SBU concept where we encourage and handhold all our businesses to be profitable and contribute to the growth. So that process is happening. Finally at the end of the day, it is important for each SBU to contribute to the overall growth of the agency.

     

    Q: Where the industry is concerned, what can be done to make it more organised than the state it is in now?

    I think it should begin with individual agencies taking the onus and coming on a common platform to address the woes of the industry. It is important for the PR industry to look up to the advertising industry which, despite having its share of problems, is much more organised. Today, one is not even sure what is the exact size of the industry. If you put the top 10 PR agencies together I think they would be estimated to be around Rs 300-400 crore whereas the unorganised industry would be around Rs 150-200 crore. So the total industry size could be anywhere between Rs 500-600 crore. Also, the problem is compounded by the fact that compared to other markets, our fees are a little lower. Our fees are 30-40 percent lower than even that of China. There are too many players in India leading to the fees being compromised. But having said that there are clients who are willing to pay a premium if they are convinced about the quality of the service being offered.

     

    Q: What is the way forward then?

    I think in the long term a lot of agencies would opt for the consolidation route. What is happening is that companies here are also realising that they need networks that will lead them to get more organised, have access to better offices, skill sets, etc. All this is possible with a larger network. While pop-and-mom stores will continue to exist they too will increasingly take the consolidation route.

     

    Q: Any other attributes that need to be paid greater attention to?

    One attribute I think needs more attention is people. I think we don’t have too many qualified people. Also, the good PR professionals are not adept at running a business – a lacuna that needs to be bridged. This is possible with effective training programmes. We have our own in-house training programmes and we hope to train our colleagues on this front as well. Also, we plan to have a fixed number of hours for training our staff. At the end of the day, being in the services industry skills and people are important attributes that one needs to pay adequate heed to.

  • We do not know what we are into till you have a client defining what you will do, writes Sudarshan S

    [PR CHANNEL] PR’s Media Fixation

    By Sudarshan.S

     

    Welcome to the world of “PR” or public relations, for being in the industry, we do not know what we are into, till you have a client, for the client defines what you will do.

     

    Public Relations (PR) is something that the clients are clear about, but not the agencies themselves. Clients want Media Publicity – what is perceived as last mile connectivity, or the job of generating coverage/leads with media, and organize Press Meets.

     

    PR Agencies do this diligently and all claim “we do it differently” (including us), and approach the same media that comprises about a dozen English dailies, half a dozen English Business Dailies, ditto for the channels, websites, the leading vernaculars, and then all and sundry who are a part of the mass mailing list.

     

    The approach may differ slightly on the basis of the clientele that one handles, depending on Music & Entertainment, Investor Relations, Finance, Lifestyle, Technology, Luxury, Marketing, Commodities, and so on.

     

    There are full-service PR Agencies that have offices across the metro cities and maybe some other key cities depending on client profile. There is a set of second rung agencies who are region / city specific, and operate through associates, and there are boutiques.

     

    The key measurement factor becomes the number of cities that one can operate out of, and the amount of coverage (clippings/mentions) that can be generated, and hence the weight of the “Media Coverage Docket” is the ultimate measure of success. Quantity tends to take preference over quality, though the awareness of the former is surely increasing by leaps and bounds.

     

    For the sake of an intellectual debate, I would like to negate everything that is stated above and say that PR is much broader than this, for a PR practitioner is not just a communications man, but a ‘societal technician’, who knows that effective PR is based on reality-not on images, whether true or false. Deeds and action that serve the public interest are the basis of sound PR, thus establishing a meeting point, to the highest degree of adjustment, between an organisation and the publics upon which it depends.

     

    Professional PR practice depends on the application of the social sciences (psychology, sociology, social psychology, public opinion, communications study and semantics) to the problem at hand. The PR professional plays an important role in preparing the various segments of the society for coming developments-in order to prevent ‘future shock’.

     

    What one generates as the last mile coverage is the resultant of some PR advice that covers adjustment to the public, information to the public, and persuasion to the public to accept a service or product in the form of editorial coverage or other innovative methodologies.

     

    So PR as a profession is an occupation for which the necessary preliminary training is purely intellectual in character, involving knowledge in general and learning in particular, as distinguished from mere skill. Secondly, it is an occupation where one has to learn to wear others shoes and think for them, be it a client, media, or any constituent public.

     

    Public Relations has expanded to include Events, Experiential Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, Brand Programmes, Social Media and so on. Thanks to the Internet and technology, the ambit has surely gone wider than just the Media coverage, for the term Media itself has exploded beyond defined boundaries.

     

    Sudarshan S teaches public relations at various business and media schools. He also head the Mumbai-based Prognosys Marcom Services