Emotions vs Reason

Consider any significant piece of communication you may have noticed in the last one week. Be it a TV ad, a print commercial or even something you heard word of mouth. I would not be surprised if this was a piece of communication which appealed to your emotions very strongly.

Communications based entirely on reason, facts, data is boring. When one feels a tug of emotions, one is able to relate to it; empathise with this bit of communication and hence it appeals to us.

Does it mean we must base all communications on high-emotional appeal ? Perhaps yes and no. Yes to the extent that one does not over-do it. No, to the extent that too much emotion can also dampen the effect if one is communicating a serious issue - for example homelessness or cancer research. Facts need to be placed side by side with emotions and one needs to look at the right balance.

Alex Etgar and talkability...

Ogilvy Singapore did an incredibly successful campaign recently. Entitled "Meet Alex Etgar", this was a viral campaign aimed at increasing talkability about a fictional character "Alex Etgar".

I remember one fine day, opening my mail box and finding out that we have someone called "Alex Etgar", joining the network. Alex was introduced as a 20 something - head of the "Red" division of Ogilvy; a newly formed business unit. His accomplishments were praised and within a week, Alex had won a major million dollar business for the Asia-Pac region. Boy ! were we in awe ?? I told myself ," This guy is really a super-hero".

A few weeks after this high-profile introduction, there was a party; where "Alex Etgar" was formally introduced - or rather the myth of Alex was de-mystified.

Turns out that he actually did not exist at all. Alex was a character introducted to showcase the qualities that Alexander the Great embodied; and values that are needed in today's competitive world. He was someone full of strength, ideas,resourcefulness, initiative, daring and vision.

I must admit that the campaign definitely was full of these values ! Kudos to the team that came up with this campaign...

PR professionals' credibility problem...

While we PR professionals claim to be building the reputation of our clients, often our own reputations are suspect. I have over-heard so many journalists speak of PR professionals in such a disparaging manner that it has shocked, at times amused me. Lets admit it, we do have a credibility problem.

After all, dont we try to consciously alter the mindsets of people with a set objective ? This alone can make journalists suspect of our motives. A lot of agencies use "all means necessary" to get coverage - and this often crosses the thin line between what is ethical and un-ethical.

In a market such as India, where PR industry is still in its infancy, media looks at us with suspicion and at times with disgust. "you people have sold your souls to make money " said a city editor of a prominent newsdaily; where i had interned earlier before making the jump to PR. Her remarks are just among the few that i have had to encounter when it comes to justify our existence as well as the need for qualified, trained professionals to communicate, convince and persuade people to communicate about issues and businesses.

While professional bodies outline Dos' and Donts' to all professionals; seldom do people practice them in real life. In the frenzied competition to out-do the other agencies; some agencies often step over the mark of what is ethical. Bribing journalists, not speaking the truth, hiding important facts are all part of the bargain for some PR professionals.

So what is one to do in such a scenario ?? Here are some suggestions to overcome this "credibility gap"

1) I think it is upto each individual PR professional to build his/ her credibility and this would in-effect reflect on the industry as a whole.

2) One must be thoroughly abreast of what is happening in the industry that one's client is in. No journalist likes to deal with an ignoramus. Being informed helps project a confident and self-assured image which even the media appreciates.

3) Training, reading, continuous learning must be made mandatory in every agency. Quarterly reviews of what one has learnt and implemented must be made compulsory.This will ensure quality among PR profesionals

4) Zero tolerance of un-ethical practices. If we as PR professionals put our foot down and refuse to budge when certain journalists demand something which is not ethical; it would stand in our favour and build credibility in the long run.

5) Results based work : Each individual PR professional must hold himself/ herself accountable for the clients work and must have "ownership" of the brand so there are no slips. We must see ourselves as the "ambassadors of our clients" and behave accordingly.

The making of a star...Om Shanti Om and Deepika

Finally saw Om Shanti Om, perhaps the most talked about movie of the year. I enjoyed the film and believe it is a well packaged piece of entertainment. All the elements were right - the humor, the sense of history, which took one back to the 1960s and 70s; and the evolution of Bollywood.

shahrukh khan was at his best as Om Prakash and OK respectively in his first and second life. The movie also struck a chord with me simply because of the way it was marketed. Right from the "making of OSO" to the premier of the film, the PR was absolutely fabulous. The PR guys focused on all elements which would interest the typical movie goer in Indian cities.

While we are all running around doing our work, making money and complaining about the traffic; each one yearns for the lost time, the "past" which was all hunky-dory and fine. We want to re-visit our past and live in it for the dreams and aspirations we cherised. This movie does exactly that. It subtly takes us back to our past, and helps us re-live the same in a span of three hours. It showcases the dreams and aspirations of the wannabe hero and in doing so, captures some of our own dreams and aspirations.

Deepika Padukone could not have asked for a better launch pad. She is impeccably packaged. Right from her costumes to make up; she fits the bill perfectly. The story line is also not too "modern". It also has a very typical "filmy" end -as Bollywood movies are supposed to have. Everything ends on a happy note.

All in all, a good effort at making a good entertainer. And hats off to the PR guys - who focused on everything from Manoj Kumar to SRK's six pack abs, and kept the audience glued and asking for more....

Death of originality

Why ? Why cant we live original lives ? Why are our lives so similar. Why are we not able to come up with original ideas ? Why dont we have more Oscar Wildes ? Where are the Einsteins ? Why havent we produced another David Ogilvy in the last 50 years ?


Just the other day, i was walking down the street and noticed that most of us end up going to similar schools, getting similar education, wearing similar clothes, form similar opinions and end up living similar - and unorginial lives.

Our language, mannerisms, thinking is so box-standard; it is revolting. I feel nauseous when i think of how so many of us can live this way. May be this is a sign of the end of originality.

Most of the great inventions/discoveries in the realm of science have been done in the last two centuries. This century and perhaps the next one will only have minor modifications in all things known....technology is bound by Moore's law. And then what ?? Across all realms, right from TEchnology, natural science, Fashion, societal organisations, economic systems; one can see an absolute lack of originality. It is as if we have stopped discovering and we are all too afraid to live original lives, imagine something original and new.....

Fashion is nothing but re-packaging of things old and outdated. We have an uncanny ability to dig up the past and bring elements to the present; as if the "collective unconsciious" forces us to re-visit the past and re-live it.

So, where is original thinking ? Where are new ideas ? Where are the daring heroes who transformed the world and shook the roots of conventional wisdom ? Are they products of another day and age ? Is the world not able to produce any more of them ?

Is this the beginning of the end ?? End of originality as we know it.

Humour and PR....

Saw this amazing video "Axis of Evil : comedy tour" by a group of American comedians. Most of them muslims. This is an amazing show put together to laugh at the situation that many muslims face in the west as well as in the developing world.



This video has an american of middle-eastern origin who makes fun of the hypocrisy of the muslims in America and middle east who would call themselves muslims but indulge in all vices - yet frown on him for making jokes about muslims. The theme is largely post 9/11 and how the muslim world is adapting to changing realities and being seen as outsiders - by the westerners.

Humor is a great way to reach out to people of differing cultures and religions. It is cool simply because it breaks ice easily and can break prejudice and build understanding. But this has to be done with good intentions and a clean heart. If there is malice, jealousy or plain petty-mindedness it spoils the fun.

The most important is the ability to laugh at oneself..and iam happy as a community, muslims are learning to do it. Hats off to Ahmed Ahmed, Preacher moss and the likes of him....they are doing greater service to the cause of building bridges between people than all the Mullahs and religious preachers....

Hats off to people who build bridges, bring understanding, promote peace, harmony and love.

the danger of overkill...

How much is too much ? With shorter attention spans, we are becoming accustomed to shorter, crisper messaging. Be it Advertising, PR or Direct Marketing, communication professionals are realising that it is better to keep it short, crisp and focused. Repetition is the key. Better have short/ smaller ads running for more number of times rather than longer ones....but how much exposure is good ? what causes fatigue to set it ? Do we need to be aware of overkill in communication ?

On world Aids Day today, i read a nice editorial piece in one of the local English newspapers in Bangalore saying that there has been too much of celebrity endorsement for AIDS and people are getting weary. Weary of how harmful AIDS is. Weary about how to prevent it etc...

The same goes for poverty, homelessness and a host of social and economic evils. So, what is the way out of this ? We do know that it is important to hammer out these messages consistently....and regularly.

I think the way out is to be creative and adopt unconventional means to send the messages across....make a movie, start something spectacularly new related to AIDS, get celebrities who had AIDS to perform etc...

The idea is to not let boredom or fatigue set it. This is a mighty challenge anyday.

A visually deceptive world.....where words are losing their meaning

We are living in a visually saturated world. A world where media - print, TV, Internet dominates our thinking. It shapes our thinking in ways that we cannot imagine. All of this is largely becoming visual. There is a decreasing emphasis on the spoken or written word and an increasing emphasis on the visual element.

We are making decision largely on how a thing is packaged, how it is presented before us and what we make of it in the first few seconds - long before we can even rationalise it and make an informed choice. TV channels ( mainly news) are becoming crisper, capturing news of profound importance in a few sound-byes; where earlier it used to take minutes if not hours to reach conclusions.

We seem to be moving towards an age of super-fast information and knowledge dissemination. An age where no one has the patience nor the inclination to think about anything. We are looking for packaged opinions, packaged products and packaged people - be it they movie stars or politicians.

Are words losing their meaning ? This is the first danger that i see from this sort of over-emphasis on the visual component of thinking and observing the world. Isnt it true that what one sees is usually only half the truth ? Noone can deny the sensationalisation of the media - Advertising, TV are the chief examples. Unless it has shock value, it is not news and in the case of Advertising; it is a case of offering "insights" or an alternate perspective which makes an ad stand out. The main danger of this is the dumbing down of the senses. Relying too much on the visual means no time to really absorb what one is seeing and making decisions based on superficially observable facts.

Is there a danger of becoming zombies with this process of dumbing down of the senses ??? Perhaps only time will tell....

Connecting dots, minds and hearts

One good “connection” a day. This I believe should be the mantra for living as a PR professional. Much like the Boy scouts, who live by “one good deed a day ” philosophy. While we may come in contact with hundreds of people in a year, not many make an impact on us; and the same holds the other way round. But doing just one small act – consistently on a daily basis can build a huge reservoir of goodwill, network and ultimately healthy community network for us professionals.

On an average day, I make at least 30 phone calls and when there is a lot of work, it could go upto 100 calls a day. And most of these calls are related to work. They are about connecting people, sharing information, informing someone about something they did not know. A PR practitioner’s job is also as much about connecting with and connecting people to people as it is about persuasive marketing communications.

In an increasingly selfish world, where more than 95 % of the time we are concerned about ourselves, a people’s profession such as PR can help us look beyond ourselves and reach out to understand, know and ultimately appreciate other people with a genuine motive. This understanding can ultimately reduce conflict and help create a stable and peaceful world.


Learning to give….
Ours is an inter-dependent world. One man or woman cannot live in isolation, and in an increasingly complex world; even nations are realizing that it is only by sharing that they can survive and thrive.

Just a few days back, we got a request from a client – Apollo hospitals, a major Healthcare provider in Asia. This was an appeal for help from a patient admitted there, who needed funds for treatment and even with his insurance, he is finding it difficult to cover the expenditure. It is a matter of life and death.

What one can do in such times is reaching out to people, connecting the right sources with the right people and ultimately helping a human being. While this may sound quite mundane, how many of us consciously stop and think about such articles written in the media and how many of us actually write a cheque? The concept of sharing information can be a starting point for us to start sharing more tangible things – which may not mean much to us – but could be a matter of life and death for others. All it could take for us to help this case is putting him in touch with an NGO or a Philanthropist.







Christmas breakfast and Ramadhan Iftar parties
Last Christmas I was invited to attend a Christmas breakfast just a few days before Christmas. It was a well organized event for all Non-christians, to get to know more about the Christian faith. And as a participant, I got to know a lot about the religion, the social mores and practices in two hours – than I could have reading ten books about Christian theology. It was a great PR exercise done in good faith. Similarly, Ramadhan Iftar parties ( when one breaks the day long fast) are held in several places each year in India during Ramadhan. They do serve a purpose of familiarizing people who are not from the community to get to know more, to question, to share and ultimately understand each other.


Sharing, understanding can reduce conflict
From a marketing communication perspective, our job is to communicate to sell. Sell stories to the media, sell our client to the Industry body which may help them or sell them to their prospective employees. This ultimately leads to conflict of sorts. So does just living our normal lives. Living with someone under the same roof itself can cause conflict, no matter how much we love a person. There are always differences, differing points of view or differing goals. The only way that one can reach a common ground and start living in harmony is by understanding the other person or group of people and through this understanding will come greater acceptance and hence conflict reduction.

While this may sound simplistic, this is true in both a social context as well as inter-personal context as well as from a marketing context. Brands which share information with their users, which inform the user and which really care about the customers well-being are often trusted more than those who are just out to make money. Concepts such as Corporate social responsibility ( CSR) and Ethical practices are testimony to how even commercial enterprises have started realizing that undermining social, environmental concerns can do harm to them; while taking them into consideration will only do them a lot of good – even to their bottom-line.


What is in it for me ?
So what is in it for me ? You may ask. All this talk of giving, sharing and not hoarding onto information and contacts. Well for starters, the more you give, quite literally the more you receive. How many of us appreciate people who hoard onto money or information and do not like to part with it ? On the contrary, all of us like and appreciate people who give, share – what they have, be it their money, other resources, advise or what ever that will help us.

Why you cannot fail as a PR professional

One can never fail in Public Relations. This is something that occurred to me when I actually looked at the various campaigns I have handled in the last 3 1/2 years as a professional. Some campaigns may be very successful, some may be moderately successful and some may be not so successful. But I haven’t come across one that can be called a “failure”. Failure is a misnomer. I think this is simply because PR is about human beings. And one cannot say that dealing with other human beings, trying to understand them and persuading them will ever be a total failure/ waste of resources. There are always some takeaways, some learnings, few insights which are unique and at the end of the day, justify all the efforts that go into planning and executing a campaign.


A total failure turned out to be the biggest lesson
The first PR campaign that I ever handled in my life was for a well known Hyderabadi restaurant which was launching its Bangalore branch. Armed with very little knowledge of PR, and few contacts I took this assignment (much before my Ogilvy days) with the confidence that was totally misplaced. On the D Day, as I was waiting for the journalists to turn up for the press meet; I started to get cold feet when no one turned up for the press meet. The client was a gracious gentleman, who just asked me to “follow up” and keep him in the loop. I was humbled, and analysed the whole affair thoroughly. It occurred to me that everything that I had planned – right from the day, to the venue, the journalists I had invited, the press release were all wrong. This was one of the biggest “failures” that I encountered in my professional life; but one that taught me so much about the business of dealing with people, a big lesson in humility, a bigger lesson about building good contacts, and the mother of all lessons – planning a campaign. In many ways, this “failure” paved way for so many successes later on.


PR is about human beings
No matter what theories we come up with, and what ever grand strategies we invent; PR is all about understanding human beings and learning how to communicate with them and also to persuade them to think and behave in a certain way. This calls for observing people, dealing with them on a regular basis, forming models of behaviour in one’s mind, understanding what motivates people, what kind of incentives work with what kind of people. PR is applied social psychology at its best. Not only is a PR professional required to understand groups of people who matter to us, but we are also required to influence them in ways which are benefical to us.




Learnings while planning and executing campaigns
Some learnings that come from the fact that we are dealing with human beings and not machines. Thank god we are in PR and not sitting and writing unintelligible codes behind computers all day long !

- Long term orientation : Thinking about how communicating and engaging with the “publics” with a long-term relationship building perspective is the only way out. There are no short-cut ways to persuade or people. That would amount to conning people and that is not good PR anyway !
- Selflessness : Helping our clients, and their customers with advise, information and contacts
- Honesty : Without honest communication, no individual or company can build a strong reputation and a healthy brand.
- Courtesy and Customer Service : Dealing with clients (some reasonable and some not so reasonable) instills in one the values of courtesy and customer service. Observe the best PR person in your surrounding, and I can bet that he/she is also the most courteous and well-mannered person around.
- Concern and respect : Without concern and respect for others, one cannot persuade them. Though most of the time, we are persuading people towards making commercial decisions for our clients benefit; but the bottom line is a total regard for their wellbeing and also respect for their individuality.


What this means for you….

PR is ultimately about connecting with people; human beings, who are a bunch of emotions, values and assumptions. Our effectiveness and success depends largely on how we decipher the often complex behaviour of other fellow humans.

If one is sensitive to others needs, their desires, ambitions and how they operate, one would be a super-star PR professional. But even if one is not too good at this game, one can learn each day. And this I believe is the reason a lot of us are doing what we are doing. For the thrill of understanding others and sharing our understanding with others. And in this, one can never be a failure…it is a lifetime of learning and applying what one has learnt.

Customer service and PR....

Customer service and PR – the inextricable link

I am a hassled man. The last ten days have been one of the most frustrating for me, having to deal with my internet company which has possibly the worst customer care service in the whole world. The same applies to my credit card company. And did I forget my phone company ? Think of bills arriving late, and a lot of times not arriving at all; unless I kick a fuss about it. This causes a lot of angst and unnecessary mental agony. And of course a lot of negative word of mouth for all the three companies involved. My case is not an isolated one; infact, one of my colleagues is facing a similar situations and we have gone on a war footing to let these customer service guys know what we think of their service and also dissuading others from signing up with them. All of this, I believe is having some impact on their image and hence their brand equity.

Imagine the size of disgruntled customers going up. Imagine if there are a few thousand people in a city like Bangalore who are dissatisfied with the services or products of a company and how it could impact the company. Also, imagine the reverse situation; when thousands are supremely satisfied with a company. This I believe is a strong case of customer service and PR linkage. With internet and its various channels (websites, blogs etc...) all it takes is the will to shame a company. An angry customer can do irreparable damage these days without much effort.

The end user, the customer is a “public” to any company and it better be treated well. If not, they are going to make a hue and cry and cancel the service or shift to other competitors ( unless it is a monopolistic market). In any situation, the way the customer is treated makes a huge impact on the loyalty of the customer and needless to say impacts the image of the company on a day to day basis.


Customer Service Management, Word of Mouth and PR - the inextricable link…
I believe strongly that the kind of word of mouth that a company generates for itself (positive, negative or neutral) depends largely on the Customer service that it offers. This in turn builds the perception of the brand in the consumer’s minds. The link is simple yet most companies don’t tend to get this fact right or choose to ignore it. While they gloat about the kind of network that they offer, the great facilities that are available etc...many companies don’t have a good redressal mechanism to take care of complaints. There isn’t any mechanism to reward or punish the erring employees or the department.

This only leaves gaps in service which are glaring at times and can damage the reputation of the company in question.




Dubai, Thailand – shining examples of great customer service

My first visit to a country outside of India was to Dubai on business. The only thing I can say about interactions with each of the people (right from the buggy driver at the airport to the taxi driver who took us on the desert safari, restaurant manager, the shop keepers to the corporate communications manager of my client) is fantastic! The same holds true for Thailand. Bangkok is a city which sees a huge influx of tourists and the city is geared in every way to accommodate the visiting tourist, with world-class customer service at every touch-point. Despite being a poor country ( GDP much lesser than India), the country has managed to put together a culture of superior customer service which is just pleasing to say the least. It assures the traveler that the people in the country care and that their well-being is important.

What this also translates into is great word of mouth. I speak highly of both these countries – its Airlines, the people and their way of conducting business. And personal experience is the greatest way to form perceptions. Thai Airways, Dubai Free trade zone and even the modest taxi service company which operates tours to the desert safari are shining examples of what the will to please a customer can achieve.


Action plan – managing perceptions through customer service
Some action points on how companies/ individuals can deal with managing the perceptions about their entities. Most of it is basic common sense and not rocket-science.

o Have a good complaint registering system with a next action guideline
o Empower the customer to take action and report bad work
o Reward customers who bring notice to bad work being done
o Be honest in all communication with customers
o Reward good performance and punish sloppy work


All in all, managing perceptions can be a difficult task for anyone. There can be demanding customers, difficult ones too; but the bottom-line is that one can do all that one can in one’s power to ensure that laziness and sloppy work is not getting in the way of creating the right perception of the brand. I believe it is upto the customer service managers/ front line managers in many cases to save the company’s face in difficult times. And in the best of times, with the right kind of service being given – they can actually build a great case for the company and of course brand loyalty of the best kind !

Blonde moments and some insights...

I had a blonde moment today ( sorry for being politically incorrect)....on my way to office. I saw my colleague walking on the pavement, close to office and offered to drop her by slowing down the bike and what she said to me quite baffled me...so i carried on without thinking twice....

I actually heard her say " I am waiting for my chopper ( heli-copter) "...where as she meant " I am actually waiting for my cobbler".... ( her shoe was broken)....

This very blonde moment demonstrated how what is said is not so important....but how one hears it..... what really changes when the message is not interpreted as it is delivered....a big big lesson for a PR guy - that too early in the morning :) I wasnt the one to miss that one.....

Just think of how much we hear and dont listen.....how much we hear our partner ( or spouse) complain about so many things; but we dont care to actively LISTEN and get an insight into what is ACTUALLY bothering him/ her..... How much we hear clients scream at us...or complain and dont do much to LISTEN carefully ...and get some insights into the problem

This woke me up....and i promised myself to listen more actively to what is being said and never to assume anything.....

If one wants to conduct business smoothly and have caring relationships; one has to have the patience to actively and lovingly listen.... one big lesson from a "blonde" moment today

Biographies/ Autobiographies as strategic PR tools

Biographies as a PR tool

In the last two weeks, I have read two biographies. The first was “ICON” about Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and the second was “It happened in India”, about Kishore Biyani, founder of the Future group, a large retail chain in India. What struck me after reading both of these books was not only that both these books gave an insight into the personalities of those written about; but also threw light on the organization culture, its values and more importantly the vision of the entrepreneurs.

Walk into any bookstore and you will find at least two or three biographies/ autobiographies in the best sellers list. While the intent of the books is to tell a good story and entertain; the PR potential cannot be under-estimated.

The case for Biographies/ Autobiographies as strategic PR tools

1) Books have longer shelf- life and are credible
While the brand image of a company is built on so many intangibles, including the experience of the customers; a book dedicated exclusively to a person/ a company gives a larger than life image. Especially if a celebrity writer/ journalist has been commissioned to write it; it adds the much needed credibility to the effort. Books by nature have a longer shelf-life and are likely to be read more than newspapers/ magazines and will last longer. Besides, if someone is investing in a book (which is more expensive than a magazine or a newspaper, he/she is more likely to read it). This makes the case for a book very strong.

2) Helps position brand very clearly – amidst all the clutter
A book can get into the depths of how the company/ individual started off, the driving force, the organization culture and everything concerned with it in a way that no other medium can. Consider newspaper articles. Most often, they are short, crisp and unless written by a seasoned journalist; shallow. A newspaper/ magazine article cannot really give in-depth information about the company simply because there is dearth of space in most publications. The clutter is unbelievable if it is a national media. With everyone fighting for those column centimeters; it makes sense to have 500 dedicated pages to build one’s case.

3) Reach
Books can offer a reach to the serious readers. Those customers/ critics who take things seriously and those will make/ break your brand. A display across bookstores/ university libraries and other points of contact with serious and engaged customers can offer unbeatable reach to the company/ individual in question.

4) Employee motivation and engagement
Intuit, a financial software products company gives away a book about the company called “Inside Intuit” to every employee who joins the firm. This is a terrific way to motivate employees to learn more about the workplace and also to engage them in a meaningful way. If the story of the company is appealing and emotional; it can help build a very strong connect with the company. Consider Apple for example. The story of the rise of Apple and especially its founder Steve Jobs is full of drama and adventure. The story has all elements to make it a roller-coaster and a gripping saga of a company rising from being nothing to the top, falling and rising all over again.


5) Engaging the customer
Books engage, they entertain and inform. How many times have you cried while reading or have gone back to a particular book because of the way it makes you feel ? I am sure there are at least half a dozen books that you have read in your lifetime which have touched a deep emotional cord and you would like to read them again and again. Similarly, a well written book of non-fiction has the power to engage the customer in a way that is both rational and emotional.

As PR consultants, we are expected to gain insights about customer behaviour and consumer behaviour and advise our customers accordingly. While the task is to differentiate our clients amidst the clutter, it is also important that we do it in a way that builds the credibility of the brand in a way that is distinct and has a lasting impact. A biography/ autobiography from the founder of the company or a credible writer definitely serves this purpose and I believe it must be embraced by every company which has achieved something of considerable note.

Publicity man or strategic thinker ?

While Public Relations is relatively a new industry in India, and is attracting a lot of attention and is growing at a tremendous pace; not many people seem to know what this business of PR is all about. Most confuse it with just Media relations and think it is just about pushing articles to the media. And the greater part of the curiosity when it comes to this field is the qualifications and the aptitude needed to succeed.

So what exactly does one need to be a successful PR professional ? What does it take to make a ‘dent’ in the field and leave mark behind ? What does it take to create PR campaigns that stick in people’s mind and leave an indelible mark ?


What is PR?

Public Relations is about creating influence. Influence for our clients. The much abused term essentially is about creating a brand image for a client by firstly identifying who the target for any communications process are, what are their modes of thinking and getting “under their skin” to reach them and create meaningful communication messages which have an impact.

So you think you are a PR guy ? Check if you have the following attributes necessary to be a good PR man/ woman.

Common Sense : Do you have the commonsense to recognize what the brand/ company is all about ? Are u clear in your thinking about recognizing situations and also forming a clear picture of what exactly is the problem and how can you go about solving it ?
Are u good at knowing what people want : Are you able to guess what is it that people want ? How will people react to your messaging? What is going on in people’s minds ?
Can you predict future trends : Communication is about the future as much as it is about the present. Are you able to guess what the market is going to look like in the future ? What are your insights into the future trends ? How tuned in are you into the market dynamics ?
Do you have an insight into what motivates people : Understanding the people for whom your messaging is intended for is equally important. Much before one designs or plans communications, one must clearly define who one is talking to, what drives him/ her. What is their mindset ? What is the cultural context ? Wht is the consumer context ? What are we trying to accomplish ?
Are u good at research : Sometime research in to the business or industry can provide valuable insights into consumer behaviour which will help you decide the most effective strategies for communication. For example,
Are you a good story teller ? : A lot of communication messaging is about telling a good story. A new product being launched,. A new service which will change your life. All these are stories which need to be told effectively and with clarity. Are you a good story teller ?
Are u a good listener ? : Being a good communication strategist also means being a very good listener, to listen to what is being said and also to what is not being said. Do you have the ability to read between the lines and glean the information that is helpful ?
Are you good with people : A good PR person has to be a very good people person. Are you naturally inclined to know people, to socialize with the objective of knowing others genuinely ?
Do you have personal charisma : Charisma helps. And everyone likes to be around a charismatic person. Are you charismatic enough to sell your story ? To make your case clear ? Or do people see you as a push over ?

Are u persuasive enough : Persuasion is a quality which cannot be over-rated. One has to be a very persuastive person, to be in the field of PR. Not only to sell your ideas, but also to ensure that one hears you out before dismissing you outright.