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The “Public” of Public Affairs and the Leaf from the Futurist’s Diary
As I pen these thoughts on July 13th, responding to Tarunjeet Rattan of PRPOI’s challenge to envision the prospects of Public Affairs practice, I draw upon my on-the-job learning and observations to paint a picture of what lies ahead. As I look ahead, once considered a niche segment within public relations, public affairs is poised to become a driving force in shaping the industry’s future. The growing emphasis on broader stakeholder engagement is at the heart of this evolution. In today’s interconnected and transparent world, organisations can no longer afford to operate in isolation or have a myopic view from their corner offices in the shining high towers’ glass facades.…
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From One-Off Fixer to Trusted Advisor: Building Lasting Influence for PR
Many PR professionals dream of having a seat at the board table. It signifies a level of influence, an opportunity to shape strategy, and a chance to truly make a difference for the organization. But securing that coveted seat is just the first step. The real challenge lies in proving your worth and solidifying your position as a trusted advisor and strategic partner at the table, not just a purveyor of press releases. In this blog I have attempted to delve into the evolving landscape of PR and help equip us, the PR professionals, with the essential skills and strategies to not only earn your place at the table but…
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Should we define a new PR JD?
It’s 2024, a new year with a new outlook and a lot has changed in terms of approach, audience, mandates, and expectations. Today, PR is not just about storytelling or managing media, but it is pretty much defining and establishing narratives, it is the heart and center of a campaign. Expectations are no longer restricted to brand awareness but slowly have gone towards generating effective ROI, especially with the lines of marketing and PR being blurred now. Add to this, technology and digital disruption, inflation, talent and skillset challenges there is a massive shift being seen which has revived our profession. Does this mean our profiles have changed? Is it…
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Rise of consumer activism – PR boon or bane
In the digital era, the landscape of brand communication is evolving rapidly, with the emergence of influencer and consumer activism reshaping the dynamics of consumer-brand interactions. The recent controversy surrounding Bournvita, a popular powder supplement, exemplifies the significant influence wielded by social media influencers and the power of consumer activism in shaping brand perception and consumer behavior. In today’s digital age, characterized by widespread internet access and the ubiquity of smartphones, brands are facing unprecedented challenges in managing their reputation and navigating unforeseen controversies. Social media platforms serve as powerful amplifiers, capable of swiftly disseminating information and fueling public discourse. Against this backdrop, brands must prioritize robust crisis management strategies…
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5 Skills that Communications Professionals Must Have to Succeed at Impact Storytelling
Typically, phrases like brand marketing and public relations have been associated with the corporate communications space – technology companies, large-scale startups, consumer brands, and the like. However, over the last few years, there has been an increasing appetite for these skills even in the social impact space. NGOs, CSR bodies, and other social impact organisations have realised the importance of building awareness around their causes, tailoring their communications to modern needs, and having a stakeholder-first approach towards public relations. In this fast-evolving space, impact communications can sometimes seem to stand at an impasse. The asks – from creating large-scale change to building community voices – are at odds with the…
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Strategy calls for strategy communication
After a bundle of workshops, a new business strategy is finally ready. Congratulations! But to be honest, the real work is still ahead. Even a brilliant business strategy is very easy to kill before it gets to take off, and the easiest recipe for this is to forget your own people when communicating the strategy. This serious mistake is still, unfortunately, and based on my experience, a common failure in many organizations. From the comms agency perspective, strategy communication is one of the most asked services we right now have – almost regardless of the geographical market where the client is operating. To discuss this, the Founders and Partners of…
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Wizikey and PRPOI unveil the 2023 edition of the “State of PR and Comms” Report
Building Trust and Credibility remains the most important function in PR PR and Comms still has major priority for brands pipping even social media Mumbai, 7 Feb 2023: It’s finally out – the latest survey on the Public Relations and Communications Industry, powered by Wizikey, the SAAS and AI-powered global media monitoring and intelligence company, and PRPOI, the award-winning platform for upskilling in Public Relations. A complete guide to the state of an industry that has bucked a pandemic and continues to grow despite economic uncertainties and downturns. The survey was held across a set of 207 respondents across entry, mid, and CXO levels in the communication industry, independent agencies,…
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Communication Industry: Three pillars that will make it to 2023 for the better.
The Communications industry is in an intriguing phase during the early years of this decade. If we look back, it’s been an era of change. Just the last 12 years have seen Websites, E-mail, Blogs, Search engines, Newsrooms, Issue based TV debates, Agenda based TV shouting matches, Reality shows, Talent hunts, Messengers, Text-based social media, 3G, Mobile wallets, Memes, Visual social media, Video social media, 4G, Video OTT, Music OTT, Everything OTT, Gaming, Immersive gaming, Augmented reality, Micro influencers, Social media campaigns, Elections being fought, influenced and won on Social media and messengers, Climate change, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and more (Phew !). It seems like everything has changed. And it feels…
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Hiring a PR Agency Does Not Make You Famous!
So you hired a PR Agency? You were excited and expected you or your brand to be plastered on the front pages of the media in the next few days. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen! You waited, as they asked for time! You waited some more and then you saw very little results and then you took an executive decision and fired them! Then you hired another PR agency! This time with better credentials and also at a cost reduction of 10%. Then you went through the entire process again. It’s not them, my friend, it’s you. As a stakeholder in your company’s or your personal reputation management, your job is…
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Are you pitch-slapping your way to clients? Stop, right now!
Hey readers, do you want to know how to generate publicity without spending money? If yes, get in touch with us. I am sharing our credentials here for your reference. If you read the above paragraph wondering what the hell is this, know that I have just pitch-slapped you. Did it hurt? I am sure it did. It hurt because you did not come here to read a sales pitch. You came here to read an article about business development and how to avoid the pitfalls of sending a blind pitch to your target customers. Pitch-slapping is when you send a sales pitch to somebody you just connected with (or…
