When Niira Radia, head of a PR firm, made news for her lobbying, it was a quantum jump for PR professionals in India. So far considered a 'bad word', PR was equated merely with press releases being peddled at newspaper offices or getting a journalist's attention through freebies. Now, the publicist strategises for the client.
Says Anthony Good, who founded the Good Relations Group, in an interview in the book The Art of Public Relations, "Today, PR in UK is much more than newspapers and magazines and is more focused towards strategic and expert counselling. It has gone global as campaigns are run simultaneously across London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, etc...
There is a visible move in the business from PRO to a PRC — Public Relations Consultant." Says Perfect Relations head Dilip Cherian, credited with having handled image management for high-profile clients like the late prime minister Indira Gandhi and designer Ritu Beri, "There are three parts to public relations — strategic, which is about right positioning; practical, which includes the daily grind of press releases and photo-ops, and the practical, recognising the need for crisis management."
He adds, "Publicists have to learn that strategy must override the other factors. We're only halfway where we should be internationally. It's about positioning the client in the public mindspace, which is less about advertising or marketing and closer to managerial strategy."
Today, when a PR professional seeks an appointment with an editor, he or she pitches specific 'story ideas' and is expected to have in-depth knowledge of the client's business. Says Deepak Kanulkar, head of Good Relations India, "We're not bell-boys. PR managers need to be part of the think-tank, advising on key matters. PR professionals abroad closely advise management on business issues. It's no longer about creating a fat media coverage dossier."
In Bollywood, too, filmmakers and actors have woken up to the power of publicity. Says publicist Parull Gossain, "From the sidelines, we are now on the centrestage. Earlier, I saw a film I was promoting only at the premiere, now I get to see a rough cut at least a month before. We also get named in the opening credits of films."
Beena Ahuja recalls a moody Salman Khan going incommunicado with journalists during the promotions for Wanted, till she, along with the director and producer Boney Kapoor, had a chat with the star. Says Beena, "Marketing and PR go hand in hand. I get involved with a film at the scripting stage."
How much have things changed over the years? Samir Kale, who heads PR company CMCG, believes strategy requires time and investment in research. He says, "Since 1994, when I started out, expectations have changed. A story has now turned into a commodity." Samir, who tried to create public opinion in his client's favour during the cola pesticide crisis or when there was threat of legislation against courier companies, supports Niira Radia. "If somebody writes an article with her client's point of view, it's their problem, not hers. If I have a specific mandate from a client, I'll make it happen. That's how it works."
As the mandate grows, public relations may no longer be a bad word!
Says Anthony Good, who founded the Good Relations Group, in an interview in the book The Art of Public Relations, "Today, PR in UK is much more than newspapers and magazines and is more focused towards strategic and expert counselling. It has gone global as campaigns are run simultaneously across London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, etc...
There is a visible move in the business from PRO to a PRC — Public Relations Consultant." Says Perfect Relations head Dilip Cherian, credited with having handled image management for high-profile clients like the late prime minister Indira Gandhi and designer Ritu Beri, "There are three parts to public relations — strategic, which is about right positioning; practical, which includes the daily grind of press releases and photo-ops, and the practical, recognising the need for crisis management."
He adds, "Publicists have to learn that strategy must override the other factors. We're only halfway where we should be internationally. It's about positioning the client in the public mindspace, which is less about advertising or marketing and closer to managerial strategy."
Today, when a PR professional seeks an appointment with an editor, he or she pitches specific 'story ideas' and is expected to have in-depth knowledge of the client's business. Says Deepak Kanulkar, head of Good Relations India, "We're not bell-boys. PR managers need to be part of the think-tank, advising on key matters. PR professionals abroad closely advise management on business issues. It's no longer about creating a fat media coverage dossier."
In Bollywood, too, filmmakers and actors have woken up to the power of publicity. Says publicist Parull Gossain, "From the sidelines, we are now on the centrestage. Earlier, I saw a film I was promoting only at the premiere, now I get to see a rough cut at least a month before. We also get named in the opening credits of films."
Beena Ahuja recalls a moody Salman Khan going incommunicado with journalists during the promotions for Wanted, till she, along with the director and producer Boney Kapoor, had a chat with the star. Says Beena, "Marketing and PR go hand in hand. I get involved with a film at the scripting stage."
How much have things changed over the years? Samir Kale, who heads PR company CMCG, believes strategy requires time and investment in research. He says, "Since 1994, when I started out, expectations have changed. A story has now turned into a commodity." Samir, who tried to create public opinion in his client's favour during the cola pesticide crisis or when there was threat of legislation against courier companies, supports Niira Radia. "If somebody writes an article with her client's point of view, it's their problem, not hers. If I have a specific mandate from a client, I'll make it happen. That's how it works."
As the mandate grows, public relations may no longer be a bad word!
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