MATHIKERE TURNS INTO ‘GARBAGE’KERE

(The road connecting Mathikere to MSR Nagar is a nightmare to commuters. The benches built by BBMP on this road show the very irony of the situation.)          

It would be an understatement if I said that Bangalore faces a garbage disposal problem. Bangalore generates around 4000 tons of garbage every single day. There is a place, preferably a corner, where garbage is dumped in piles in every area of Bangalore; none more so than the one in Mathikere Extension. The surprising fact is that the road where the garbage is dumped in Mathikere Ext. is the focal point or the bridge between Mathikere and MSR Nagar. It is a road of importance and one of the very few with a public toilet. The garbage piles are cleared only once every week. This road is every commuter’s worst nightmare as it stinks of excreta, urine and rotten garbage (Yes, ‘rotten’ garbage).

I have been living in the area (albeit 5 streets away) all my life and this particular road has never seen cleanliness. Keep in mind; we are talking of 2 decades here. I have personally written 2 letters to BBMP requesting them to act immediately but they have taken their own sweet time and have done nothing. Consider yourself living in the adjacent road or the road leading to this one. The unbearable smell not only leads to a loss of appetite but also increases the chance of ‘catching on to a virus’ so to speak. I spoke to a resident Mr. Murali who lives on the adjacent road and he is not happy about this situation at all.

“My son is in 8^th standard now and is sick every other month. He always talks about how dirty our country is and he curses the government officials all the time” he said.

Cursing the government officials is one thing but having such a strong opinion about one’s own country at such a tender age is poisonous. It is quite clear that the kid has been affected by this and it is very unfair to him.

Mrs. Kamalakshi who lives on the same road has a similar opinion. “They (The Government) just don’t understand our problems. We have to live in a surrounding with flies and other insects all the time. It is a big nuisance. We have tried to complain but there is only so much we can do” she said.

The irony in all this lies in the fact that BBMP have built benches for people to sit on next to the garbage pile! When I rang the BBMP office to ask for the Mayor, the person who answered the phone kept saying the Mayor was unable to comment and to write a letter addressed to him (which I had already done twice). I fail to understand if there is a lack of knowledge on BBMP’s part or if it is just pure laziness. Whatever it may be, they have certainly failed on their part.

All of us hope for a better India but this has to start at the grass root level. Helping keep our neighborhood clean is the least that the government can do.

An interview with a P.R professional.

Before I start off with the write up/essay, I would like to state the fact that I have spoken to a lot of people in the Public Relations industry and all their viewpoints are more or less, similar. The most elaborate explanation about the Public Relations industry was provided by Mr Manish Thirumulpad of Adfactors P.R. Here are some excerpts from the discussion:

Naresh (Me): So Manish, What is the practice of Public Relations all about?

Manish: The practice of Public Relations is an important tool to help achieve the business goals of a company. The business goals may depend on whether it is revenue generation, recruitment of talent or the dispelling of a myth. Any PR campaign which is not aligned to the company’s business objective will effectively fail in the practical world.

Naresh: One of the major parts of PR is Image building or in Mr Rahul Gandhi’s case, damage limitation of image. Don’t you think public perception is very important?

Manish: Yes, indeed it is. The public perception of an object or a person is very important to the company (the clients) because this is directly proportional to the amount of sales they make. One has to keep in mind that when I say ‘public’, I mean the end user of the product or the service.

While a poor PR campaign may result in loss and/or stagnation, an effective one will make the reputation and the image of the person or the object perceived positively by the public. A good example of an effective PR campaign is the Pepsi Halloween 2013 stunt. The Halloween costume of a Pepsi can was a Coca-Cola cape which was created by ‘Buzz in a Box’. It cleverly utilizes the rivalry between the two brands to its advantage. Pepsi was applauded for its humour and playfulness and it non-offensively got one over Coca-Cola.

Another example is the Cadbury PR Campaign. This campaign was launched because a consumer had found worms in a Cadbury chocolate bar. This PR campaign was very successful in not only limiting the damage that Cadbury suffered but also to re-invigorate the perception of Cadbury and what the company actually stood for. They roped in Amitabh Bachchan as their brand ambassador and they were back in business.

 Naresh: What role does ‘target market’ have to play in public relations?

Manish: Different products and services have different target markets. For example, the ideal target market for Mercedes-Benz cars from a PR standpoint is people who play golf. It is highly important that PR agencies or Corporate PROs identify the correct target market for the product or the service.

Now, to put it in a nutshell, improving the reputation of a client and generating a positive perception to the public while carefully considering the company’s general objective and the target market is what PR agencies mostly do.

Naresh: What is the practice of Corporate Communication all about?

Manish: Corporate Communication is functionally considered as the father of Public Relations, in the sense, Corporate Communication encompasses a wider role in the market. The academically accepted view is that Corporate Communication is the ocean and Public Relations is just one of the seas that join the ocean. Corporate Communication not only involves Public relations but also horizontal communication with other companies, setting up events, internal communication, branding, etc.

Naresh: So then is Public Relations a part of Corporate Communications?

Manish: It may be so on paper but I actually see it the other way around. I think Public Relations is the larger umbrella here and Corporate Communication and even to some extent, Marketing, comes under Public Relations.

Naresh: What are the typical activities that a trainee does in the 1^st year of work in a Public Relations Firm?

Manish: Typically, a trainee is provided 18-24 months to pick up the nuances of the job. This is because PR feels quite different from what is taught in a theoretical way in Institutions. Ideally, a trainee will be a ‘foot soldier’ in the company as he/she learns documentation, research, different processes of PR, conceptualization, how to pitch in stories and ideas and creative writing. The first 4-6 months will be only about documentation and research and this is the grass-root job role of every trainee initially. The second part of the year will be spent on doing media rounds and participating in press conferences. This will help in meeting people in the media and building one’s own contacts.

During the second year, the trainee will be asked to make market analysis reports and competitor analysis reports for him/her to better understand the vibe of the market. Eventually, the trainee will have to perform all these functions on a day-to-day basis and he/she will be fully equipped for the same.

Naresh: What skills are required to be a successful P.R Executive in a Public Relations company and career?

Manish: The first and foremost skill that is required to be a successful P.R Executive is the art of Speaking and knowing when to listen. This will help an executive succeed in his/her campaign and/or to get out of a bad situation if need be.

A P.R Executive also needs to be a voracious reader with the constant quest of acquiring knowledge. This is because P.R is extremely diverse in nature. A P.R executive will meet a lot of people (clients and potential clients) in his/her lifetime. This essentially means thousands of different personalities to be dealt with. He/she needs to know how to deal with a situation and this can be done only by reading and practising. This is similar to software. Without a software update, after a few years the program will be redundant and will be outclassed by better software.

Another important skill required for a P.R Executive is writing. Writing not only involves columns and editorials but also involves business reports, creative writing, story writing and general writing. Throughout the P.R Executive’s career, writing will play a major role in determining his/her success.

Other important traits to be a successful P.R Executive are Patience, Leadership skills, Non-Verbal Communication, Professionalism and Charm.