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.