CorePR

6th Global PR Conclave at Mumbai

2012-02-07T21:33:00.001-08:00

The countdown for the 6^th Global PR Conclave & Chanakya Awards event being hosted by PRCI has begun. It is just round the corner, on Monday, February 13, 2012.

Time: 10 AM onward

Venue: Rooftop, Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai

The conclave theme is:

PR – Interface or Interference – Media and PR perspectives

We will also have panel discussions on:

PR Interface or Interference
New Age- New Rage: Challenges and Opportunities in social/digital media
Political/Government PR: Opportunities and Limits

PR professionals can participate as delegates with an on-the-spot registration @ Rs 3,500

We plan to start the Conclave at 10 AM with a formal inauguration to be followed by the key note address.

Maharashtra DGP Mr. K Subramanyam has given his consent to the chief guest.

Veteran journalists H K Dua, Kumar Ketkar, D K Raikar, Ayaz Memon, Ashok Advani, Shishir Joshi will grace the occasion, apart from corporate honchos and communication professionals

One of the signature properties of PRCI is the annual Chanakya Awards that recognizes the outstanding contribution made by corporate, educational institutions, to the PR profession and the society at large.

PRCI also felicitates PR practitioners for their outstanding contribution by inducting them into the PR Hall of Fame. The entire award process is determined by an independent jury.

PRCI Global Conclaves have so far been held Bangalore, New Delhi and Chandigarh and this time round Mumbai chapter has offered to play the host.

PRCI is engaged in providing training, setting standards of professional excellence, and uphold principals of ethics. As a leading voice in the industry, PRCI also advocates for greater understanding and adoption of public relations services. Established in 2004, PRCI has its headquarters at Bangalore with over about 20 active chapters located in Mumbai, New Delhi, Baroda, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Kerala, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Pune, Manipal, Mysore, Chhattisgarh, Guwahati and Mizoram.

B N KUMAR

Chairman – PRCI Mumbai Chapter & Global Conclave

Flash Mob in PR

2012-01-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

Flash mob has been effectively used by many organisations where in a busy market place or a mall, all of a sudden, a group of people would start dancing to the music or performing a coordinated action gig, and then suddenly disperse. It is a derivate of 'smart mob' concept where groups of people communicating through mobile sms or twitter would gather and perform; and some may work out a big discount from retail store through collective bargaining.
Here's a group of Chandigarh youth break into a dance gig in the midst of a busy Sector 17 market plaza. It's a treat, and hats off to some of the young media guys who devised it.

What 2011 was like? Have we forgotten it?

2012-01-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

Well into 2012 we might have forgotten how 2011 was like. Here's an excellent recapitulation by Google.

Chandigarh wakes up to Mail Today

2012-01-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

I woke up to the thud of the bundle of newspapers that arrived in the morning. As I reached the mailbox through cold foggy morning, it was a pleasant surprise to see the bold masthead of MAIL TODAY, peering prominently through a dozen newspapers that I get to see. Lo and behold, it is the Chandigarh edition. It was in the air for sometimes, and I am pleased to find the English tabloid from India Today to give some exciting newer and different perspective to the news happening in this city that is the hot seat for three governments, Panjab, Haryana and UT of Chandigarh.
But surprisingly the press release on 'exchange4media' press release announcement says that "the content strategy of the Chandigarh edition would be similar to that of the Delhi edition with complete focus on national news and no local news from Chandigarh". That comes as a shocker but I think that is a typo, because after all Chandigarh edition will have to have the local news.
However, I am looking forward to seeing as to how local it gets. Will it be reaching out to the local industry, businesses and professions, and voicing their concerns and celebrating their successes? Most of the local editions have failed to do that, and the latest to do that had been THE ECONOMIC TIMES, that has dispensed with the local business stories in its region's page. With the service industry and commercial activities on an upswing in the city involving a large number of upwardly mobile young professionals, we hope MAIL TODAY would cater to them.

25 Years of Our Journey!

2011-12-31T00:48:00.000-08:00

10th of September in 1987, I had put in my papers resigning my corporate communication job in a German company, after six years of exciting work. Armed with the new knowledge and experience I felt the need for the small enterprises to benefit from the public relations services. It was an unheard of concept at least in Chandigarh, since only a few PR consultancies existed at that time in the country, and that too were limited to big metros. . It was a shocker for most of the journalist friends at that time, who nevertheless wished me luck. And on 13th September CorePR was born.
As we look back these 25 eventful years, and long association that we have enjoyed with many of our clients, we wish to thank all those who believed in us, and trusted our capabilities. It is gratifying that we continue to travel together with most of them even today. And credit goes to my last employers for taking us on board as their PR consultant that helped us venture into the arena and sustain ourselves for more risks.
Having started my career as a journalist, and moving over to an entirely new field of corporate communication, nearly three decades back, I have seen the growth of Public Relations profession in the country. At a time, when only handful of PR agencies existed in the country, we entered a virgin domain in a region, where the concept itself was a novelty and when PR was considered as a unwanted service with no significant tangibles to prove.
Twenty five years back, there were no computers, no mobiles, fax machines. With limited telephones and the telex number that we obtained from the post office, and a manual typewriter with reams of paper and carbon paper, (as xerox was still experimenting with duplication), we were in business. Imagine the time when each press release was first vetted from the client, retyped with corrections, got signed, and then delivered to the newspaper office manually. That was the time when exposed film rolls were carefully packed in black sheets of paper, and sent through the roadways bus to Delhi for the use of Doordarshan. There were no flights from Chandigarh and no Shatabadis.
That was the exciting time as we faced one challenge after another and emerged winners, together with our clients.
I recall the help of numerous PR professionals who helped us through this journey. In our initial years, I wish to pay tribute especially to the legends of our PR profession, who always lent their year to hear me out and mentored. Some of these stalwarts included, the then PR Director of Pfizer Mr. K.S. Neelakandan, Greaves Cotton's PR Manager Mr. Sushil Bahl, Good Year's Anil Basu, Indian Airlines' PR Director Ajit S. Gopal, Groz Beckert Saboo's Managing Director R.K. Saboo, Molins India's managing director Subhash Bijlani, and of course, our first client besides my former employer, the management of Crompton Greaves, to name just a few.
Working with these stalwarts, opened up unlimited opportunities for us to understand how effective communication changes lives and empowers people to grow and succeed. Thank you every one as we reach a significant milestone of our journey. Thank you for lending us your shoulders so that we can stand on them and scan newer horizons.

ABCI challenges Communicators to be the Leaders in Innovation

2011-11-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

Dr,C.V.Narasimha Reddi
Editor, Public Relations Voice
(Thanks to our regular contributor - a noted public relations professional of India, Dr. C.V.Narasimha Reddi, we have another brilliant round up of the recently concluded ComFest-11

Two major communication events of national importance ‘ ComFest-11 Winds of Change” and ABCI 51st Awards – For Excellence in Business Communication” organized by the Association of Business Communicators of India in Mumbai on11 & 12th November were not only a cynosure of all business communicators and public relations practitioners but also galvanized them to be change agents and leaders in innovation to transform India as a global economic player.

Dr. J J Irani former Managing Director, TATA Steel whose acumen and technological innovation has made TATA Steel the lowest cost steel producing company in the world has set the tone of the conference with his inaugural address on “ Tomorrow’s Corporations” and said the future companies must be licensed by the community for their survival. Anti-Kudankalam Nuclear Power Project agitation was quoted as an example to emphasize the need for community approval. He suggested that the most significant contribution, that an industry could make was by identifying itself with the life and problems of the people to which it belonged and by applying its resources, skills and talents to the extent that it can, reasonably spare them to serve and help the poor: “Employees will choose corporations which care for them, investors and customer will prefer to buy from ethical, socially responsible corporations, Islands of prosperity cannot survive in a sea of poverty, if markets must expand the poor must also become customers’ were the other highlights of J. J Iran’s keynote address.

M.S.Swaminathan, pioneer of Green Revolution who was the Chief Guest at Awards function complimented the ABCI for its excellent record in unfolding the hidden talents of business communicators by presenting prestigious awards and told the audience that he had an inspiring evening in his life in the midst of national change makers and lifetime achievers. He pointed out that with the growth of Indian economy there was also a phenomenal growth of business communication. However, he cautioned the communicators that their commercial message should be integrated with social, ethical values and integrity to ameliorate the 121 crore people of India .

Earlier Yogesh Joshi, President, ABCI welcoming the guests said that the Com-Fest a festival with a difference when national change makers interacted with business communicators to convert them as change agents. As many as 952 nominations were received in the 32 categories of awards. ABCI President observed such a number of nominations was a national record and also indicative of growing competitive talent in the field of business communication.

Sylvester da’ Cunha the creator of the Amul Brand was proud to say that a country like India which was starving for milk became world’s largest milk producer. The catchy slogan ‘ Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread with Amul Butter” caught the imagination of the Indians, he added.

M. V. Nair, Chairman, Union Bank of India in his keynote presentation informed that the bank was inaugurated 93 years ago by Mahatma Gandhi as a bank of Swadeshi Promoters. In a world of constant change, the Chairman Union Bank felt that employees’ mind set should also change to implement the vision, mission and core values of the bank. Communication he said was an important input in change management that should be handled by public relations practitioners with utmost personal communication skills.

In a thought provoking presentation “Maveric in Motion”, the advertising legend Alyque Padamsee said that 50 per cent of Indian population whose age is below 25, the third largest young group in the world paradoxically was ruled by another 50 per cent of the population who are above 60. This dichotomy is a challenge. If we look to the future, he said we must involve youth as our target audience.

Neelima Mishra, Ramon Magsaysay awardee who spoke on the transformation of rural women through self-help groups said the communicators must understand the needs of the audience and communicate with them through the media accessible to them. Being a village girl, she could transform women by identifying their aspirations towards better life which earned her an award of the type of Asian Nobel Prize.

Among others, who interacted with delegates include: Roger Pereira, world renowned PR Consultant, Hudson Samarasinghe, Chairman, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Jayant Pendharkar, former Global Head, Marketing & Communications TCS Ltd.

10- POINT GOLDEN RULES
A 10- Point Golden Rules could be drawn from this ComFest as a follow up by the Public Communication Professionals

1. Public Relations and Business Communication professionals must act as change agents by identifying the changing socio-economic scenario.
2. Communicate both with internal and external publics as to make them partners in reaching the corporate goals

3. Counsel the management to adopt corporate ethics with social responsibility as good ethics leads to good business

4. Adopt public relations ethics in tune with corporate ethics to gain credibility for public relations messages

5. Public relations, advertising and marketing must work in unison coupled with information technology in building and positioning the brand of global relevance and also to occupy a unique place for the brand in the minds of the target audience

6. Public relations and business communication professionals must become leaders in innovation to professionalize the discipline

7. Break the tradition and ageold customs to change for the better future

8. Reward success, reward failure also, but also punish ‘ inaction’

9. “Occupy Wall Street Campaign” a division between the one per cent rich and 99 per cent poor is blooming all over the world. Communicators must understand this movement and advise managements to share their profits with the poor.

10. The last but the most important lesson that one should learn from ABCI Awards is “ compilation of best public relations case studies”. As many as 129 awards were given in 32 categories whose achievements could be converted atleast in 10 best case studies for the benefit of both practitioners and academics.

ABCI Leader in Innovation
India today needs a strong public relations professional body and leaders of national repute to advance the profession in the service of the society. Yogesh Joshi, a thoughtful, committed, self-effacing and inspiring man who now heads ABCI proved beyond doubt that any professional body if moved with a good leader and team spirit can do wonders for the growth of the profession. The successful conduct of ComFest and 51st ABCI Awards with about 1000 nominations along with National Change Makers like M S Swaminathan and international standards bears an eloquent proof to the fact that ABCI has now become a model and trendsetter for other professional bodies in the country. An award winner in the category of house journals commented ‘Yogesh is now ABCI Leader in Innovation’ which I think he richly deserves.

www.corepr.com

NIRA RADIA TARNISHED THE REPUTATION OF PR

2011-11-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Dr. C.V. Narasimha Reddi
Editor, Public Relations Voice

Controversial Corporate Lobbyist, the owner of Vaishnavi Corporate Communications Pvt. Ltd., which handled public relations programmes of Tata Group of Companies who was questioned by CBI and Enforcement Directorate about her alleged involvement in the Rs 1.7 lakh crore Spectrum Scam in a surprise move announced “ to give precedence to my personal priorities of family and health, I have decided to exist the business of Communications Consulting”.

THREE IN ONE
She owns three companies Vaishnavi Corporate Communications Pvt. Ltd. that dealt with lobbying and public relations of Tata Group of companies, another subsidiary Neucom Consultancy to handle public relations of Reliance Industries and the third one Noesis Consultants which was set up with a number of bureaucrats including Pradip Baijal, Former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India as a Policy Advocacy Agency to look after government affairs.

An analysis of the performance of these three companies bears an eloquent proof to the fact that Nira Radia was not only just a public relations practitioner but also a lobbyist and a public affairs consultant.

Though she might have quit her business of corporate communications, her Three-In-One role as a lobbyist, public relations practitioner and public affairs consultant has not only tarnished the reputation of Indian public relations profession but also generated a significant decline in the media and people’s trust about public relations profession, which in fact with all limitations is in the take off stage. This incident may be regarded as if ‘adding fuel to the fire of the discipline’.

It is unfortunate that for no fault of public relations professionals, their image is now at stake. It is for this reason perhaps Tatas have appointed Re-diffusion as their new public relations agency, before she decided to quit. As such the survival of her company was in a dilemma and that there was no alternative except closing it down.

ALLEGED ALLEGATIONS
Among others, the alleged allegations against her include: ‘the 5800 tapes revealed how Nira Radio hobnobbed with politicians, bureaucrats and the media, besides influencing the government in getting A Raja appointed as Union Minister for Telecommunications. Therefore, it is proved beyond any doubt that she has exceeded her role as a public relations professional and acted as a lobbyist and public affairs consultant without any code of conduct and ethical considerations. If her soul consciousness is clear, she should not have closed her business leaving 250 employees in the lurch and to their fate.

PR is Distinguished from Lobbying
It is against this background Public Relations Voice as the only journal of Indian PR professionals not only disassociates with the activities of Nira Radia as a corporate lobbyist but also clarifies the distinction between public relations, public affairs and lobbying. In fact lobbying and public relations are two distinct disciplines from the point of view of academies as well as professional practice. These two areas adopt different approaches in strategy, tactics, objectives, target audience, media choice, message formulation, type of presentation and also in cost effectiveness.

If public relations is the management of a two – way communication process between an organization and its public to promote the corporate mission, services, products, reputation and gain public understanding, lobbying is a process in which a paid lobbyist or a pressure group seek to influence those in power. It is also influencing legislators, politicians or the government and persuade them to support or oppose a change in the law. Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of US, the lobbyist should register and identify with the Congress and disclose his/her clients, the issue areas in which lobbying is being done and that roughly how much is being paid for it. However, the lobbyist’s have to influence those in power with legitimate means by making presentations with facts and figures. Violators in America face civil fines of up to $50,000 under the law.

Self-Imposed Lobbyist
In the case of Nira Radia, she became a self imposed lobbyist without any rules and regulations either formulated by the Government or industry and acted with her own methods to influence the Government in the cause of her clients. The need of the hour is to bring in a law as to regulate the process of lobbying in India as promised by the then Union Minister for Company Affairs so that such incidents may not be repeated as to mar the image of public relations profession. The PR professional bodies of our country must also come forward to make representations with the Government of India to regulate lobbying so that they could not encroach the public relations areas.

We seek your comments on this statement so as to evolve a comprehensive report to make a presentation to the Government of India.

Ethical PR Practice

2011-09-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

National Seminar on Public Relations Ethics and New Media

Editor, Public Relations Vocie.

A one-day National Seminar on ‘Public Relations Ethics’ held at Brahmakumaris Shantivan, Mount Abu, Rajasthan resolved to develop a code of professional ethics for public relations with moral and spiritual values as to promote better relations between the corporate world and their stakeholders.

The Global Forum for Public Relations an outfit of Prjapita Brahmakumaris Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya organized this seminar for the first time as part of Media Conference 2011 on September 17, with twin objectives: Developing Public Relations Ethics and the Role of New Media in Public Relations.

In his introductory remarks Dr.C.V.Narasimha Reddi, Editor, Public Relations Voice who chaired the session referred to the need for public relations ethics and said that public relations manager is both an ‘advocate’ and an ‘ethics counselor’ to advise the management about incorporating ethics and core values in tune with the corporate mission. And that in order to discharge one’s functions, the PR Manager must learn about ethics, spot ethical issues and shape the organization’s corporate ethics and values.

Dr.Reddi quoted Indian born industrialist Lord Paul of U K who said ‘ we have made a lot of progress economically in India, but there is a shadow over our progress and that is Corruption. Unfortunately, with the economic growth of India, corruption has grown faster’.

Scams
The Satyam Computers Rs.14,000 crore scam, 2G Specturm Rs.1.7 lakh crore scam, Commonwealth Games Corruption, Obulapuram Mining Corporation’s illegal mining scam, Nira Radia Tapes episode not only defamed India in the world market but also generated a significant decline in peoples trust both in government and business. In fact, trust of stakeholders in these companies is almost dead. It is for public relations to work in the direction of ‘Long Live Trust’. Against this backdrop, Dr.C.V.Narasimha Reddi observed that there arose the need for both corporate ethics and public relations ethics. If corporate ethics deals with good and ethical business, public relations ethics focuses on ethical and moral values in disseminating public information.

Earlier, Rajayogi B K Karuna in his welcome address observed that the value based media and public communication system would not only contribute to the socio-economic development of the country but also establish peace and harmony in the nation.

Prof. Ujjwal K Chowdary, Dean Whistling Woods School Communication, Mumbai who delivered keynote address said personal ethics of a public relations practitioner was a pre-requisite and a golden rule towards successful public relations practice. While dealing with historical perspective of public relations code of ethics, Prof. Chowdary urged that Global Forum for Public Relations should evolve a Model Code of Professional standards and ethics for public relations practice by 2012.

Later a session devoted to ‘ New Media for Public Relations’ held under the Presidentship of B K Sarala Anand, President, Global Forum for Public Relations, resolved that new media such as e-mail, blogs, twitter, face-book etc. not only educate the stakeholders but also can redress the customer grievances on line. Chairman, Prime Point Foundation K Srinivasan,said instant messages were possible through internet which had both advantages and disadvantages. However, he exhorted that PR professionals should make use of social media for interactive communication to promote organizational image.

Among those who spoke in the national seminar include: Irfan Khan, former Director, Corporate Communications, Hindustan Lever, Y Bhaskar Rao, Abishek Kumar Singh, Prof. K C Mouli, Makhanlal Chaturvedi University, Arun Arora, Senior Vice President,(CC) Jindal Steel, Ms.Nazi, Farin Emani(Iran), Madhavan Varadarajan, Arpita Prashant, (Chennia), Reema Sarin, Consultant, Delhi, G,Anija, Federic Michael, Hyderabad. B K Anitha and B K Heena conducted the sessions.

The seminar in conclusion recommended that the public relations code of ethics should contain three main elements:
1. Professional values – (truth telling professional competence);
2. Principles of conduct – free flow of two-way information, fair, advancement of profession;
3. Members Pledge for code of ethics.

In another resolution, it has been decided that in the context of India, the media strategy should contain a combination of four media namely –
1.Interpersonal media – meeting;
2.Folk art media – puppets, tamasha;
3.Mass media – press, radio, TV, Film and
4. New media – internet, e-mail, blogs, website.

Such a combination of media the Public Relations conclave felt could reach about 70 crore people both in urban and rural India,.

Value Based Media: The Need of the Hour

2011-09-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Towards Peace and Prosperity of the Country
Dr.C.V.Narasimha Reddi

A three day Media Conference 2011 on ‘ Valued Based Media’ which was organized by the Media Wing of Rajyoga Education and Research Foundation of Prajapita Brahmakumaris Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya from September 16 at Mount Abu, Rajasthan has resolved that the media in our country should adopt ethical, moral and spiritual values as part of its code of conduct and serve towards social and public good rather than the commercial and business interest.

ONE GOD:
This conference assumed greater importance as it coincided with the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Brahmakumaris which was inaguarated by the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil on 16th September. Referring to the theme of the celebrations ‘ One God; One World Family; Smt. Pratibha Patil observed that Brahmakumaris was not a religion, but it was a spiritual fraternity promoting a spiritual and value based living among the people from all walks of life from different nations, cultures and races.

Rajayogini Dr.Dadi Janaki, Chief of Brahmakumaris in her inaugural address said that the evil of corruption which had contaminated our society like cancer could be contained by the media by cultivating spirituality and values such as love, truth, honesty, tolerance etc.

Earliler Rajyogi B K Karuna, Vice-Chairman, Media Wing who welcomed pointed out that mass media had a greater role in the socio-economic development and in creating harmony among different sects of the society. In her valedictory address Smt. D.K,Aruna, Andhra Pradesh, Minister for Information and Public Relations said that the unholy alliance of media with market and business interests, without social purpose, the journalism would cause hindrance to the success of Indian democracy. Therefore, she urged that media should evolve a self-regulated code of conduct by incorporating moral and spiritual values towards establishing a value based society. Over 1500 delegates representing media persons, public relations professionals, academicians, Brahmakumaris from all over the country and Nepal attended the conference.

7 Point Action Plan
Deliberating through six plenary sessions, six parallel dialogues, one insight session and after undergoing three Rajayoga meditation sessions, the conference arrived at the Seven Point Action Plan for adoption by media.

1. To accord priority to social and public good by practicing and promoting ethical, moral and spiritual values

2. To consider core human and media values as essential pre-requisite for economic and all round development of the country

3. To practice Rajayoga meditation as a means of acquiring spirituality and value based healthy, lifestyle towards peace, prosperity of society.

4. To develop the inner spiritual powers of the soul among media persons to mirror as watchdog in containing widespread corruption and negativity in people’s life

5. To work towards creation and spread of audience friendly, interactive, social, cultural, moral and spiritual messages through internet, electronic, film and print media for the benefit of both young and old.

6. To become positive and practice by effecting the process of spiritual self-awakening and empowerment of values for building better society.

7. To support and supplement the noble causes of well-meaning organizations like the Brahmakumaris Society for Media Initiatives for values, Global Forum for Public Relations etc which are aimed at promoting spirituality, ethics, positive and healthy values in professions and society.

It is hoped that the delegates who attended the conference and exposed to Rajayoga Meditation will adopt spiritual values as part of their life and also publish/broadcast the action plan-2011 in their respective media for action.

Getting the Best out of Your PR Agency

2011-08-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

One of the critical issues that confronts a PR agency vis-a-vis client is misunderstandings and mismatched expectations. The PR agency is not a 'vendor' but a partner. The PR agency must be taken into confidence and engaged in your important board decisions, future plans, and possible pitfalls foreseen by the organisation from any quarter.
You know your business the best. And we know how to get it across to the desired stakeholders and through what means. So, here's what can be done to keep agency-client relationship on the same page, healthy, efficient and effective.

1. Explain what you want
Write down the brief for the PR agency with clear goals and objectives with a timeline.

2. Understand the Deliverables
The PR agency would define the deliverables after understanding the brief. Discuss this out and be very specific in terms of the goals that you as an organisation are seeking. The PR agency, of course, very clearly indicates what it can do or would do and what it will not. For instance, don't expect your PR agency to be a fire-fighter or a white-washer. We cannot hide the skeltons in your cupboards. Do good and win stakeholders confidence and trust.

3. Be Transparent
It's a symbiotic relationship between a client and a PR agency. Be open, transparent and honest with the PR agency about the activities and happenings in the company. In a crisis situation, it becomes important that organisation remain honest in their communication.

4. Media Management
Media is just one significant stakeholder in any organisation's business environment. We keep in touch with them on daily basis and work with them to help them develop stories on the industry that your organisation represents. But do not expect them to write the way you want them to write. We are there to facilitate professional interaction with the media on your behalf.

5. Value the Time
Especially when media needs to be briefed and some facts need to be shared. The prompt response is what is expected to help journalists meet their deadlines.

Communication Ethics

2011-07-20T11:59:00.001-07:00

What are communication ethics? That's a prompt response from a fellow professional when I broached the subject, questioning the very use of the term 'ethics', which, according to him, is no longer valid in today's commercial world. And I remember that in one of the communicators at an international conference scoffed at the term and instead, openly admitted that "we tell lies for our clients".
Surprisingly public relations largely has remained as a lose expression akin more to wining, dining, and spinning. The recent appointment advertisement of a leading US based production house, that has been widely discussed on the online groups, where the candidates' qualifications and experience have nothing to do with the 'public relations practice' as we know it.
Another common expression of PR is "peeyaar" meaning "let's drink", and as another tipsy communicator said laughingly, "There is nothing ethical about PR, Media, Business, and even life".
Well, the recent Murdoch's episode is another blot on the profession of communication despite the father-son duo making public apology. The general tendency to have shortcuts to success, to money and power has generated a greed-psychosis leading large chunk of humanity away from the power to distinguish between good and the bad.
What is ethical communication? Communication starts with our own self, and then it gets reflected in our words and deeds. Our intra-personal communication determines the quality of our interpersonal communication or relationship with the outside world. Someone rightly said that "ethical communication is fundamental to responsible thinking".
According to the credo formulated for ethical communication in 1999, the National Communication Association Legislative Council, says that :
"Ethical communication enhances human worth and dignity by fostering truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, personal integrity, and respect for self and others."
In late 1950s Rotary adopted the Code of Ethics called "The Four Way Test", which is a system of four questions for any individual to help him or her make an ethical decision in day-to-day activities. But before these four questions, the title of this Test starts with a pertinent qualifier, i.e. "The Four Way Test - Of the Things we think, say or do."
The way we "think", the way we communicate with ourselves, and the way we interpret external realities to ourselves and formulate or design messages to verbalise them demonstrates the quality of all our communication. Unethical thinking or unethical communication with our own self can damage the quality of our relationship with our outside world.
The etymology of the term "communication" from the Latin word "communis" means 'establishing commonness', a commonness or relationship with other human beings. And the moment we think about relationship, and the terminology "Public Relations", which seeks to build relationship between an organisation and its diverse publics or stakeholders, will fail the moment it is based on untruth, is dishonest, and unfair to those concerned.
Communication is critical to our lives. It is the foundation of building a strong, trusting relationship, and an equally trustworthy individual and a great society.
Whether an individual or a corporate entity, it is incumbent upon them to be honest, truthful, trustworthy, and ethical in its dealings with its stakeholders to ensure a more stable, sustainable, everlasting relationship based on mutual respect and trust.
Ethical communication is therefore sine qua non to ensure a conflict-free, positively-oriented evolution into a peaceful world.

Executive MBA for Working Professionals

2011-04-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

Punjab Technical University (PTU) has launched an industry-linked Executive MBA program in partnership with its first School of Excellence, PTU’s Gian Jyoti School of TQM and Entrepreneurship at Mohali.

Complimenting PTU’s Gian Jyoti School of TQM, Mr Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Technical Education, Punjab, remarked that the programme is an important step in Punjab’s initiative of developing this region as a veritable knowledge economy and taking it to the next level of excellence by empowering its working professionals in various industries and businesses.

The Executive MBA shall, not only enhance managerial and leadership capabilities of working professionals but more importantly, contribute to bringing competitive advantage to their organizations, pointed out Mr. Keshav Sachdev, former Managing Director, DCM Engineering, during his talk on “Developing Competitive Advantage”.

Mr. Chandra Mohan, Chairman of the School’s governing council, who has been effectively spearheading the Total Quality movement in this region, said that there could be no better timing for the launch of this programme since global competitiveness is becoming increasingly critical for Indian industry.

For this region, Executive MBA programme is a trend-setting and life-changing opportunity for working professionals, said Dr. Buta Singh, Dean Academics of PTU. The School, with its strong linkages with industry, was ideally suited to launch this unique program of PTU, he added.

CEO of the School, Mr. Manish Trehan, informed that this India-specific but globally relevant Executive MBA Programme for working graduates has been designed with a lot of industry inputs. The classes for this 4-semester, application-focused program, will be held over weekends or in the evenings, and will cause no dislocation of career, family life or income for the students.

Admission for July 2011 batch is open to graduates in any field from a recognized university with at least two years work experience on the date of enrolment, for which admission form can be downloaded from the School’s website, www.tqmbizschool.org.

Mr. J.S. Bedi, Chairman, Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology, called upon the companies to join hands with the School in this pioneering initiative and sponsor their employees in order to convert them into useful assets.

PTU's Gian Jyoti Institute of TQM & Entrepreneurship is the first School of Excellence and a constituent unit of Punjab Technical University. Formally launched by President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in December 2003, the School has successfully spearheaded the quality movement in the region. It runs several short-term executive development and certification programmes for corporates, and B.Tech. in Industrial Engineering and Management (with specialization in TQM) for working diploma holders. The School has also instituted the North-West QualTech Awards for recognizing organizations that have achieved extraordinary results in Quality Improvement.

PR VOICE

2010-12-13T02:43:00.000-08:00

The 13th anniversary issue of India's only magazine for the Public Relations practitioners, PR Voice is out. While you can read its online edition, do subscribe to it, and add it to your library of professional literature and books. It brings to you an update on the activities and case studies as well as new thought processes.

Open publication - Free publishing - More pr voice

What's your opinion about Airtel's new identity?

2010-11-27T04:55:00.000-08:00

Bharti Group recently launched its new Airtel logo. Many of you must be airtel users. Even if you are not, this massive exercise deserves your opinion. Are you happy with the new brand identity? Or not?

Take a minute. Just click here, and submit.

Stunt Driving or Safe Driving?

2010-11-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

Interface Communications has launched Mahindra Stallio's TVC featuring Aamir Khan, which comes as a relief from the usual bike stunts. Bajaj Pulsar came up with stunt mania ads and soon thereafter became a sponsor for the MTV show too that promoted street biking and stunts by youth. Chandigarh itself saw the emergence of many such stunt bikers who used open wide roads in the wee hours to practice and demonstrate their hands on dangerous stunts.
The new TVC comes at a time when India is sitting up to the challenges of traffic related accidents that are almost assuming epidemic proportion. Time to think indeed: stunt or safe driving?
Good, simple communication.

Radio for Development

2010-11-25T09:34:00.000-08:00

Community radio for long has been used for socio-economic development in the tribal and hilly remote areas around the world. It has helped spearhead the movement against illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, disease, etc. engaging the people in becoming a part of the change for their betterment.
The Government of India is keen to promote community radio in the country, yet there are not many takers. Though largely the educational institutions have come forward to avail the opportunity, NGOs have not so far moved applications in large number.
As of August 2010, 748 applications were received out of which 250 were given the letters of intent (LOI), while Grant of Permission of Agreement was signed for 110 institutions. 84 community radio stations have already become operational.

In Chandigarh, Sarvsiksha Mission Sector 32; ITFT; Vivek High School; School of Communication, Panjab University; Chitkara Institute, have received the Letter of Intent, out of which Panjab University's School of Communication and Vivek High School have already started operations.
Fortunately with the amended guidelines of the MIB, the community radio can sustain the station's activities through limited advertising though it cannot have sponsored programmes except of the Central and State Governments.

Social Media Facts

2010-10-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

This presentation is about world's largest voluntary service organisation, Rotary International, which is using social media very effectively to reach out to its over 1.2 million members across the globe. The facts are astounding the way the online communication is changing the way we communicate today.

RI Social Media video from Rotary International on Vimeo.

What's PRitter?

2010-10-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Twitter, these short PR tips and musings would be keeping you company on the twitter-space. Just follow me on to get some insights for you to tweet about.

Revitalize Your Nonprofit's Brand Image

2010-10-10T01:44:00.000-07:00

Just recently I was a part of internal discussions of a 30 years old professional body where best brains from different disciplines mulled over the need for 're-branding' the organisation to attract more members, and improve participation in various events. The brain-storming did brought out some key issues of repositioning the organisation, engaging families of members in activities, getting involved in social activities, and even redefining the vision statement.

Well, when I asked the participating members about "what made them join the organisation?", the response itself laid bare the inconsistencies between expectations of members from their organisation and what they got.

Surprisingly many professionals were looking for wanting to look for self-actualisation needs whereas the association was focusing more on doing activities that were not addressing those needs.

The mission or the vision, despite being there, was not shared with members, and nor the new inductions ever got the feel of it. The absence of long term goals did not engage the members who could feel themselves a part of the organisation. No shared goals. No short-term or long-term goals. No attempt to institutionalise the operations. No plans to raise the corpus that kept the activities minimal and frugal lest they overshot the available kitty.

Unlike the commercial world, where buyers and sellers maintain a well-defined relationship, in an NGO or a professional management body, the relationship between its members, and other stakeholders has to be nurtured with shared convictions.

Ken Burnett in his book Zen of Fundraising (Jossey Bass 2006) defines nonprofit's brand as "the set of ideas, image, feelings, beliefs, and values that are carried around in a person's head."

That's true for every brand, commercial or otherwise. It is the set of perceptions about an organisation that every individual carries in his/head, and emotional connects with the brand or the values that it portrays.

In an era, when an individual has numerous choices available to address individual's emotional context, a nonprofit has to identify its niche, have clear goals, and excite its members to be a part of a much larger mission through collective participation.

To reposition and strengthen your brand, follow the CorePR's Branding Rules:

a. Define your vision. What is your key mission! What is our promise?

b. Communicate unified, standardised message

c. What do you want to achieve in the next one, two, five or ten years?

d. What are the values that you wish your members to imbibe and portray?

e. How would you like your organisation to be perceived amongst your stakeholders?

f. Identify your key stakeholders. Understand each segment's personal preferences, needs, etc. Most importantly, the first and foremost key stakeholders of a nonprofit are its members.

g. Customise your deliverables to meet the need of each stakeholder.

h. Innovate. How different is your organisation in terms of its deliverables?

i. Do conduct periodic communication and social audit to assess whether the needs of the stakeholders are being addressed effectively?

j. How effectively we are using ICT to keep everyone fully informed and involved?

k. Leverage technology and entertainment as additional plug-ins to customise delivery of your products/services or rather more importantly, your brand promise.

l. Nurture your nonprofit through consistently innovative yet engaging fund-raising ideas. The membership subscriptions or casual donations are not enough to maintain sustained development of a nonprofit. It must be built into regular activity plan.

m. Lastly, keep your brand dynamic, relevant and vibrant to achieve sizable mind-share in the minds of its stakeholders.

My India

2010-08-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

A must watch for all on this 64th Independence Day.

Were you listening to the air hostess?

2010-07-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, how many times you pay attention to the air-hostess running over her safety drill? For the frequent flyers that is a part that no one, perhaps, wishes to listen to or watch.
But here is something that no one would ever forget to watch, listen carefully, and remember it for ever. That's what communication is all about...attract attention, deliver message, and make you remember it.
I like the cute innovative presentation by Thomson Airways, world's largest charter airline. Watch it, and enjoy the safety drill.

Media Kit

2010-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Media kits had been around for ages and is a standard procedure in most media briefings. Though the online media kits are pretty convenient for computer-savvy journos, but nothing beats the stuff that anyone would love to carry back home. More

Sleeping with the Enemy

2010-03-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

This is the first speech to Rajya Sabha by newly nominated member, Mr. H.K. Dua, Editor in Chief of The Tribune Group of newspapers. It's a must read. Click here.

The Difficulty of Being Good

2009-10-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

As India vies to occupy the centre-stage amongst the leading economies of the world, the fundamental power of moral values for which the country is known across the world, is somewhat on the wane. The decaying moral fabric especially across the three pillars of democracy, administration, executive and judiciary is making the life of a common man miserable. When the British Library in Chandigarh announced that Mr Gurcharan Das, the author himself would be coming to the city to launch his latest book published by Penguin India, I was there to check out his take on the moral decay that is eating into the vitals of our country.
This treatise has come at the right time, when all of us are grappling with the moral issues whether at the government level or the corporate levels with 'Satyam' episode just behind us.
Gurcharan Das says " Mahabharata is about the way we deceive ourselves, how we are false to olthers, how we oppress fellow human beings, and how deeply unjust we are in our day-to-day lives."
"The Mahabharata is about our incomplete lives," writes Gurcharan Das in the Prelude to the book, "about good people acting badly, about how difficult it is to be good in this world."
Addressing the who's-who of the city which thronged the CII Convention Centre's conference hall, Gurcharan Das dressed in simple cotton kurta pyjama and Nehru jacket, lamented the fact that though "prosperity had begun to spread across India, but goodness had not," and called upon to upgrade the level of governance which should be accountable and transparent so that the common man does not suffer.
Can this happen in India? someone asked. The book perhaps is a must for the administrators and all people in power to take lessons from 'Mahabharata' and not simply take it as an epic for entertainment or profane chit-chat over cocktails.
"The Difficulty of Being Good" also provides interesting insight on variegated concepts of envy, duty, status anxiety, war, reenge, eil, remorse, non-violence, altruism, compassion, etc. and how these impact our lives. And it also underlines the fact that 'dharma' or ethical living is possible, and we can definitely learn lessons from 'Mahabharata'.
Gurcharan Das quotes directly from Mahabharata, interprets the situation and illustrates effectively with modern day incidents and case studies. Just go for it.
'The Difficulty of Being Good' by Gurcharan Das.
Published by Penguin India
Pages: 488
Price: Rs.699

Design is the Differentiator!

2009-08-01T11:26:00.001-07:00

Any brand to survive the aging process must look at the design component and it is more true for the print media with its dwindling circulation (world wide, though it is a little different story in India). We have seen various newspapers experimenting with its mast and a little about the page layouts, but Hindustan Times has undergone a complete metamorphosis with its more smart-looking designing.
In a word of competing brands and mushrooming 'me-too' products, the design emerges as the clear differentiator that adds value to the money one spends.
HT has acknowledged the presence of competition and numerous other access points for a prospective reader to get information and news and entertainment, and has clearly won over the hearts of the youthful India with its make over.
The mast set in lower case in a strong Swiss expanded type font, it is Vonness, in fact, in double color, stands our strongly, and the famous Florida based designer Mario Garcia has done an excellent job in carrying the design elements across various other pull outs and add-ons.
The clever use of color to highlight select words in the headlines or other text adds zing to the entire process of going through the newspaper. These 'hooks' indeed provide an entirely new experience of scanning a newspaper for a reader who is spending less and less time with it...approximately 14 minutes on an average.
It is however would be interesting to closely watch its circulation stats as to how the youthful design is impacting the readership.

CJ

PR. What?

2008-05-25T18:59:00.001-07:00

A usual question that befuddles everyone. Majority do not understand what PR people do? Perhaps you can find them in the morning having 'Power Breakfasts', whiling away time on their cell phones, courting media people at lunch, and having a cocktail bash in the evening.
Ask a student, and he would like to get into PR for its glamour, hefty pay packet, and because "he/she likes to socialise".
Ask a politician, and would squirm at the word 'PR' and would like him to be his henchman to see that his photograph appears next day in the newspaper, or is in camera on television in the evening news, for having inaugurated a eating joint.
Ask a journo, and he would scorn at the mere mention of the word.
The debate continues. The scorns, and preconceived notions about PR continue to rule the roost, except for ruing by the PR practitioners once in a while at various PR fora; pointing fingers or making critical comments, without any positive action plan to correct the situation.
Public Relations is a sacred management practice that manages an organisation or an individual's perceptions in the eyes of their stakeholders by managing communication in all its forms and shapes.
Its practice not only requires a basic understanding of psychology, semantics, management principles, human relations, behaviourial sciences, media processes and operations, research, etc. etc., but also a thorough knowledge and experience in devising creative communication solutions to manage issues and perceptions.
Public Relations is and remains the science and art of managing communication, which is based on truth.
There are numerous points of view on the issue of 'truth', and how truthful PR practitioners can be when the organisations they represent want them to communicate the message which they want, is definitely a point for debate, which we can discuss some other time. However, the fact remains, Public Relations is not a substitute for truth.

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T02:13:00.000-08:00

This new year offers newer challenges to the Public Relations community worldwide...not only professionally but more importantly in finding solutions to the global problems that face our people, our only home-Earth. Remember collectively we can bring about the positive change around the world through effective communication. Let us put our heads together for leaving this earth for the posterity...for our children...a better place to live in!

April 21 is the National PR Day

2007-04-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Heartiest greetings to the PR fraternity on the National PR Day.

On 21st of April 1968, the PRSI organised the first All India Public Relations Conference in New Delhi, and adopted the Code of Athens (adopted by the International Public Relations Association as the code of ethics for the PR practitioners), for the PR practitioners in India.

All those who wish to read the Code of Ethics and the Global Protocol on Ethics in Public Relations, can download from the PRSI Chandigarh Chapter website. http://www.prsi.in/code_of_ethics.htm.

As we observe this year, let us remind ourselves, that this day, the 21st April, is the annual reminder to update ourselves and at least read and understand the code of ethics enumerated for the PR practitioners, and adopt them in our lives to practice it truthfully.

Mediation: The next big leap in judicial reforms

2007-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

The International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution is organising a one-day conclave in Chandigarh on April 21.

Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj, Union Minister for Law and Justice shall inaugurate this Conference, with many judges of the Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice and other judges of the Panjab and Haryana High Court participating.

This is the next best option for the litigants to find prompt redressal of their grievances through out-of-court settlement. Already Delhi, and Maharashtra have set up the ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution) courts.

The organisers and the participants at the Chandigarh conference look forward to having similar ADR court in the city.

International Conference on Innovative Tourism

2007-04-20T11:07:00.001-07:00

The first international conference on Innovative Tourism begins on 21st April 2007.

Some of the major highlights would be the focus on four major potentials of tourism, namely, medical, religious, eco, and adventure.

Chandigarh which is emerging as the hub of tourism activities, intends to increase the average stay of a visitor in the city to 3/4 days instead of using it as a mere transit base. The attempt is to make it as a base station for the tourists to go around within the 200-300 km radius and visit other tourist locations.

The city itself has consideratble interesting sites, and great ambiance for everyone visiting the play to enjoy.