Getting the Best out of Your PR Agency

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

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professional when I broached the subject, questioning the very use of the term 'ethics', which, according to him, is no longer valid in today's commercial world.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

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. 

A Tribute to Indian Women

On the international women's day, here's Ogilvy & Mather's greatest tribute they created recently. A must watch.

Chandigarh, the city beautiful, is the venue of the 5th Global Public Relations Conclave organised by Public Relations Council of India.  To be held at Hotel Mountview, Sector 10, Chandigarh, 

The Conclave will offer thought leadership, and empower the PR practitioners to upgrade their skills and knowledge to manage communication. This Conclave shall be an exceptional opportunity to meet some of the high profile communication experts of national and international distinction, and exploring the immense potential of PR. 

Another highlight of the Conclave is the presentation of annual Chanakya Awards and ‘Hall of Fame’ recognitions, on the first day evening to be followed by entertainment and dinner.  The PR Collateral Awards would be presented on the second day of the Conclave. 

Register Now
You can get complete details, download Registration Form, the Brochure, and nomination forms for the PR Collateral Awards from our blog.

For any further information, please email now.

PR VOICE

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

PR Voice: 13 Years of Dedicated Engagement

The quarterly magazine for the Public Relations practitioners, PR Voice, has completed 13 eventful years of dedication by one man army, Dr. C.V. Narashima Reddi.  Despite the financial constraints it has continued to keep the flame burning to light the paths of the practitioners in public relations profession.  We salute the spirit of Dr. Reddi and all those who had been supporting it cause.
My appeal is that a professional journal is another strong pillar for any professional to keep oneself updated, and all of us must subscribe to it, and even gift copies to the departments of mass communication and public relations.  You can download the copy and read it . 
Or Just flip through it here. Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing - More pr voice

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

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?

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

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.

Communicator: The Change Leader

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

India, in past decades, has been the world number one in starvation deaths, imports, foreign aid and that it was even considered by Westerners as a nation of snake charmers, saints and ‘ Sanyasis’. In the 2000s, our country was transformed from a chronic underperformer to a potential superpower. India will overtake China as the fastest growing economy and that it will be world No.1. economy in 2020 according to Economic Times. This will also take India’s GDP Growth to 10 per cent.

World’s Biggest Communication Network
What is the secret of this success? May be many! However, ABCI Com Fest 201`0 organised by the Association of Business Communicators of India as part of its 50th Annual Awards function in Mumbai on November, 10 & 11, 2010 proved that ‘ the Communicator as the Change Leader’ has been the key promoter, and persuader par – excellence behind the spectacular success of India in the field of economy. Being the largest democracy in the world, we should not forget that India also has the biggest public communication network in the world, that facilitates the growth rate.

Against this backdrop, innumerable issues such as creating innovative industry leaders, emerging India as an economic super-power, dimension of business communications, positioning of brand Indias, public information infrastructure for global leadership, communication support in solving problems confronting the nation as a big challenge were discussed at length by well known CEOs and communicators.
Act First , then Communicate!

R.Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons Ltd, who inaugurated the Com Fest said that in the 140 years of history of Tatas only five CEOs who headed the company were responsible for its success. They had long term vision. What is needed today is of good industry leaders with great commitment, vision and the ability to communicate and influence the stakeholders. The greatest ability of a leader Gopalakrishnan observed was his communication skills to persuade and influence the people without authority. While dealing with public communication, the Executive Director, Tatas said that, Actions must always precede the communication effort. Act first, then communicate for better impact was the slogan given to communicators.
Gopalakrishnan advised the communication and public relations fraternity that they must bring to the notice of the management the reality of consumers’ viewpoint about a product or service including the corporate brand.

Good Communicators.

In the session ‘creating industry leaders through communication’, Sanjay Chowdhury, Chief of Corporate Communications , Tata Steel, said that basically change leaders have to be good communicators. The world is crying for good leaders. Business organizations need leaders at every level to sustain the growth and meet the global competitive marketing environment. Ability to deal with the people is the greatest attribute of an industry leader which can be imbibed only through communication skills.

Dr.Mathew Hibberd, Director, Communication Studies, University of Sterling, Scotland, UK who dwelt on ‘ How Can Communication Professionals Create Outstanding Leadership in Industry, observed that education and communication are some of the attributes that make great industry leaders. A session that attracted considerable attention was the one addressed by Dr.Narendra Jadhav, Member, Planning Commission, who spoke on ‘ Is India Emerging an Economic Super Power? Describing India as the fastest growing economy in the world, Dr.Narendra Jadhav detailed as to how India which faced macro economic crisis in 1990s, transformed itself into a global economic player with several achievements to its credit.

Four achievements indicated by him included:
1.Growth rate heading to 8.5 per cent;
2. Incidence of Poverty line came down;
3 Foreign exchange reserve improved with about 300 billion dollars;
4. India today became a net lender to international Monitory Fund ( we purchased 200 tons of gold). However, negative area of Indian economy is that in human development index our country ranks at 134 out of 174 countries. This could be improved by spending more on education and health services, he added.

In the session devoted to Media Expectations from Corporate Houses, Kumar Ketkar, Editor, Loksatta said that business media in India developed because of globalization; more coverage then was given to the corporate world in business media. Dealing with what media expects from corporate houses, the editor Loksatta observed that business media is keen to publish the socio-economic change taking place after liberalization. In this context, the corporate world must feed the media with the latest infrastructure and technology being used for the development of the country.

P.M. Sinha, Chairman, Bata India Ltd., who spoke on Communication Fundamental for Turnaround’ has pointed out that employees should come first in the corporate communications strategy, for it is they who act as ambassadors of the company with external stakeholders. And every manager must become a good communicator by adopting global marketing strategy with the principle Think Globally and Act Locally.

Gerson DaCunha, renowned media expert who dealt with the crisis of pesticides in CoCa-Cola and worms in Cadbury, told the delegates that worms in Cadbury was not due to defect in manufacturing but the problem was that of cold storage. Retailers, later were advised to store in refrigerators.

Public Communication Infrastructure
Speaking on ‘ creating and leveraging communication infrastructure for global leadership’; Sam Pitroda, Adviser to Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure, that attracted the attention of the delegates the most said the Indian information infrastructure with over 70 crore telephones and other telecommunication gadgets, provide information network to 100 crore people. Describing Mahatma Gandhi as the greatest communicator, Sam Pitroda advised public relations professionals that they should adopt Gandhian techniques of communications to reach the people at the grassroots, with public information network available in the country.

ABCI Com Fest-2010, with the theme – Communicator – the Change Leader is indeed a trend setter and it could be a model for professional bodies to design a new communication strategy in making India as a global economic player. The entire credit for the success of Com Fest 2010 and ABCI 50th Annual Awards Nite goes to Yogesh Joshi and his committed team who gave a new dimension to ABCI as the strongest professional body in India.

India is also going to be the largest English speaking nation surpassing USA. If every manager is a communicator, corporate communication with a suitable strategy and appropriate toolkits and tactics has a vital role to play in the success of every organization be it government, private or an NGO. The greatest challenge for today’s communicator is how to use the public information infrastructure and PR tactics in reaching the stakeholders.

Are we true professional with communication skills to meet the challenge of global communication?. According to one survey Indian public relations communication profession has grwon ‘ quantitatively’ but it is yet to grow ‘ qualitatively’. It is in this context, Com Fest 2010 clearly indicated that if the communicator is the change leader, the change leader himself or herself must be true professional with all communication skills,- reading, writing, talking and listening. Media strategy is yet another important aspect for public communication which should be in tune with the Indian environment. Public Relations Voice suggests a five point strategy to professionalize Indian public communication set-up:

• Public Relations Education, Training & Research
• Adoption of Multi-media strategy with the combination of interpersonal media, folk arts media , mass media and new media
•  Integrated public relations communication strategy as to reach all the stakeholders – primary, as well as secondary publics
• Adoption of professional code of ethics based on professionalism moral ethical values and spirituality
• A strong professional body in ABCI, PRSI, PRCI, GFPR to professionals the discipline

50th Annual Awards Nite
Apart from the Com Fest, the ABCI organized its 50th Annual Awards Nite which was a star attraction to showcase the professionalism of ABCI in recognizing the talents of Indian business communicators. ABCI is the first professional body in India to organize 50 annual awards nites one each in a year since 1960. In fact, it is a mark of prestige to get an ABCI award, which is considered an ‘Oscar of Indian Communications’ industry. Awards were presented in 32 categories from internal magazines, wallpaper, photo feature, annual reports, e-zine, corporate website to digital media.

Eminent Communicators Awards
In addition to 32 categories, ABCI also presented 9 individual awards to renowned communicators of India in different fields such as:
1. Promising Business Communicator
2. Business Communicator of the Year
3. Communicator of the Decade
4. Excellence in Business Journalism
5. Excellence in Financial Communication
6. Excellence in Marketing & Brand Communication
7. Excellence in Strategic Business Communication for non-business communication professionals
8. Global Business Communicator
9. Lifetime Achievement Award