Interesting isn’t it? I am Tushar - a small time PR guy trying to find some common ground to be in the league of these two extra ordinary gentlemen. But, whoever has seen all three of us telling stories they might agree to what I am going to say. We all are great entertainers. We all love telling stories. We all love what we do. We all go all out to woo the people whom we love – customers, clients, consumers, teammates and so many other people who matter to us. Well, this story is not about me trying to prove that I am as great a personality as SRK or Steve Jobs is, but this is a story about what makes them what they are today and why I am like them or why you should be like them…

Well, what these guys do? One is the most successful CEO of corporate world and other one is the most successful actor of the Indian film industry. But, both of them have only one job, and the job is to create aspirations.

Look at them. Have you ever seen both these guys making a presentation? I have seen both of them and have learnt a lot from them. And yes, I am reaching somewhere close to them as far as my presentations are concerned… or at least, I would like to pretend that I am in the same league.

When they start, they set the tone right from the beginning itself. They start a story with a gripping headline which grabs your attention from the very first sentence itself. They create larger than life image. The words they use make you feel demanding more and you are in their grip. Steve likes to use superlatives at any given opportunity, so does SRK – excellent, path breaking, amazing, redefining and these metaphors sound so nice when they are used properly (obviously not in our press releases!), so use them…

They make meaningful dialogue with the audience, which reflects their true personality. They don’t hide emotions, they even show their arrogance. They convincingly involve you with their passion for the profession using the great sense of humour and perfect timing of delivering the story with proper voice modulation. The complete showman style – for us our presentations are our movies and we need to live those moments. Even if there are numbers, we have to make it more meaningful so that client doesn’t have to look for a calculator or Dr. Math’s book. If you are using power point – learn the art of Zen, which makes you realise the best known principle of life to live with is minimum is maximum!

The passion and experience combined with in-depth knowledge of what you do is a lethal combination for any presenter. But conditions apply. Use it wisely. When you can kill an elephant with a small needle why to use F-16!? Use everything in right quantity. Focus on quality and enjoy every moment of your interaction with the audience. Laugh with them. Dance with them. Do something they never expected – I remember in one of the presentations, I went with ‘Manjira’ (I am sorry but I don’t know what is it called in English!) and in middle of the presentation I removed them from my jacket’s pocket and played music! Well, it was to prove a certain point and to wake up few of them. Many of the participants whom I am still in touch with remember me as the “Manjira man!” :) and I achieved what I wanted…

Many a times, I won pitches even without opening up my laptop for creds! And it is possible. If I can do it, you can also do it. It’s not a rocket science. It is even easier than participating in “Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?” and winning few lakhs of rupees.

And finally before I end this post, I want to share an open secret of success. Winning is important and losing is even more important. Collaborate every win and celebrate every loss. As the SRK said in one of his movies… Kabhi kabhi kuch pane ke liye kuch khona bhi padta hain, Aur haar ke jeetane wale ko baazigar kehte hain… So my dear friends, sometimes you can even learn few good things from the people you never met and I don’t mind accepting the fact that I have learnt a lot from each one of them – the Eklavya way!

Make winning a habit. Just do it! And do it in style… who you want to follow SRK, Steve or me! Choice is yours…

God Bless! Take care and see you soon.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Continuing on the footsteps of the Editor in the blog post, PR agencies in Delhi and NCR were mapped. Click here . Now, created one for Aamchi Mumbai. If you wish to have a certain agency added in the list, please contact any of the India PR Blog authors.

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Popularity: 16% [?]

These days a number of media publications in India have mentioned in their stories that corporates are shying away from blogging because of negative comments, besides others. Let me try to give my point of view why the fear is unfounded.

Before that, let’s revisit a bit on why should a corporate blog? There have been numerous postings on this and I don’t want to repeat much. But primarily, it’s because that a blog can be an effective medium to engage with an organisation’s stakeholders, which in turn provide priceless insights on what their opinions are on that particular organisations and what their expectations are. A blog can also be a good medium to increase brand visibility and attract business leads.

Many global companies have benefitted from blogging. We can take the example of Microsoft and how Robert Scoble has helped give a human face to the software giant. According to one blog post whose url I have lost, ‘General Motor’s FastLane blog delivered an estimated USD 410,470 worth of customer insight and marketing at an approximate cost of USD 255,675. This is a return on investment of 67% according to Forrester Research’. Sun encourages its employees to blog and to use their blogs as a collaboration platform with outside developers. Dell has been using its blog for customer support. We also have Boeing whose blog written by its CEO is very popular.

In India, while some start up companies have adopted blogging, many of established companies that are consider to be the face of India Inc., excepting a few, haven’t. Those that have adopted blogging include companies like Infosys, TCS, Rediff, Milagrow, HCL, Cleartrip, Gridstone, Frito-Lay, and Naukri.

So now coming back to our point of discussion, let’s remember that for any corporation, receiving a negative feedback from customers or business partners is not a new phenomenon, nor is it restricted to the blogosphere. How many times have we written letters to the editors of newspapers giving our client’s point of view on a particular negative reportage. How many times have we engaged with customers who have lodged complaints at consumer forums and at courts for unsatisfactory services meted out to them? But do we stop engaging with the media or the customers for fear of getting negative feedback? We don’t.

Even if we get a negative comment, there is no need to panic and pack up the blogging tools. We need to ask ourselves what is the basis of that comment? If it has a valid reason and what it says is factually true, then there must be a valid answer to that also. If we have wronged, we should be willing to say sorry. Besides, negative comments are not always bad.

Now if a negative comment is a personal attack or without any substantial base, then it can be moderated. There can be a comment policy on the blog.

Let’s ask ourselves now where these personal unfounded negative comments will come from. Not likely from the responsible bloggers. Let’s admit that many bloggers do practice self-censorship. I am a blogger but it doesn’t mean I can write anything and everything that’s not true. My and my blog’s reputation is at stake. Therefore let’s remember that any responsible blogger wouldn’t come out and try to engage in a dirty fight without any valid reason.

Foul comments will most likely come from trolls who get a kick from lambasting any organisation or person. But even when there is troll attack, simply ignoring those particular comments would send out a message. Others reading it will also understand that.

However, if your product is bad, whether you are blogging or not, the negative commentary will come from other blogs. If you have a blog already and you are engaging in a dialogue with many people in the blogosphere, it becomes much easier to reply back and give your point of view.

What do you say? Shall we engage?

Picture credit: Challenge of corporate blogging at ConversationsMatter (I couldn’t help using this)

Popularity: 25% [?]

For most times as PR professionals we are conditioned to think beat wise…the same way as journalists do…and the conditioning more often than not finally concludes itself into a media list for a specific beat and there ends all possibilities of communications…I think so. I will tell you why.

Now let’s say for example, you are assigned a particular Client in the infrastructure space. The first step is to work on a media list of the media covering the infrastructure beat. Similarly you are assigned a Client in the education beat; likewise you start working on a media list for that space. What happens in that process is that we leave out possibilities of generating stories for that Client in other opportunities that are not necessarily related directly to him. But he or she can still have some scope of potential talents and Clients and can have a say and just because we limit ourselves only to think beat wise, the Client loses out on visibility opportunities.

Now consider a situation where let’s say you are assigned a Client in the Aviation space…Now ideally you would only prepare a basic Aviation Media list…But lets say you increase the scope of your media lists to HR, Media and Marketing, Education, CSR and along with that chart out an audience map to see if you can reach out to your TG through alternate and new age media as well as other routes in the communication space. We all in situations of ultimate need and dire adversity do end up working on all those media lists for the same Client…but how about preparing it when the Client is signing you on.

So the Aviation Client could contribute in HR stories related to training, retention, requirements and capabilities for the job, profiling of HR spokespeople who are managing such massive talent in their fields, since Aviation is related directly to people over and above just being a part of the travel and tourism industry. The Client could find mention in Educational supplements in stories related to Institutes from where they hire talent, how to prepare to get into the Aviation industry etc. The Client could find mention in Media and Marketing stories where he could comment on media spends and ad spends on their ATL initiatives, the mass media strategy to reach out to their TG etc…

All am trying to say is that think beyond one particular beat…since most industries today overlap, and work in mutual coexistence. Most organisations today find themselves dabbling in multifarious businesses and all you have to understand or find one converging point and make it relevant for the journalist to think that he should get your Client to participate in a story that not necessarily is directly related to him.

But trust me it all still makes sense…since the TG is not one homogenised group of people…you never know who you could touch and connect with and fructify the purspose of being a communications consultant by availing an opportunity to your Client to give him a relevant platform to get his POV across…it just needs a little bit of your time to see the relevance and think beyond one master beat specific media list.

If you are already doing it…GREAT If not, may be now is the time to start

Popularity: 28% [?]

Last Thursday was an eye opener for me. And when I look back at that, I feel so elated and happy to be part of this world. I have discovered a whole new meaning in life and made few promises to myself and to my loved one. I promised to improve myself. I promised to write a book. I promised to get six packs like Shah Rukh to begin with in next one year’s time and from there on to take on the new age Akbar! So wait and watch friends, I am going to change my profile photo soon – new and improved: ab jyada zaag wala!

So, what are we talking about this time around? Well, today I am going to talk about how to be a rock star. But before that, let me share a little discussion I had with a client of mine. He calls me Don. He loves his food and while we were having our lunch meeting, he said something very nice. He said he loves food and can wait endlessly till the time the food arrives on his table. Now, me being a person who looks for meanings and knowledge even in porn films, I realised the depth that statement carried within itself. Patience is a virtue and all good things in life come at a right moment and at a right time. Learn to wait and once the wait is over – life will be much sweeter. Isn’t it?

I guess I have spoken about this in one of my previous posts but still even if I sound repetitive, I want to discuss this today.

Are you being missed?

Ask yourself this question… and if you can answer yes to this question with conviction. You are a Rock Star! Please feel very happy that you are making that difference in someone’s life that you are being missed. Almost or to be very precise all my clients told me that they missed me last week when I was not around. I was missed by many of you friends, when I did not write on one of the Thursdays. My team missed me when I was not around. Many people in my office missed me when I was not around – including Pandeyji who manages security at my office. :) During the week I learnt to be more expressive.

And when you can become Rock Star? You can become one hell of a rock star when you are passionate about what you do in your life. When you are possessive about what you do at work. When you are positive about what you do in life. When you are enterprising enough to find opportunities in the time of difficulties. When you be there with your team in the time of crisis, that’s when you become Rock Star! You know you are a rock star when you don’t mind putting an arm on a shoulder of your office boy and invite him to share pizza from your plate. You are a rock star when the receptionist knows that whether you are ok or not. You are a rock star when other teammates from all departments come to you and share their innermost feelings about their work and confides in you about how they have been treated by their boss or organization. You are a rock star when you have the ability to listen and give right advice. You are a rock star when your eyes show genuine love and concern for everyone around you. You are a rock star when someone sitting thousands of miles away thinks about you. You are a rock star when even one of your team members thinks twice before talking to a job consultant or seek your advice about the offer he or she has received from some organization. You are a rock star when the junior most member of the team can argue with you without any fear.

And yes, I feel proud to accept that I am one such rock star or at least trying to be. I am being missed whenever I am not around and I am pretty sure about it. My wife is missing me these days! Sorry, honey I have been very busy but I promise you to be with you, soon. Well, I want each one of you to be a rock star. Feel like one and live like one. We only have one life to live and why don’t we just live life spreading smile and love!?

Promise to me that you will make yourself so important in someone’s life that you become rock star for that person or agency or client. And what you have to do? Nothing, just be there when they need you the most.

So, what we have learnt today? C’mon guys & gals… my rock stars… share your views about this post and I will send a special Rock Star sticker to the best comment on this blog. If you are on Facebook, let’s meet there too – search for me and I am there to be found.

So, till we meet next Thursday – let’s rock!

God bless!

(Image Credit: Elite Racing)

Popularity: 38% [?]

If you are looking at getting your self involved with the social media marketing. These 7 Cs should come in handy!!

C #1 - Context

First you need to understand the context that you will be dealing with. This could be in the form of any social media platform. But before you start engaging with them, you need to understand who they are and more importantly what is the motivation that is binding them together, socially. Example could be pure passion for technology or Bollywood or even communication that has led one individual to pursue on the path of blogging.

C #2 - Communicate

Intention to communicate - if you do not have a intention, then you might as well. Just do a cut, copy, paste job and spam the comments section of the bloggers. That is it, then your brand is at the wrath and  mercy of the bloggers. Do not try to push your marketing messages across in the social media, it might just do more harm than good.

C #3 - Conversation

You need to have a conversation , with your fellow human beings even online. My belief is that there was a time on the internet when people use to be faceless and anonymous and they use to take full advantage of it. But now these are the same people who have realised that they are not being able to handle multiple personalities. They are the same human beings. Just try to talk to them, even just greet them, they will be friends.

C #4 - Content

What does not work on the Internet is a copy. We need to be the original content providers for what we are trying to engage the Internet users into. If we copy and they find out, then our reputation online is scarred! The other element to the content is that we need to have contextually relevant content or else again, we will be seen as spammers!! The rule is customise your messages according to the motivation of the individuals that make the communities or groups on the various social media platform.

C #5 - Create

One of the complains that have been with clients is that communications consultants are not proactive enough. Here on these multiple channels of social media, they have the endless possibilities to create original content that is being provided to them by their clients and not only prove that they are proactive, but the original content can be used (hint) in combination of text, audio, video, graphical images, animation, pictures to benefit the clients. Don’t want to actually, boost ourselves, but we do not have any form of 30-second barrier, we need not have a limitations in our word length (copy). We have the power to inform, influence and impress with the power of words.

C #6 - Collaborate

All our management gurus have spoken about team building exercises. Here we have a platform not only build, but also to maintain the relationships that have been fostered over each and every social media platform. Technology gives us the opportunity to collaborate and enhance our relationships virtually. Relationships could be built on social platform based common interests and business platforms based on professional experience or expertise that one has.

C #7 - Contacts

Contacts - This may be one of the result that you will achieve in the process of your social media marketing effort. You would enjoy being a part of the wise world where knowledge sharing and problem solving are the things to do (TTDs) on a daily basis. This is the element that builds up the social support that you receive even from the online world, which helps individuals at the need of the hour in taking action at both personal front as well as professional!!

These 7 Cs have been the culmination of observation, experience, and research in the field of social media marketing over the past 10 months. If you have any more Cs or for that matter any element that you can think of that I have missed, just let me know!!

Popularity: 39% [?]

Parker wrote in Blog Campaigning about Jason Bateman playing a role of a PR advisor to a difficult superhero in Will Smith’s upcoming Hancock film. He also talked about the movie, I Heart Huckabees, where Jude Law played a PR guy. Also in the movie, Thank You For Smoking, Aaron Eckhart played the role of the spokesperson for Big Tobacco.

We have seen so many movies where the actors are playing the young and smart generation next from the advertising industry. We seem to wonder when will we see our PR heroes. But doing a bit of retrospect I realise there are already some movies where PR characters are there in the storylines.

I remember watching Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise played the agent to sportstar Cuba Gooding Jr. Not exactly a PR hero but I could relate to the client-agent drama. There is also the movie, A Guy Thing, where there are two PR executives.

What about Fun with Dick and Jane where Jim Carrey played the company spokesperson who got sacked. Not the inspiring PR film type but well there is PR.

Then there is Phone Booth where Colin Farrell plays the PR guy who got trapped in a phone booth as a lunatic accuses him of doing all the wrongs int he society. So PR people lie and corrupt the society, mind that.

Back home in Bollywood, we have seen Rani Mukherji playing an escort in the film, Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag, but was introduced by her client as his PR person. What do you say to that.

Then we have Abhishek Bachchan in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna getting friendly with the magazine editor, Preity Zinta.

These Bollywood movies were not exactly PR movies but well can we take them as a start.

I guess there are many PR agencies in Mumbai handling Bollywood clients. Can some of you people persuade Pradeep Sarkar to have Konkana Sen play a PR professional in Phir Se Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag.

Popularity: 41% [?]

I am touched. To be very honest, I never expected this to happen. But, you know what when I wrote about the Invisible Force prior to the missing Thursday, I never expected to realise it so early. I received so many calls, so many text messages to enquire about why I didn’t write last Thursday and how much they missed me! I was to miss today’s Thursday as well, but my wife insisted that I shouldn’t be missing two Thursdays – it will be quite disturbing for her and many all those who missed me last Thursday. Well, I have never been loved like this before. Thank you!

This entire missing Thursday episode made me realise the very important lesson I learnt at IIM-A, when I went there for few wonderful days of my life. It is a very important lesson every marketer should remember. And yes, we PR wallahs are the superstars of marketing. So, what’s the lesson I am talking about? The lesson is… wait – let me share a nice little story with you before we go and talk about serious gyan.

I used to go to a small temple in a village – I kind of enjoyed going there on a particular time and ring the bell in a particular rhythm. I was trying to become A R Rahman during those days!

Well, some people found it funny, some people thought I was mad but I enjoyed it and continued by routine of everyday. After sometime I got some company, people started gathering and they brought in drums and other instruments. We started playing together and in sometime it became a daily routine for 30-40 people to come together and play some really nice music.

One day, I left that place. The bell did not ring. People missed it. Everybody missed it. There was no music. But, few years ago when I went back there and saw a huge temple in place of the small tiny temple where I was ringing bell, I asked someone how did this happen and he replied that it was all because of my ringing the bell on daily basis.

To coming back to the marketing jargons and gyan which we learn at B-Schools, it was about persuasion and passion with which I was ringing the bell. I enjoyed doing it. People joined in and manjhile miltee gayeen caravan banta gaya…

So, what I learnt is that when you start something good, never leave it half way. Take it to a next level and put in those extra efforts to deliver the promises you have made to the people who love you. And, I promise you my friends that I will be with you every Thursday of my life and share my force with you.

We will meet next Thursday till then, take care and miss me! I will miss you too!

God Bless!

Popularity: 48% [?]

Recently, I read the report on public relations consulting industry by a leading industry association based on a random survey of PR professional projecting the size of the Indian public relations industry at USD 3bn or an incredible INR 12,000 crores!! It claimed that the industry will double by 2010. The numbers seem incredible. As I was deliberating on its contents, I received an enquiry from a highly respected journalist who writes exclusively on public relations seeking some insights into the size of the industry. It was interesting to see some of the back of the envelope calculation he had done.

He estimated, given the industry reportedly has 30,000-40,000 professional the average billing per professional would be a minimum $75,000/- pa or INR 3mn per annum. At this level of billing per professional, we would be competing with some management consultancies!

Clearly, it does not seem to be the reality on the ground. I wish it were.

Interestingly, the same report mentions “Lack of understanding of PR: It may come as a surprise but most people still have a very vague notion of PR” as one of the constraints to attracting good quality talent into the profession.

What is public relations? Let me share with you my notion of public relations.

Whilst I am told there are 386 definitions, I learned only one definition of public relations “A planned, deliberate, sustained campaign aimed at enhancing trust between a company and its various publics”

What the definition failed to tell me was the aim of achieving the trust? That I was told would depend upon the objective of your programme. Therefore, I put two and two together and concluded – the objective of a public relations programme is to “achieve trust that provides a reassurance of action taken by a stakeholder in relation to that particular company.”

So what skills and capabilities we need to achieve trust that provides reassurance and be seen and recognised as true blue professionals? I share an excerpt of a conversation with my young colleagues entering the profession.

“What business are we in?” A question I often ask. Answers range from reputation managers to communication specialists!

We are in the business of influencing behaviour,” I say. I am asked: why do we influence behaviour? “To help create preference,” I reply. We help create preference for whom? “Our clients company, its products or services, etc, etc.” I reply.

How do we achieve that preference? Is effective media relations enough? Here’s where encourage them to discover their own answers. I urge them to read Crystallizing Public Opinion by Edward Berneys to understand how he understood and used public relations. He should know. He coined the term ‘public relations’. Incidentally, he was the nephew of Sigmund Freud and he wrote this text around 1920, a few years after the First World War.

Do we really see ourselves as students of the art and science of influencing behaviour? Do we work acquiring the knowledge and skill for understanding and influencing behaviour? Are we able to merge our understanding of human behaviour with its application in the commercial world?

The point I am making is that our myopia in seeing the true purpose & application of our own profession is responsible for how others see and value us. Isn’t it ironical, a profession which claims to help ‘manage image’ suffers from a lack of it?

When we can improve our own vision, work towards understanding and influencing behaviour, apply that knowledge in the commercial world by choosing the most appropriate tools and channels, only then will public relations be truly understood and valued for its contribution.

This has been my journey and learning as I made the leap of faith from hotels, business school to public relations! I remain a student of fathoming the exciting depth of understanding the true value of public relations.

This article has been contributed by our special guest writer, Ashwani Singla, for our GuruSpeak series.

Popularity: 54% [?]

A survey by Ciao Surveys found that 60.3% of people in Britain believe that PR officers often lie, while only 3.3% are convinced of the opposite. Additionally, only 17.9% of the respondents think public relations have a positive effect on society, against 26.5% who disagree.

Despite these findings, the survey shows that nearly a third of Britons believe the PR industry is a necessary one at 32.7%, as opposed to only 21.1% who believe it to be unnecessary.

Respondents evidently showed a good understanding of the industry because, when asked about their impression of a PR officer’s main job function, they stated it is strongly related to media relations (49.6%), event planning (18.2%), advertising (9.5%) and word of mouth marketing (7.9%).

According to Ciao, 55.1% of respondents seem to be aware of the symbiotic relationship between the PR industry and the media, as they declared that the two are biased by each other.

Some people recognise that the media are the main vehicles for the PR industry’s messages, with 13.8% believing that up to half of the content in daily newspapers is initiated by public relations, and a sizeable group think up to 80% of the content in consumer magazines is PR-related.

Wonder what an Indian survey will throw up.

(via Pudding Relations)

Popularity: 56% [?]