Simple Ideas – key to creating winning PR campaigns – thoughts from Cannes
By Palin Ningthoujam on Jun 25, 2009 in Indian PR industry, awards, insights, marketing
My colleague, Ashwani Singla has been reporting from Cannes ( and he plans to continue till the end of the festival) and he has put up an interesting post on how to produce winning PR campaigns on his blog. What he said that I like the most was that any campaign has to be built around a central idea, an idea that is simple yet executed well. I remember having a chat with Prema Sagar before she left for Cannes (she is the only Indian member to be part of the jury in the PR category) that one of the core things that she look for will be a clear and simple idea and how that has been executed.
Some time back, a former colleague said to me that often the best PR campaigns are based on simple ideas. These simple ideas would often come across as very obvious but finding/creating them would take great understanding and insights.
So however complex we want our ppts. to look like, it’s perhaps not about ideas coming in from everywhere and often jumbled together with a weak link. A presentation, somebody said, has to have one slide that sums it all – a slide that contains the central theme.
So good insights, Ashwani. Some points I would like to take away:
1. Programme mission – to influence ‘real change’
2. Central idea – creative, innovative, and powerful yet simple
3. Get people involved without boundaries – internet, mobile, ATL, BTL and press exposures
4.Measurable
I am looking forward to follow this up with more insights and learnings about the judging process from Prema once she’s back – that would give pointers on how the best PR campaigns were executed and evaluated. And more on digital from Ashwani – how digital has been incorporated into campaigns seamlessly into the marketing/ PR campaigns, and not as a separate component. Because those are the real winners.
Meanwhile check out more coverage of Cannes here: ET, Exchange4Media, and Cannes site. And congratulations to our ad professionals who have won so many lions this year.
What makes a PR campaign a winner? What are your thoughts and insights?
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On Jun 25, 2009, Suresh Mangaladurai said:
Very true. Fully agree with you on this. We try to make things complicated without realising that simplifying is the key. Nicely written.
On Jul 1, 2009, shweta said:
Nice Palin..:)
On Jul 6, 2009, quick quid said:
Good insights. I feel along with the simplicity of idea some degree of simplicity in execution is required as well. Some of the best PR campaigns are those which have been easy to communicate and manage.
On Jul 10, 2009, Shashank Khandelwal said:
very nicely written…a great learning for a beginner like me..
On Jul 23, 2009, Vivienne Westwood said:
Nice Palin..:)
On Jun 25, 2009, palinn said:
Simple ideas – key to creating winning PR campaigns http://is.gd/1cKC4 #fb
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On Jun 25, 2009, Florina_B said:
Simple Ideas – key to creating winning PR campaigns – thoughts from Cannes- http://bit.ly/vMAro (via @palinn)
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On Jun 26, 2009, saurabhparmar said:
Reading: “Simple Ideas – key to creating winning PR campaigns – thoughts from Cannes” ( http://bit.ly/LuvF )
This comment was originally posted on Twitter