The rapid expansion in the media space has done many good things for the nation. It has provided choice in beats across entertainment, movies, news and education that earlier was simply not ever thought of or envisioned. The proliferation has brought about waves of soaps, contests and now with the first IPL season shaking India, it has brought a gaggle of new anchors anxious to make their mark.

In a landscape dotted by hungry journalists, anchors, show producer, sometimes this breed, crosses the line of prudence and fair practice in the quest for exclusives, scoops and the most dramatic of them all; stings! In times of deadline overload and a lack of any tangible research, editorial balance becomes the first casualty to TRPs, popularity polls and advertising revenue.

How many times have you had a trick e-mail or a innocuous phone call translate into a bombshell in the press the next day, or even the same day in these times of broadcast and online media explosion? If you are out there working the space, then I am sure you do this more than you’d like to and while we all employ our own ways and means to deal with the scourge, maybe the time is right for a discussion. Keeping quiet is not an option so here are a few PR plays I’ve seen practiced:

• No comment - This is the most basic defense of the scared communicator or resident PR punter in the establishment. It creates a doubt in the mind of the viewer or reader about the authenticity or veracity of the story but has the potential of making front page all the same or the lead story in the dozen or so television channels out there, business, news, and combinations thereof.
• We do not speculate on market speculation - This or another variation of the same featuring words like ‘policy’ are yet another wet blanket in terms of media credibility, will they stop your brand image from get a contentious tag or even a black eye is arguable.
• Denial - This is the last reprieve of either the aggrieved or the very stupid, especially if its a lie. It will give a pause to the editor or the journalist, who will question their gut, chances of going to print or being aired, fifty per cent.
• Half Agreement, half denial - This Molotov Cocktail is the most sophisticated of the ploys, and clearly agrees to all or some part of the allegation but uses the loop in technique to include crisis messaging. Sent as a quote and usually written, it forces the hack to use the statement in full. Only the most savvy can do this bespoke but chances of being quoted out of context or half quoted remain high.
• Retraction or Rejoinder - These are mostly ego plasters to paper over bruised management egos, striking how the size of the retraction and rejoinder is in contrast to the placement, font size and prominence of the offending piece.
• Confirming statement - This is the pushover statement, executed along with a sincere sorry note and a display of the belly in submission. These are very bad for the ego and best suited for real tragedies, fraud, accidents, calamities and other industrial or infrastructure and government type of communicators.

I am sure there are hilarious variations sitting out there in your very fertile and successful minds and would love to get any more classification here or a anonymous war story, do feel obliged to share your scary knowledge with the tribe.

These are some concerning times that need both awareness of the stakes and training, if it is your privilege to be charged as the guardian of your brand and company image. There are lots of ploys the feverish hack employs to in the get-rich-quick-or-get-fired-trying, exclusive hunt. You need to understand that it is their job to report, to analyze, to predict and to expose, the end is fine but the means are most questionable. This pool is further muddied by competition and the dirty tricks department using friendly media for planting, seeding or plain obfuscating an issue. I will not use examples but the watchful here will see and read patterns in politics, industry and most media reporting, even that front page headline or the lead story on that television channel that looks innocent at first pass. Go figure…

If they know that you know, then you will receive their respect and maybe the show can continue down the road for all. Right now these are dangerous times for Image and Brand and all seems fair in the media war for exclusives. Next week sticking to a statement and dodging trick questions on the phone. Happy skirmishing! 

We caught up with Bill Rylance, Chairman, Burson-Marsteller Asia Pacific and Vice Chairman, Global Development, Burson-Marsteller Worldwide during his recent India visit. Here is an extract of our conversation.

Q. Your visit to India in April coincided with the arrival of the Olympic torch in New Delhi. One of the key landmarks of your career has been leading BM’s worldwide public relations program for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The Olympic torch this year has been mired into controversy with Tibetan protests worldwide. What in your mind are the key concerns that a public relation campaign can address in a situation like this?

Until very recently, the Olympic Torch Relay was a national event handled by the host nation. Today, with worldwide sponsorship, the planning and logistics take in a worldwide journey. Any high profile event of such enormous scale inevitably becomes a beacon, a platform for various interests and issues. I can only assume this was considered in the overall planning process as part of crisis preparedness. Every Olympic Games is issues-rich and what is required is constructive transparent engagement on the part of the organisers and the people of host city and nation; driven by respect for the concerns of others without losing sight of the Olympic ideals. Organisers and sponsors should prepare and be ready to consider and respond to those concerns and challenges; it goes with the turf of being a host or a sponsor. Just as sponsors seek to leverage off the Games, so too do NGOs and other special interest groups and that is not going to change. The measure of success and confidence is not in silencing or disregarding one’s critics, but in how you respect and respond to them. It is utopian to think we might have an issues-free Olympics anywhere in the world.

Q. It’s been nearly six months since you assumed the new role as Chairman, Burson-Marsteller Asia Pacific, and Vice Chairman, Global Development. What have been the key highlights for you in the new role? What are the opportunities that you see ahead?

As Chairman of Asia Pacific, I continue with my involvement in a region I know and love. I’m very proud to have had the opportunity to contribute to a very successful transition in our region and I believe we will go from strength to strength. In addition to supporting our excellent regional leadership team, I am now focused on our strategic initiatives and continue to explore potential acquisitions here.

Globally, I will be focused on looking at emerging markets, such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where there is high growth potential for public relations. I am also looking at developed countries to identify acquisition opportunities where we can extend our offering of specialist and integrated services.

Q. As someone who has experienced both sides of the coin – having held key positions at Burson-Marsteller and later independently established Merit Communications, Korea’s first international public relations consultancy, what in your view are the pros and cons of working with a global giant and being a start-up? Can you share your experiences on the same?

I think the key for any large firm is to retain its focus on the most critical drivers of success. A common challenge in many large firms is to avoid the creation of non-essential work; to stay lean, objective and always ask the tough questions of oneself without losing confidence, diluting determination or narrowing ambition requires an independent streak that must be nurtured in any organisation. This has more to do with internal culture than organisational engineering. It is more about tangible examples of “the way things are done here” than what is written into an org chart or policy manual. Leaders influence behaviour and culture through their example, their words and, most powerfully, their actions. It is not something that can be systemized in my opinion.

Q. How has Public Relations evolved globally and specifically in Asia Pacific? What are the trends that you see emerge in specific specialization areas as public affairs, digital communications vis-à-vis specific markets?

Clients have started appreciating the true value of public relations in their business strategy. Today, they expect us to counsel them on actions not just words. This is increasingly evident within Asia Pacific where the public relations market is increasingly becoming sophisticated and highly competitive.

In a dynamic business scenario, public relations has the responsibility to help its clients navigate deftly through the changes in environment. Digital communications is today an intrinsic part of any dialogue with a company’s stakeholders. Similarly, public affairs reflect the growing openness of government to dialogue and interactivity with businesses as the two partner together in development. I see a clear trend towards convergence of both digital and public affairs within mainstream public relations.

Q. “We’re a knowledge industry which watches our most important asset walk out the door at the end of each day – and if our talent doesn’t return the next morning we’re in big trouble”. You have shared the significance of talent in your interviews and writings. What are the top three qualities that you see in your talent? How does Burson-Marsteller play a pro-active role in nurturing and encouraging fresh talent?

I take great pride in saying that you will find all the essential qualities of a successful PR professional in the talent that we have at Burson-Marsteller.

This includes the ability to understand and deal with cultural diversity due to the changing profile and needs of clients. It also includes understanding and working with research findings and the capability to measure and evaluate results in the client’s context, not just our own.

Managing multi-market programmes is another essential quality you will find at Burson Marsteller. With a globalised economy, it has become important to work on complex businesses involving multiple stakeholders across global markets.

Across regions, we have dedicated classroom learning programmes and customised online training programmes. We also have cross-border learning, with employees from one region sent on deputation to other B-M offices globally.

Q. Can you share with us one of your own favourite Public Relations campaign?

I have been privileged to play a role in many innovative and meaningful programmes and it is impossible to point to one alone. I would rather describe a few outcomes that resulted from some of the campaigns I’ve been fortunate to support. Specific, tangible measurable results are always the greatest inspiration in my opinion. My examples would include a dramatic reduction in the number of abortions directly due to an educational campaign on the benefits of contraception; taking the 2002 World Cup to Korea when no-one gave us a chance at the outset of the campaign; a change in labour law to protect migrant workers rights; the removal of unfair trade tariffs after a multi-year multi-faceted public affairs campaign. There are others, of course, and I would stress that it is the work itself – the stimulation of problem-solving, ideation, innovation – that keeps one motivated.

Q. With emergence of blogs, user-generated content and other social media tools, there is a lot of debate about digital space being the final frontier for brand communication. What are your views on the same? How do you see traditional public relations practitioners evolving in the new role? Do you feel there is a need for a completely new set of practitioners with an understanding of the space?

As the Internet increasingly becomes a primary source of information for many, it is becoming important to understand and utilise digital tools. I do not believe that this is a distinct frontier that would need a new set of practitioners. I believe this is an intrinsic part of dialogue – more on the lines of conversations rather than mass communication. It needs a new orientation and we are actively building employee knowledge in the areas of digital communication.

Q. You have been visiting India quite often, more so in the past couple of years. What are your views on the growth of Public Relations in India? With other global firms having made acquisitions recently, who do you perceive as competition?

I would say that India is rapidly changing in the way it looks at the public relations profession, and its emerging role in the entire communication spectrum. Just as India is converging with the global economy, so is the public relations industry. In this process, Indian public relations professionals are not only adopting international best practices but are also sharing their home grown knowledge on the global stage. On the flip side, I think India is facing the same challenges as many other markets such as increasing scarcity of talent, spiraling costs, and demand by clients for improved efficiency.

I don’t think any public relations practitioner needs to be worried about looking over their shoulder in India. It is a market that is embracing growth and responsible participants. Just as we have worked well with all other public relations firms in the rest of the world, we welcome new players in India as, working together, it will only raise the benchmark of quality standards in public relations.