"The changing patterns of the mindset, coupled with the multiple choices and expansive knowledge, will drive the PR industry in India to reorganise the services. Those with the mettle of establishing the mechanics to meet and manage the fast-track information dimensions will lead the way. PR in India is not new, but the way of practising PR in the current realms of the market is yet to be fully established, and this will change the importance of the PR services being provided and financial returns to the agencies in the coming years."

Chief Advisor, IconPR

With key involvement and contribution in the public, social and the corporate arena, Ashok Kapoor has spanned in the urban and rural cities of India. Kapoor was exposed to the field of journalism while assisting his father at the daily ‘National Herald’, along with other group publications, generating interest in national and international media and communications. This further opened doors in the emerging service sector markets for public relations, where he plunged into the corporate PR world, with years of experience of having faced entrepreneurial challenges, which contributed positively towards bringing out the best to leverage his knowledge in the growing PR industry under his firm, IconPR.

exchange4media’s Nitin Pandey caught up with Kapoor to know more about the latest trends in the PR industry as well as the challenges and opportunities that the industry faces.

How, according to you, has the PR industry evolved over the years?

Today, the direct impact of the burgeoning Indian economy and global awareness has positively impacted many a services. And one of the most affected is the PR industry, which has not only evolved, but has undergone a vast change in respect of its importance, that is, in delivering quality and crisp information to the public, and its positioning in respect to creating the required image in the fast growing 24x7 competitive scenario in all fields. Most important is the cost effectiveness compared to all other means of reaching out to the world at large.

How has the perception of the clients towards PR agencies changed?

Remembering those days in the late 90’s, we actually used to first educate Indian business houses on what PR was and then establish what we could do for them. The background of PR managers was taken as hospitality managers, but today, the multi-tasking aspects of the PR professionals have acquired a strong position. Today, the infusion of global talent and Indian professionals across all industries has created the required understanding and need of quality PR. The major role identified for PR has not been only the consumer connect for product marketing, but investor relationship and the detailing of the project or company progress has taken a very important positioning. It is now being sought by every individual, retail shop, and local businesses to multinational groups in India.

Tell us something about your agency. How has it been performing? Could you share with us your client portfolio?

On having experienced the multiple aspects of the media relations – as an entrepreneur, Bureau Chief of a newspaper and a PR advisor, the synergies of the multiple approaches, along with the mindset of the people at large has helped in establishing IconPR as an organisation with value and integrity. In the era of globalisation, where demand to capitalise on synchronicity across market segments is a priority, IconPR proposes to bring diverse and extensive experiences in executing various forms of marketing communications, tailor-made as per the requirement of the various companies not only on pan India basis, but at state levels also, covering the entire chain of market classifications, that is, from metros, cities, town and district headquarters to villages.

The economic slowdown of last year affected us too in respect to our portfolio of clients and turnover, but the entrenched client retentions, aided with strategic industry positioning and effective deliverables supported us through the downturn to the current resurrection of the Indian and the global economy and growth for all. Along the years we have established our credentials by delivering as per the needs and requirements of various companies, creating a complete communication linkage not only in the metros and big cities but in the vast expanse of semi and rural India. Therefore, many companies in the real estate sector like Omaxe, AIPL Ambuja, Era, Ansal API, and M3M, among others, education institutes likes WLC, MVN, Queen’s University Belfast and telecom giants like Airtel and global beverage brand Coca-Cola have continued to retain us over the past years.

What kind of vision have you outlined for your agency?

Realising that in this age of mushrooming technical advancement and contracting of society into a global village, one requires services with a global approach. Hence, our vision for IconPR is to provide this versatile platform and multifarious services under one umbrella. IconPR is a 360 degree PR solution provider. Based on the diverse and critical experiences in the dynamics of Indian business and market/ positioning opportunities, IconPR is a specialist in fulfilling the ‘communication needs’ by offering services that are custom-fitted with well defined standards at the local level, with a global perspective for both close-ended and open-ended target groups. At IconPR, we have carved out its own niche while leveraging diverse understanding to build a multi-level communications offering that delivers all branding cycles, of which media relations is just one aspect. We help our clients set up communication guidelines, result-measuring tools, and laying down best practices among PR partners.

Do you think PR plays a secondary role in the communication strategy of a client?

No, not anymore. The need to reach out and connect with the audience brings in a behavioural change, either selective or at large, which has created this primary positioning of PR in communications strategies across the industry. The need of the hour and the success of a communication strategy are the holistic functioning of the various mediums of communication and delivering the desired outcomes for the brand or the product. In India, the consumer is still largely in the print readership arena, and to express the views in detail, the appropriate communication is a necessity, which in snap-shots gets delivered through the electronic medium and for research oriented – through the Internet. Not to forget, especially with the upheavals of the economic functioning, the cost effectiveness of PR has largely been accepted by all as the most preferred option and preference while strategising the communication plan.

How would you relate public relations with media relations?

Although both are interdependent and inter-related, but on their own they are two distinct exercises, hence should not be considered as interchangeable with each other. PR in macro is an exercise which manages the communication needs of an individual or an organisation with its publics, utilising various related disciplines falling under the banner of corporate communications, one of them being media relations, and others like crisis handling, project and event management, research and tracking, among others.

Further, public relations provide a service for the organisation/ individual by helping to give the public and the media a better understanding about them, and in turn, create the desired perception by utilising its media relations that provide a third-party endorsement without any direct payments. After explaining this, I would like to state that strategically understanding PR is a must for every individual/ organisation to utilise the media relations in all fairness, as its abuse by selling and purchasing of this medium tends to lose its credibility in the long term, not only for the client but the media house as well.

What strategies do you adopt while deciding on the communication strategy of a client?

The most important aspect for a client from the PR strategy point of view is the fulfilment of its business vision, goals and objectives, and it is a must that the communication objectives are derived from the same. Based on the in-depth research conducted by IconPR, we are then able to suggest the most viable methodologies and options to be initiated to carry out the communication plan. The strategy then aimed at which select audience, through which mediums, at what aggression or behaviour, in what geographies – micro or macro areas – with evaluation measures tend to define a value based strategic way forward.

What are the challenges confronting this industry? What steps are required to overcome them?

Growth of any industry requires an immediate need of trained personnel, and PR industry is lacking the same in serious numbers. The education system still has not formulated any recognised curriculum and in-effect, the outcome is limited knowledge of PR professionals. This tends to elongate the growth in the industry of the business as well as the person concerned. International PR companies can acquire and retain qualified people at high salaries, but in-effect has to contend with high fees as well.

This short gap does help local PR companies like us, who have training capabilities and larger attention span on the consultants. This has also been one of the main reasons for our success as we diligently work upon the experiential training aspect at IconPR and have created a number of professionals who are today heading large PR outfits in the country.

The PR industry needs to be more responsible towards its growth. The level of competitiveness has created a division in the PR professional association groups and then in the collective voice of PR industry needs. The space has become self-oriented and self-promotional.

What are the factors that will drive growth in this industry in the years to come?

Growth of the Indian economy, coupled with the global identification of this booming economy, will strive to reach out to the masses in all possible methodologies. This has brought focus on the large size of consumers in all categories having varied purchasing powers, thriving to look beyond the limited spheres of life that had been created since the independence of the country 60 years back. Public awareness due to high media exposures and global understanding needs continued direction, information and expression to have correct methodology in governance, business and individual growth. India is poised for the great boom and PR has a special role to play in all aspects of this growth.

How do you think the effectiveness of PR can be measured?

Well, the measures of evaluation are defined in many a ways, but the effectiveness is only in one way, and that is the final outcome of the deliverables – the desired fulfilment of the objectives. Moving beyond measures like ACE calculation, insertions, quantity rather than quality.

The aspect of return in respect of goal achievements is the primary objective of every PR manager, which in short can be related to the efficiency in managing the campaign. The services of a PR consultancy are the outcome effects of the client satisfaction, measured with his acquiring the perception, return and growth on his image, stature and positioning in the competitive markets.

What are the emerging trends that you foresee in the PR industry?

The changing patterns of the mindset, coupled with the multiple choices and expansive knowledge, will drive the PR industry in India to reorganise the services. Those with the mettle of establishing the mechanics to meet and manage the fast-track information dimensions will lead the way. PR in India is not new, but the way of practising PR in the current realms of the market is yet to be fully established, and this will change the importance of the PR services being provided and financial returns to the agencies in the coming years. The move away from one-room PR shops to recognising the need of organised and established PR agencies is already being accepted by the market. Now, the global practices with local understanding will establish the players in the coming times.

What do you think the Indian PR industry lacks and what steps do we need to take to match up to our global counterparts?

The only shortfall in the Indian PR industry in general is the lack of expertise of global practices. India has great honours in having practised PR in various domains, and our biggest example is world recognised leaders from the times of Emperor Akbar to Mahatma Gandhi, who brought the understanding of connecting with the masses through various means of connections, actions and expressions. Today, the home-grown PR methodologies need to maintain their essence, but re-engineer themselves to be in line with the practices of PR in global terms to be effective, efficient and measurable, and still be competitive in this world of cross border communications.