
You
are a brand as much as your product
The Hindustan Times, Mumbai
August 04, 2007
by Sanjiv Kataria
Years ago, I joined a cohort of youngsters who
were choosing their careers. As ever, it was not
an easy task. My choices ranged between advertising,
internal communications, market research, direct
marketing, public relations (PR) and brand building.
My seniors advised me to pick an area I was passionate
about and had a distinctive edge. It had to be
in demand and had to be challenging to sustain
my interest for the times to come. I decided that
it was going to be in PR. Rather than telling
you why I chose PR over the other interesting
options, let me share me share the details of
the job.
The PR function requires a deep understanding
of diverse roles that various professionals (read
journalists), play in every media. The PR professional
needs an ability to find news from huge reams
of papers, usually called a brief. Having found
the news you need to embellish it with facts,
figures, graphics, illustrations — and enough
evidence to support your point. Very often you
have to think of a photo opportunity that will
make a great photograph, one that is likely to
be used.
Whether it is a simple product announcement to
enhance visibility or a sustained image building
campaign, a PR professional can give a strategic
input to get the message across.
To be a successful PR professional you need to
be well-read. This habit has to be supplemented
with a heavy dosage of reading newspapers, magazines
and television news.
It is important to have exceptional writing skills.
The less the number of words you use to express
yourself, the better it is. Good writing is just
the first step in forging relationships with journalists.
What will strengthen the bonds will depend on
how responsive you are in giving the journalist
access to your spokespersons, in sharing information
and how much trust can be placed on what you say.
The industry today understands the value of building
reputation for individuals as well as corporations.
Your real challenge lies in understanding complex
tasks, crafting cogent messages and acting as
a credible bridge to reach the various stakeholders.
The author is an independent strategic communications
and PR counsel
|