Artificial Intelligence (AI) should not be used as a first step in content writing but only as a support, said Sameer Bajaj, Head of Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs, MakeMyTrip at the exchange4media PR and Corp Comm 30 under 30 Summit.

“Content writing skills are broadly divided into three big dimensions- writing skills, media skills and strategy skills, that is basically nuancing and understanding what is required and what will deliver and how.

“In the first 10 years of your life, you are more indexed on media and less on the other two but as you move on in life, the other two will gain more prominence,” he said.

As advice to corporate communication enthusiasts, Bajaj said they must read and learn irrespective of age.

“I'm still studying but working hard every day even at my age right so read and write. AI, definitely we have, but I would suggest don't use it. Use it to support you. It shouldn't be the first step. It should be a support step,” he said.

Discussing the intricacies of corporate communication, Bajaj said that most of the people in corp comms promote what is being done by other departments and that needs to be changed.

“Outside-in view is the most important in the industry. Most of the people in corp comms promote what is being done by other departments. PR and corp comms are mostly in for amplification processes. This element has to be changed. Here comes the element of outside-in view. I look at people in my team as journalists. We give them an outside view because the context is very important,” he said.

Highlighting that an impact-led approach is critical, Bajaj said, “Impact does not mean coverage. It means impact on business, like marketing. We represent what the brand stands for and therefore the view has to be much larger. Social media is getting more traction than traditional media.”

He also suggested that comms will deliver maximum impact if it is integrated with marketing and business. Making them look at life from your lens will make you come up with a campaign which will have a bigger business impact.

“Reputation matters and the corp comms team should be conscious of every word they say,” he said.

The nomination for the fifth edition of e4m PR and Corp Comm 40 under 40 is open now.

The PR and Corp Comm 40 Under 40 Awards will honour the next generation PR and communication leaders who are shaping the industry through their forward-looking vision. The e4m PR and Corp Comm 40 under 40 Awards recognise the industry's brightest professionals, entrepreneurs, game changers and achievers under the age of 40.

The applicant should be over 20 years of age as of December 31, 2023. Professionals from the field of PR, Corp Comm and Mar Comm can apply. They will be judged by the jury based on their leadership qualities, achievements, future potential and proven contribution to the industry. So do not miss your chance to nominate and be awarded and recognised for your hard work.

The entries are now open and early bird offers of Rs 5000 are valid until November 10, 2023.

The deadline for submitting the nomination is November 30, 2023.

The results for awards will be announced at an event scheduled for December 2023.

Held on Saturday, September 23, the exchange4media PR and Corp Comm 30 under 30 Awards were preceded by a summit on ‘How AI is Changing Communications & PR’ starting with a panel discussion around the topic ‘AI and future of work’ which examined the advent of AI and its disruption in workplace culture as well as its effects on PR and Communication. The session featured Jagruti Kirloskar Saxena, ANAROCK; Shubhreet Kaur, Hill and Knowlton; Deepti Karthik, Decision Pinnacle; and Rahul Kashyap, COO, PR Professionals, and was moderated by Tarunjeet Rattan, Nucleus PR.

Rattan began the discussion by acknowledging the increasingly pervasive nature of AI across multiple professions, geographies, and industries and asking the panel for their views on how AI was shaping the future of PR and Communication.

Saxena replied with a small story, saying, “Copying is an art and not everyone can do it well.” 

Taking off from the same point, Kaur noted, “AI's a tool and I do think it's a fast-evolving technology and it really has the potential to make teams more productive and aligned. But the discretion and the judgment of the PR professionals doesn't go away. So I think there's a huge potential for AI and public relations to go hand in hand because it can create a faster turnaround time if there's a crisis situation happening, you need some information very fast. What we would do on a Google search for two hours, AI can bring that probably in two minutes. But then how do we utilize that for personalization of communication? How do we use it to understand user behaviour?”

“At H&K, we use Brandwatch to understand data insights that are happening in the industry to understand consumers, but that personalization still comes from the PR professionals. And I think we can really efficiently use AI to maybe enhance the level of strategic thinking, creative content, brainstorming and spend more time on those aspects by automating some tasks by using AI,” added Kaur, to which Rattan riposted that this at least meant PR people’s jobs were secure.

On the other hand, Kartik said that her views were more from the other side of the table, in terms of having been on brand side and having interacted with PR professionals. “Some of the requests that go from us marketers to PR professionals are for authored articles, industry articles, and all of this at the end of the day requires a lot of research from the PR team to put this together. It also requires a lot of research on what is happening in global markets, and any thought leadership article that you're going to write is going to be more future looking than just finding out what is going to be on Google.”

“While you can build a straw man or a skeleton for an article, essentially what makes it worth the time of the reader is the practical experience, the fact that this is what I am going through here and now and these are the nuggets of my experiential wisdom ­­-- that is going help the reader and that is what makes it enjoyable and rich in terms of knowledge. So, I think there are a lot of AI tools for my friends in PR to use, but I definitely do think then an article will come to me. I will know if this is just done by AI or by my friend in PR because I know the signature,” said Kartik.

Rattan recounted speaking at a global platform earlier where a lot of agencies weren't overly concerned about transparency, confidentiality, and plagiarism. “Now, these have been a challenge in the current framework itself without AI, but with the free use of AI, how do you keep your sensitive business information and data breaches from happening? Like you mentioned, this is a gut feel that you had been going by, but that gut feel might not be developed by just about everybody.”

The panel went on to discuss the skills as well as the sensibilities that PR professionals needed to have as well as develop in a world being transformed by endless information flow, generated content and shifting norms.

Kashyap, while noting and appreciating e4m’s decision to have a women-led panel, just a day or two after the women's reservation bill was passed, said, “Whenever new technology comes into the picture, there are certain parameters and certain questions that we must ask. Is AI similar to the invention of the wheel? Is it that big a deal? Is it as good as the invention of the internet? Is it going to revolutionize or be an agent of transformation? And if it is an agent of transformation, will it be like the invention of fire or electricity? How will it change our lives? That is the fundamental question I think that we need to ask. Because we have been doing PR, we have been doing communication even when there was no technology.”

“Whatever the thing is, one that it is going to be transformative, but we also have to be the custodians of two things. One is ethics, which is a challenge that the leadership faces. Secondly, what is the kind of work culture that we are promoting? We know the right workers from the wrong ones. Ultimately AI is a tool for good work, for better governance, for better productivity, but it is a tool, it is an assistant. It cannot overwhelm the work culture that we wish to develop. Work culture is a leadership domain, it is a challenge before the leadership and the leadership must come into play. And that is to say it may be a big revolution. But that revolution, that direction of the river, needs to be guided by the leadership,” Kashyap, as PR leaders came together to agree that AI is a useful tool, which needs proper guidance to be used to the full.

exchange4media unveiled the 3^rd edition of the e4m PR & Corporate Communication 30 Under 30 list at a grand virtual event on Saturday, September 23, 2023. The list features over 30 achievers under the age of 30 from the world of PR and corporate communications.

On the winner's list are the young guns of the industry, who have made noteworthy contributions to not only their organisations but also the industry. They are the driving force of PR and Corp Comm, keeping it running seamlessly even during crisis. e4m PR and Corporate Communications 30 Under 30 celebrates the new-age communication strategies of these budding new-generation leaders of the industry.

The experienced and esteemed panel of jury members who have served as mentors to these deserving candidates have handpicked these names. The jury was chaired by Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor in Chief, BW Businessworld and Nandini Chatterjee, chief marketing and communications officer, PwC India.

The other noted members of the jury included Ashim Gupta, chief brand and communications Officer, Spark Minda Group; Arun Arora, director - head and director - strategy and communications, Mavyn.in and Chetak Foundation; Ashutosh Sharma, global head of corporate communications and corporate affairs, HCL Technology; Anand Vaidya, global lead – PR and corporate communications, WebEngage; Anand Prakash, senior group head, Adfactors PR; Bhaskar Majumdar, head - corporate affairs, communications, CSR and digital, Egis in India; Bhawna Gupta, director – client relations. Hill+Knowlton Strategies; Ekta Bhaskar, global head – corporate communications, BLS International; Jagruti Kirloskar Saxena, SVP and head - corporate marketing and communications, ANAROCK; Jyotsna Dash Nanda, AVP – corporate communications, DS Group; Neha Bajaj, founder and director, Scroll Mantra; Pradeep Wadhwa, founder and principal, Kritical Edge Consulting Pvt. Ltd.; Priya Bellani, associate account director, 80 dB Communications; Rajat Chandihok, senior vice president, Concept PR; Smita Khanna, chief operating officer, Newton Consulting; Tanmana Rath, The Good Edge and Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner, Nucleus PR.

The selection was made on the basis of leadership, accomplishments statement, future potential and proven contribution to the industry. Some of the best minds in the public relations and corporate communications space debated on who should make the final cut in intense discussions that lasted for nearly five hours. For the virtual jury process, the grand jury was divided into two groups to judge all the nominations diligently.

The jury members carefully evaluated the entrants who had a clear vision of their work, their presentation, nature of articulation of their work and accomplishments. Along with the forms, the jury went through the video presentations sent by the nominees for better assessment.

Here is the much-awaited final list of 3^rd edition of ‘e4m PR & Corporate Communication 30 Under 30 2023’. The list has no ranking.

GreyMatters Communications & Consulting has secured the communications and media mandate for the bi-annual CGIAR GENDER Research Conference, scheduled to take place in New Delhi from October 9 to 12.

The conference, hosted by CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and ICAR will bring together global experts and researchers to discuss gender and social inequalities in agriculture. This event holds significant importance, occurring shortly after the successful conclusion of the G20 Summit.

"We are honoured to have been entrusted with this prestigious assignment for a global event of such magnitude. We are grateful to CGIAR for their trust in us. What makes this task challenging, yet special, is the demographically and culturally diverse audience that we need to cater to, along with the nuanced messaging required," said Dr Navneet Anand, founder Director of GreyMatters.

Marianne Gadeberg, Strategic Communications & Content consultant at CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform stated, "GreyMatters brings with it an enormous 13-year experience, not only in agriculture but across various sectors, working in public affairs and advocacy. What sets them apart is their ability to navigate the intersection of policy, politics, and research, thanks to their extensive experience in government communications. With GreyMatters, we have a clear plan to effectively capture and communicate the rich deliberations at the high-level conference to a diverse set of audiences."

Dr Anand added, "Despite India being predominantly an agrarian country, there is minimal interest in agriculture. The conversation around agricultural issues is muted, especially regarding gender issues. Our challenge is to amplify the significance of this conference, which brings together a multitude of global experts with deep and diverse experiences in social and action research. We are confident that our teams are prepared to reach out to journalists across the country with the relevant messages."

"We will work on highlighting the role of gender in our food systems and initiate conversations about it through various media and social media platforms. We also intend to leverage the discussions at the G20 Summit to weave into our narratives and bring these to the public sphere," Dr Anand added.

Paragon, a footwear manufacturer in India, has awarded its communications mandate to 80dB Communications. 80dB will manage traditional media outreach, digital PR and social media engagement to elevate Paragon's brand presence and resonance in the market.

With an unwavering commitment to delivering enduring footwear to millions, Paragon has earned its place as India’s trusted footwear brand in the country. Since its inception in 1975, Paragon has set industry standards through its unwavering dedication to quality and an extensive product range that caters to a diverse & broad customer base, spanning from shoes to slippers.

Sachin Joseph, Executive Vice President at Paragon said, "We are delighted to partner with 80dB Communications. We believe our trajectory of high growth will be complemented well by partnering with 80dB, known for their pragmatic approach, deep market insights and creative thinking”. 

Kiran Ray Chaudhury, Co-founder of 80dB Communications said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Paragon, an iconic name in the footwear industry. This communications mandate underscores our holistic strategy, fusing digital, PR, and social media to achieve client objectives. Together, we aspire to not only elevate brand awareness but also create a lasting impression in the market."

Archetype has recently launched a slew of fresh initiatives across the APAC region, including India, revamping and strengthening its employee wellness programme. The initiatives come as part of the company's commitment to promote the well-being of its employees and fostering a healthy work environment. As part of the wellness month, the new programme includes a range of comprehensive initiatives ranging from desk yoga, partnership with Telus health for EAP, quizzes, and tips on healthy lifestyle for a well-rounded fitness regime.

A key highlight of the programme has been the introduction of desk yoga sessions every fortnight, led by a certified trainer. These sessions offer employees a rejuvenating respite from their daily work routines, actively encouraging physical fitness and aiding in the reduction of stress levels.

Recognizing the importance of mental health, Archetype has also taken a proactive approach by offering support through the Telus health (Lifeworks) Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This confidential service is available to employees and their family members, offering a helping hand during challenging times, at no cost at all.

Sunayna Malik, Managing Director, India and Senior Vice President, APAC, Archetype says “At Archetype, our people are our greatest asset, and their well-being is of paramount importance to us. Our employee wellness program reflects our dedication to creating a work environment where our employees can thrive both personally and professionally. We remain committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where every voice is heard and valued”.

The life work platform will provide a wide range of content library (audio, video, articles) around a variety of topics related to work and life. Archetype employees will have access to independent & professional counsellors through a confidential & one-on-one support line on personal, professional, financial, legal needs. This initiative aims to create a workplace environment that supports the physical, financial, and mental wellbeing of employees. To ensure easy access round the clock, the Telus health (LifeWorks) platform is available on both desktop as well as an app for download from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.