Deepak Jolly’s journey into the high-pressure world of reputation management

In today’s e4m PR & Corp Comm Luminary series, we engaged in a candid conversation with Deepak Jolly, Founder and Director, Consocia Advisory. Deepak Jolly is a visionary leader and masterful storyteller who has crafted successful campaigns and inspired countless professionals with his work. With an illustrious career spanning over 34 years, he has contributed significantly to the Sales & Marketing, Corporate Affairs & Communications landscape across top Multinational companies. As we all know that Deepak's extraordinary gift for storytelling has ignited social change and transformed industries and lives through his impactful campaigns.

In today’s series, we’ll uncover many fascinating stories behind his remarkable journey in the industry and discover how he honed his exceptional storytelling skills, explore his favorite campaigns, and get a glimpse into the secrets that keep him energized and inspired outside of his professional work.

Journey from Hospitality to Public Relations

Deepak Jolly had an enthralling and transforming journey into the PR industry which shows that determination and adaptability can redefine a career path. 

We all know him from the PR industry but he began his professional journey in the hospitality industry. Later on, from the hospitality industry, he found an unexpected opportunity in Public Relations. According to him, "The hospitality industry is perhaps the best test case for individuals' ability for perseverance with a high level of servicing standards." This experience became the foundation for his transition into Public Relations. 

He recalls a pivotal moment when he was offered the chance to shift from Front Office management to PR management at Le Méridien in New Delhi and described it as "the turning point of his career." Within a year, his work in PR earned him recognition in Delhi's PR circles, which ultimately paved the way for his next stint at Hindustan Unilever in PR and Corporate Affairs in 1988.

Establishment of Consocia Advisory

After dedicating over three decades to the PR industry and serving on four management boards, Jolly realized that even after relentless efforts, India's PR industry has not yet gotten its share of importance due as the CXOs perhaps, still don't give the importance it deserves. This realization fueled his determination to make a change. In 2017, along with two co-founders, he established Consocia Advisory with a clear mission in mind. "Our vision is not to be the largest, but to be the best in class in reputation management," he says. He believes that understanding the client's pain points and providing out-of-the-box solutions is key to their success. He and his senior team members want to raise the bar of PR industry.

His Role & Contributions as the Secretary General of India Honey Alliance and the Chairperson of Ind Food and Beverage Association

Although Deepak Jolly transitioned away from the core hospitality industry years ago and found a new passion in PR and communications, his commitment to serving and contributing to the hospitality industry's growth never faltered. He remained dedicated and continued to make meaningful contributions in his own unique way.  

As the Secretary General of India Honey Alliance (IHA) and the Chairperson of the Ind Food and Beverage Association (IFBA), Deepak Jolly has played a pivotal role in driving collaboration and innovation in both of these organizations. "Our biggest strength is Co-creation, and therefore we are able to form coalitions with the brands/companies with a common purpose," he illustrates.

Under his leadership and guidance, IHA has successfully united beekeepers, aggregators, and brands, addressing key challenges that have long plagued the industry. This collaborative effort has not only contributed significantly to the economy but has also facilitated industry growth. Similarly, at IFBA, his leadership has fostered a clear and unified direction for the food and beverage industry, particularly in areas such as regulations, packaging, and labeling. A highlighted moment of his journey till now was that even at a nascent stage, the association’s first white paper on spurious products has gained recognition and appreciation from both stakeholders and government departments. 

In addition to this, he also advocates for the recognition of the hospitality and tourism industry in India, which accounts for nearly 10% of the GDP. Sharing the different ways he has leveraged to promote industry’s growth it deserves, he shares, “Our efforts while working with the Hotel Association of India are to ensure we become a strong voice of the industry. The hotel industry has done well in the last few quarters, and we have further been amplifying it through our bi-monthly magazine, ENGAGE which goes to several thousand stakeholders, and helping the hoteliers with their annual events.”  

How he became a Master Storyteller in PR

Deepak Jolly is a bundle of energy, a great storyteller, and a passionate communicator who stays true to his work. “I often employ storytelling because it is compelling and evokes emotions that justify the need for change,” Jolly explains. 

Sharing the secrets behind his compelling storytelling, he shares, “Stories can only be told once you have experienced them, which requires one to travel far and wide, experience different cultures, people, and go through tough moments.”  

He further explains that the hospitality industry has been his first teacher who taught him the lessons of friendliness, how to conquer new challenges, and how to build relationships with new people. Moreover, he reflects on his ability to quickly adapt to new roles over four decades, attributing his success to core values of adaptability, accountability, and passion. These values have allowed him to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world, giving him the energy and ideas to thrive in his work.

His Impactful Campaigns

Talking about one of his most favorite campaigns he championed, Deepak cites, “the NDTV Coca-Cola 'Support My School' campaign School is one of the campaigns which worked both in the media and on the ground. This not only helped achieve the goals of offering water and sanitation solutions to more than 1000 schools in India but at the same time build consciousness about the need of education and communities”. He further added that the campaign not only achieved its social goals but also enhanced Coca-Cola’s image as a socially responsible company.  

For instance, in Airtel, soon after the tsunami when most companies were trying to fund rehabilitation, his unique suggestion of getting a telecom network up and running in two months in Andaman & Nicobar which was devastated by the calamity turned out to be the silver lining at the moments of distress.  

For Jolly, this success reaffirmed his belief in the power of storytelling to drive social change and leave a lasting, positive impact on society.

How He Measures Success 

The most rewarding part of my job is that together with my Co-founders, I have largely been able to contribute to professionalizing PR and taking it to a level where people will remember us,” says Deepak Jolly. For Jolly, seeing this next generation embrace ethical PR practices is a sign that he has truly made his mark in the industry. 

How Deepak Jolly stays 'Jolly' outside the professional sphere

Despite navigating the high-pressure world of reputation management at Consocia Advisory, Deepak Jolly has mastered the art of keeping his mind cool and maintaining his happiness and calm demeanor. “I read a lot, I am fond of histrionics and theater, and participate actively in the same. I enjoy traveling across the world and am also interested in music and movies", he shares.