Good content creation holds the key to a successful media campaign: Anshu Khanna

As we bid adieu to 2023, let’s take a moment to reflect on the efforts of the outstanding PR leaders whose efforts have created a new wave of transformations and growth in the dynamic PR industry. 

In the Epilogue-2023, a year-ender series from e4m PR & Corp Comm, we pay homage to the contributions and explore the visionary perspective of the luminary Ms. Anshu Khanna, Founder and Managing Director of Goodword Media Services Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. With over 30 years of experience in writing, editing, public relations, and social media marketing, she has contributed to preserving and promoting India's rich and diverse heritage, art, and culture through various platforms and initiatives. However, she is also a recipient of Nari Shakti Puraskar, the highest civilian honor for women in India by the President of India in 2019.

Excerpts:

• Can you highlight some key trends or shifts you observed in the PR and communications industry this year?

The biggest trend was the arrival of personal media which now stands at par with conventional/ via media in our PR campaigns. Suddenly everyone began to hold curated and planned content as center stage of their communications goals. Penning precise press releases was no longer enough. Social media and online media steered by the brand itself gave us the freedom to reach out directly to our client’s TG, and their consumers. Their social media handles work as the platform they possess and could use at their discretion. 

Today, the client’s message can reach their audience in the most direct and unbiased manner. Good content creation for the client holds the key to a successful media campaign and it's incredible how the third-party wall has come crashing.

• How have you adapted your PR strategies to effectively reach and engage target audiences? Can you share a specific campaign or initiative that highlights this adaptability and its success?

For Goodword, content was always queen, and thinking out of that imaginary box was a way of life. Hence for us, it was work as usual. We had fun following an intuitive path. 

Hence, we were able to line up a full-fledged Vintage car rally for a hospitality client that wishes to position itself as regal, royal, and historic. Moreover, we curated a collector’s edit for a luxury mall client, elevating their experience to a connoisseur level. 

• As a leader, how do you prioritize and integrate digital communication channels into your overall strategy? 

Yes, there is no other direction to go. I feel the integration of digital communication is integral to any robust campaign that is also deep in its reach and permanent in its presence. However, prioritizing one over the other is not advisable. I think what is important is to be as diverse in your selection of media as possible. In this respect, eclectic use of Instagram, WordPress, Linkedin, X, Facebook, etc. is important. 

• Have there been any notable shifts in the importance of traditional vs. digital channels for your organization in the past year?

 We give equal weightage to both conventional and digital channels. Neither prevailed over the other. But in my opinion, let’s not, in the frenzy for change, marginalize the importance of print media. Because it still is the most credible source of image creation. 

• What steps has your PR and communications team worked to ensure diversity and inclusion in messaging and campaigns? 

The team is now equipped to use words, visuals, and movement in their storytelling and mood board. The Goodword team can write a story, tell it in a smart 30-second reel as well as capture the essence of a brand through compelling visuals. That sure is no mean feat.

• What are your key priorities and goals for your PR team in the coming year?

The key priorities and goals in the coming year are to make our PR team more content-driven by helping them think beyond the brief and like a spin doctor, sense the pulse of the client. The reason is that if you understand the journey of a brand can you help it reach there.