‘I would like to be heard as one of the strong voices in the PR fraternity’

The exchange4media PR and Corp Comm’s 30 Under 30 Awards identifies next-generation leaders in the PR and corporate communications industry. It honours some of the brightest professionals, entrepreneurs, game changers and achievers of the industry under the age of 30. 

The ‘30 Under 30 series’ features the winners who share their experiences, trends they have observed in the domain and where they see themselves in the next five years.

In today’s series, we speak to Divya Kulshreshtha, Account Manager, Archetype India.

Excerpts:

How does it feel to be recognised and honoured for your contribution to the industry?

It definitely goes without saying that receiving such an honour from the fraternity is a proud moment in itself. Every individual works with sheer dedication and so is the case with me. A big thanks to the e4m team and esteemed Jury for recognising my work. This prestigious award stands of high importance in my career as it’s a great attempt to recognise the fundamental role played by communication professionals in order to firewall a brand’s image. This award doesn’t just motivate me but assures that I am moving in the right direction. It will definitely provide plethora of opportunities to connect and collaborate with like-minded individuals in the industry.

What are the key trends that you have noticed in the past year in the PR and Corp Comm domain?

PR is a dynamic field that is constantly evolving and post the Covid-19 scenario, there have been many changes that gave birth to a new style/ approach to communicate across sectors. We saw a great shift from traditional to Digital PR i.e., catalysed by widespread technological adoption. Leveraging the same, I would like to contribute to various dimensions that will lead to an integrated PR approach—helping me and my team to achieve outstanding results from strategic and creative communication point of view for our clients beyond the niche. A few other trends that I would like to state below are:

• Authenticity and unique content with a purpose
• Engage with KOLs to spread the word faster (micro, nano influencers, etc.)
• Try new methods to reach out to Gen Z and young millennials like podcasts, radio, Twitter live spaces etc.
• Be topical and relevant
• Data plays a major role – back your content with insights and measure ROI
• Short-form content is booming and will continue to grow

What is that one industry lesson/ experience that you will carry with you throughout your career?

I would like to share two experiences that I would carry throughout my career along with the values that I possess (Trust, Loyalty, Kindness, Respect and Dedication are some of the values are deeply imbibed in me and I would carry the essence of each attribute throughout my journey). I believe that in the world of watchdog technologies, brands are scrutinised with every consumer touch point. I will always try and invigorate communications in a unique way, in my own way – having harnessed relevant mediums, and platforms which communicate the “why”, instead of what and how. It is very important that how you communicate and treat people. People will forget your glorious moments, but they’ll always remember how you treated them and that’s the legacy. I would carry forward and would pass on to my juniors.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

The past 5-6 years in the industry have been immensely great—I have grown from an executive to a manager now. The thrilling experience that I have had during my PR journey wherein I learned, I taught, I explored, I discovered—I wish to continue the same quest in me to achieve the impossible. With positive attitude and the diligence to contribute to the PR industry in every way possible, I would like to work with more brands across sectors and apply my learnings to execute and lead successful campaigns. As my major interest lies in consumer technology, I would like to be recognised as an expert in this sector and not just be known for the floor presence at my workplace, but I would like to be heard as the strong voices amongst the PR fraternity.