PR & Comms professionals are embracing tectonic shifts in the industry: Sagar Pushp

exchange4media group hosted the first edition of the PR & Corp Comm Summit & Awards on Saturday, 1st May 2021, presented by AdFactors PR, powered by Clan Connect. The Gold partners for the event were 80db Communications, Fuzion PR, SPAG and Seraphim Strategic Communications. The summit witnessed the virtual gathering of some of the brightest minds in the Public Relations and Corporate Communication domain. Among the many insightful sessions was the keynote address was delivered by Sagar Pushp, Co-founder and CEO, Clan Connect. Pushp congratulated the young professionals who made it to the coveted PR & Corp Comm 30 under 30 list and also shared some words of advice. 

Pushp kickstarted the session by congratulating the winners of the day and appreciating the true grit and resilience demonstrated by the PR industry. He said, “We celebrate and congratulate 30 of our brightest minds who continue to ignite breakthrough ideas and communication, bringing the world closer, even in the age of social distancing. It is a quote often repeated: 'Tough times don't last, but only tough people do'. These words of wisdom right ring through in the current state of affairs where PR and communication professionals are embracing the tectonic shifts occurring in the industry.” 

Pushp also shared his two cents on the paradigm shift that is quickly taking place in the public relations and corporate communication practices. According to him, “Technology has transformed the communication space beyond recognition. In fact, if one were to venture 10 years into the past, they would not recognize the space at all. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that the industry has evolved more in the past two to three years than it did over the past two to three decades. Innovation has, without a doubt, changed the way we communicate.” 

He further went on to convey that even with the changing domain of technology and PR, the goal of communication practices remains the same. 

He added: “The end goal is still the same - creating a connection with clients, peers, customers, investors, etc. It all boils down to sharing relevant information that grips the interest of our target audience. With the addition of tech-driven bells and whistles, the entire process has only become much more convenient. We’ve simply entered into the new decade, one that is replete with technological prowess and progress.” 

Further emphasising the role of social media platforms in evolving the PR and Communications practices, Pushp added: “Organizations are now hungry for consistent and engaging branding, thus the need for PR agencies has skyrocketed, but their roles have changed. PR agencies are no longer just about media relations, they are creative directors, content developers, digital advertisers and much more. This gave birth to 360-degree communication.

Explaining how PR and marketing are no more two diverse paths and have diverged in some ways, he elaborated: “These lines have blurred. End-users are always online, consuming heaps of content every second, it is difficult to discern where marketing ends and where PR begins. It's all under the vast umbrella of communication, and this is no longer a secret. Corporate Communication leaders now thoroughly understand their role in advertising and promoting products and services, building brand awareness and building a loyal customer base.” 

Shedding some light on the major changes the digital revolution has done to the communications and public relations domain, Pushp shared “Today, numerous top communication agencies also have a digital marketing arm, because companies realized that they were missing opportunities in the digital landscape. As more campaigns started to go digital, it became the need of the hour to attract them. Data analytics, digital marketing and artificial intelligence are championing this revolution. The variety of data that can be captured is increasing, the abundance of data that is available is staggering. One can do more with this data, as we continue to master the art of measuring insights. Yesterday's PR managers are now being repositioned as CMOs, integrated communication and PR analytics are all building an industry that is cohesive and more fast-paced than ever before. This basically goes on to prove that brands today understand the importance of PR and that an individual who understands PR also understands the communication that involves marketing. 

Closing his address with a piece of advice and words of encouragement for the young achievers of today, Pushp added: “It is only through continuous learning and practising the skills you learn that you will be able to stay relevant in this industry. Continue building on your existing skills and keep evolving as professionals. Learn the best practices of creating media relations as copywriting, editing, master social media community and stakeholder relations and become highly proficient in crisis management. Be both humanized to raise and use data and create ripples, gain management skills and your talents as future leaders. Each one of you is the future of public relations and corporate communications, so wear your victories. Go forth and bring on the next revolution. This, dear future veterans, is just the beginning.”