'PR humanises brands'

The final panel discussion at the e4m PR & Corp Comm 40 Under 40 Summit and Awards 2022 saw industry experts who discussed their views on ‘Rules of engagement between PR and the brands, managing each other expectation’.

On the panel were Gehna Sawhney, Director – Communications, India and Europe, Pitney Bowes; Lovina Gujral, COO, Candour Communications and Tehseen Zaidi, Head – Communications, Syngenta India. The session was moderated by Ruchika Jha, exchange4media.

Jha opened the session by asking about some of the founding parameters of the relationship between agencies and brands to which, Gujral said, “I would like to iterate the fact that a mutually beneficial relationship is based on respect that is non-negotiable. Respect does not just mean that we have entered into a contract and hence, it is to be done. We need to recognise what the brand stands for as an agency. It is important to understand what the brand is wanting to achieve through the relationship and for the brand it is important to understand that the agency is the expert hence, due credit should be given to their advisement and consultancy, and only then can the engagement be fruitful. The other thing that I believe is if you want the relationship to be successful, be very clear about what the client expects and what you can deliver. Have complete clarity and work along those lines. Do not project yourself to be promising something and delivering something else.”

Sawhney seconded Gujral's comments and stated that the authenticity and rootedness in the organisation’s values are also very important. “At its best, PR humanises the brand. It helps bring the story of the brand to audiences and tells you about the company, the products and its people. Trust, transparency and teamwork are most important. These three parameters are essential for a healthy and long partnership with the PR agency and a brand”, she added.

Moving further into the conversation, Zaidi shared her perspective on how the dynamics of brands, agencies and media have changed over time since they are interrelated. She elucidated, “From the last three-four years, the trend has changed. Now the journalists covering that particular beat will just take the inputs from what the agencies are sharing but when it is shared by the corporate communications person, then they take it lightly. Somewhere, we have to support our agency. The agency and the client have to work in close coordination. You should understand and talk to each other. You need to plan, strategise and give that important newsy point which is relevant.”

Concluding the session, the panellists were asked to give a remark on how vital is crisis management in this engagement. Gujral conveyed, “We have been working with Zoom since 2020 and if you have seen Zoom’s journey in India, you know what a huge crisis it came into. It was a year-long crisis campaign for us requiring us to be present as much as up to 16-17 hours a day. Even today, we feel proud the way we were able to support our client and the client of course acknowledges us for the work we did in the first year. If you cannot stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the brand in a time of crisis, you have no business being in our partner. It is in the difficult times that you really see the metal of an agency and I think that is when an agency really gets tested and should be able to stand the test of time.”

Zaidi concluded, “In any crisis or any other situation, just put your foot in each other’s shoe and know where that person is. It is important that you back each other with empathy and respect. Coming back to crisis management, you should analyse and evaluate who is taking the front seat and who is taking the back seat.”

“In times of crisis, an agency can help you prevent bad from getting worse because it is already out there and they are there to help you fire fight and be the front line. Hopefully this partnership will continue and help you prevent the crisis from getting worse,” Sawhney winded up the session.