‘PR is a great career option for people who are creative, curious & ambitious’

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 Titas Dutta, Global Corporate Communications Manager, Cactus Communications.

Excerpts:

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

I’ve always secretly wanted to be a part of this list and the recognition does feel good. This is one of the topmost validations you can get in our industry, and it was my honour to be judged by such veterans this time around. That said, the process itself was very fulfilling, as it makes you look back at the work that you’ve been doing and forces you to recognise the achievements as well as the mistakes. 

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

There have been a lot of changes in the industry over the last year. I see the lines between many segments increasingly blurring to better suit the need of a brand. While earlier there were different departments for public relations, social media, internal communications, content development, etc., many brands are now choosing to have one central department to bring more alignment and authenticity to their overall communications. Also, data currently plays a more important role than ever. With the shift to digital platforms and newer mediums to connect, the fight to be quirky, relevant, and real while tackling ever-decreasing attention spans has been quite fascinating for me.

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

 In the words of Warren Buffet, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” As communicators for the brand, we have the biggest responsibility to ensure that updates and opinions are shared in the best possible way. I learned early in my career that a single social media comment today has the power to affect your reputation, which has taken years to build. So, it’s extremely important for us, the branding and communication folks, to know the brand and its ethos in and out and to follow them unanimously through every statement. 

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? 

I want to continue to build a strong profile and do great work to establish myself as an industry leader and mentor in the next five years. I wish to make myself capable enough to set a precedent for young, ambitious, and capable professionals who in many cases struggle to get a bigger role or responsibility with major brands. My aim is to be in a position where brands and spokespeople would seek me out for the results I’m capable of driving, while I constantly learn, evolve, and engage with them to be able to charter an exclusive and relevant path. 

In my journey, I want to educate more people about PR as there is a terrible lack of understanding of the function in non-metro cities. PR is a great career option for people who are creative, curious, and ambitious, but because of the lack of awareness, we miss out on many potent talents. There are very few things that can match the satisfaction of being able to create and narrate someone else’s story better than them, and I want to help more people explore this path.