PR trains you not only for work but for life: Swati Guwalani

To recognise and honour the contribution of women leaders’ relentless pursuit of excellence in public relations and corporate communication, exchange4media PR & Corp Comm launched the Women Achievers Awards in 2020. The third edition of the awards in 2022 acknowledged and felicitated the women leaders who have been shaping the industry through their incredible work. The awards recognised women who not only achieved major milestones in their careers but also brought a dynamic change in the PR and corporate communications industry.

In this series, we feature some of the women leaders who were felicitated at the event. Today, we speak to Swati Guwalani, senior director, Genesis BCW. She was honoured in the category 'Emerging Leader in PR.'

Congratulations on your win at the e4m PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers Awards 2022. How do you feel?

Well, it is always great to be recognised for the work one is doing. But there are always many people who contribute to every journey. I believe in teamwork and have been fortunate to have worked with great teams and clients in my journey so far. I have always been blessed with great mentors who have been my guiding light, and I would love to be a mentor and pay it forward.

What inspires you on your journey and endeavours?

I think delivering work that really makes a difference is something that inspires me. Communications that is able to shift a mindset is what really creates an impact.

Delivering on challenging projects involving turning around perceptions and relationships are what excite me and keep me moving forward in this journey.

In what ways have you witnessed the PR and corporate communications industry change and evolve over the years? What global practices would you see implemented in India?

The last couple of decades have witnessed a tremendous change in the industry. But as they say, the most difficult periods bring in the most evolution. Covid-19 has majorly transformed the way we work over the last couple of years. Also, today more and more brands understand the value of PR and are vying for the same space. Even though there has been an explosion in the number of publications over the last few years and India is probably the only country where print media was growing until recently, it has been adequately matched with the increase in the number of brands engaging in PR. So the result is that the pitch has to be much more unique, sharper and relevant to get the attention of the journalist and thereby the audience. Post-Covid, many brands have started paying equal or more attention to online media in a print-heavy country. I think this is a significant change in mindset and sets the stage for further evolution of the communications space into other digital avenues like the metaverse.

Tell us about your most valuable learning from the industry. Where do you foresee the PR and comms industry in the coming days?

One must be in an always learning mode. Our learnings at work transcend to our personal lives and vice-a-verca. I believe in a synchronous balance between work and life, somewhat akin to the role of Shivagamini in Bahubali. One is not exclusive of the other. Learning on both fronts impact our efficacy and quality of life. Communications is critical. Be it professionally, or personally. At times, while delivering for the client we forget that it is equally critical to communicate with the team and to showcase your work beyond the respective client. We sometimes lack in the PR of PR.

Communications is not just PR today. It is a sum total of communications across a multitude of platforms. Going forward, brands will explore more integrated, hybrid models of communications to target their audience. Also given the current and expected economic situation, companies may face a further squeeze in their budgets, resulting in a strong impetus on measuring results of PR campaigns to ascertain ROI.

What would be your message to the future generation of professionals?

I think the most important attribute to imbibe for the next generation is emotional resilience. I strongly believe that PR not only trains you for work, but for life. Emotional resilience, which I personally feel is thinning in the next generation, will be the mantra for success in both the domains.