Ameer Ismail, President, LINOpinion and Advent

Heading a national team of communication professionals, Ameer Ismail is in-charge of all aspects of the business of events and PR for Lintas India Group. During his tenure, LINOpinion, an autonomous division of Lintas India, has included clients such as Raymond’s, Standard Chartered Bank, Bajaj Electricals, etc.

Ismail’s PR career began in 1992 with Good Relations India. He was appointed a member of the Executive Council of Lintas - Integrated Marketing Action Group (IMAG) in early 2004. His responsibilities include new business diversification, strategy and development for growth of eight different companies within the IMAG grouping. They are Lintas Personal, Linterland, Lintas Healthcare, Aaren Initiative, Dcell, Lintertainment, LINOpinion and Advent.

Prior to LINOpinion, Ismail was GM (India) for Profile, a Grey Communications International affiliate and PR division of Trikaya Grey Advertising. During his short stint in the company, he brought in blue chip clients like Procter & Gamble, Pierre Cardin Fashions, ICI, United Television, Elf Lubricants and BBC. Ismail was also responsible for setting up the PR business of Enterprise Advertising in 1994.

In an interview with Sakshi Talwar of exchange4media, Ismail shares his experience of the PR industry. Excerpts:

Q. LINOpinion has set up a full-fledged in-house creative and media team. Being a PR agency, what prompted you to foray into this segment?

This is in line with our strategy of offering 360-degree communication solutions to our clients. With this service addition our practice group heads can lead a communications campaign with PR and complement the same with focussed media planning and creative. In short, we have further integrated into advertising.

Q. What other services do you provide?

LINOpinion is a brand image consultancy. As an organisation, Lintas has created IMAG or Integrated Marketing Action Group, which looks at providing a holistic service that can fulfil all communication needs ranging from direct marketing, rural communication, social communication, event management and PR. We also have capabilities of doing advertising campaigns through our outdoor company and in-house creative/media teams. This pioneering effort has given us an edge and broadened our focus to a wider canvas than just media relations. In my opinion, most clients today look for an integrated public relations campaign that can deliver comprehensive communication services.

Q. How do you see the state of PR companies from the point of view of a PR practitioner and strategy thinker?

I believe that the PR industry has limitless potential today ranging from individuals in various fields corporates and also to government bodies and institutions. Unfortunately, it is my belief that the industry lacks direction and cohesiveness and requires leadership in order that it is recognised better and be taken to the next level.

Q. What is the roadmap for Indian PR agencies in general and your agency in particular?

India has an excellent bank of trained qualified professionals that are sought after on a global level, though the scale of remuneration maybe slightly lower than counterparts in Asia. However, the opportunity that exists in a dynamic market place such as this is extremely great and the cost of living is not as high as most countries in Asia. In my view we need to develop and train this human capital to become global PR practitioners. LINOpinion has a plan to internationalise its services. We have already made a foray into some key markets like Dubai, Sri Lanka and the UK. This will lead to knowledge sharing and cross-border exchanges for our employees.

Q. How should one gauge the efficiency of a PR firm? Is there a way to measure returns from PR initiatives?

The efficiency of a PR programme has traditionally been measured by the amount of media coverage garnered for a particular organisation and measurement of the share of voice one gets among its peer group. However, there are several other quantitative methods to measure efficiency of a PR programme. We have developed and unveiled LINDEX – strategic media measurement tool.

Q. How is LinOpinion different from other PR agencies? How distinct is your approach?

Strategic consulting is what most of LINOpinion's clients look for. While media relations still is valued extremely high, the weightage is now shifting to a more brand focussed approach. Lintas is known as a brand building agency and LINOpinion shares the same philosophy. Our specialised areas of focus, apart from corporate, consumer, lifestyle and IT, are investor relations, public affairs and healthcare PR. The latter three are going to be the growth drivers.

Q. Finally, what are the challenges and opportunities facing PR agencies today?

The challenge facing PR agencies today is getting into an enormous business potential that exists in a dynamic market place like India. The other challenges are retention of manpower and clients on a long-term basis, devising innovative brand campaigns that go beyond media relations and developing better measurement tools. As for opportunities, PR talent in India is world class. With an increasing exposure to global brands, it is a matter of time before we see Indians in significant positions in international communication firms. Also, it is interesting to market Brand India to global audiences.

Q. What would you call a milestone success in your journey so far?

Creation of our event management business is one of the important milestones in my journey with Lintas. Within a short span of two years, I set up Advent - the event marketing and management division of the Lintas Group. In recognition of my capabilities, I was fast-tracked to the position of President and mandated with dual responsibilities for growing both LINOpinion and Advent. From a two-member, one-office operation, today LINOpinion and Advent are among the top three in the country with 60 professionals and operations in 10 cities. Another significant achievement in my career was the acquisition of the licensing and merchandising rights for the Cricket World Cup for India and the subcontinent in 2003. This was the single largest L&M deal in the country in terms of value and prestige.

Q. Do you see PR/Corporate Communications as an adjunct of a company’s marketing department or should it chart its own course?

PR builds, enhances and protects corporate reputation. Companies cannot sell or exist in the long term without brand equity. Hence, I believe PR is an integral part of a company's corporate and marketing strategy and falls within that function.

Q. Coming to broader issues, would you say PR agencies in India have evolved and graduated professionally?

Most agencies started out as providers of media relation services. Knowledge levels of the discipline among practitioners also left a lot to be desired. However, there has been a sea change in the PR industry in the past few years with the entry of leading MNC brands and training institutes like MICA. Agencies are moving increasingly towards a more brand-focussed approach. There is also a wider understanding of the discipline among practitioners and clients. It is my belief that PR agencies have certainly come a long way in terms of professionalism, service orientation and capabilities.