Will we move from broadcasting to narrowcasting? Will mainstream media morph into consumer-generated media? Will we really be able to measure the impact of PR on company bottomlines? Will CEOs be rechristened as Chief Reputation Officers, thus giving PR professionals much to cheer about? The crystal ball is not working here! As long as free enterprise drives the economies of progressive nations, professional PR will continue to thrive and flourish.
As CEO of Lexicon Public Relations and Corporate Consultants Ltd, Seema Kundra brings close to two decades of experience in advertising, marketing and public relations.
Since 1994, Kundra has worked with PR firms in Singapore, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Prior to joining Lexicon, she was attached to the United Nations as a Senior Communications Consultant. In her earlier assignments with different firms, she served as VP for Fleishman-Hillard Scothchbrook in Singapore and Hong Kong, Country Head for McCann-Erickson Public Relations in Sri Lanka, and Executive Director for Good Relations India.
Kundra has been involved with PR programmes for leading transnational and Indian organisations. These include Compaq Computers, Levis Strauss, Taj Group of Hotels, Amex, Elle, Coca-Cola, Castrol, Rolex, Singapore Economic Development Board, United Distillers, ESPN, TNT, Singapore Tourism Authority and Sri Lankan Airlines, among others, spanning diverse industry sectors. Kundra has a Post Graduate degree in English Literature from Delhi University, as well as a degree in Mass Communication from IIMC.
Speaking to Pallavi Goorha of exchange4media, Kundra talks about the PR industry in India, and the new challenges and developments in the field. Excerpts: Q. How has been the growth of Lexicon PR this year? We have won many new businesses this year and have also expanded our scope of work with existing clients. I can sincerely say that we are in a very exciting phase and are attracting good talent and new businesses.
Q. How do you think has the PR industry evolved over the years?
The PR industry in India has traversed a long journey. From a time when PR professionals had to hard sell the concept of PR and its relevance, to a time when a large number of organisations recognise it as a key management discipline, it’s been happy tidings for PR professionals.
The evolution of the industry can be seen across different aspects. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Guest Relations Officers at hotels and PROs of public sector undertakings seemed to define opportunities in the public relations industry.
From PR being primarily an in-house function, it has evolved into a thriving consultancy practice. Advertising agencies began to offer PR services to their clients more as a support to their core competency and to prevent a client form crossing over to a competitor who offered PR services, and at times, gratis.
Around this time, we began to witness the advent of what was often termed as ‘standalone’ PR firms – those which were not aligned to advertising agencies. On another level, senior management started to recognise that corporate reputation management (CRM) required specialist skills and that the PR function could not be simply delegated to the HR or administration department, and thus that’s how corporate communications departments were created.
The role and significance of PR has grown tremendously and the evolution has just about begun.
Q. What according to you is the outlook of PR in India and globally?
As a relatively young industry in India, the outlook for our country is bright and at the same time, challenging. I see the next decade as bringing about far reaching changes in the Indian PR industry. Entry of global PR firms, industry-specific public relations, greater focus on PR activities other than media relations, will be some of the developments which will gather momentum.
On several fronts, the future is more about speculation and I doubt if anyone has ready answers. Will we move from broadcasting to narrowcasting? Will mainstream media morph into consumer-generated media? Will we really be able to measure the impact of PR on company bottomlines? Will CEOs be rechristened as Chief Reputation Officers, thus giving PR professionals much to cheer about? The crystal ball is not working here!
As long as free enterprise drives the economies of progressive nations, professional public relations will continue to thrive and flourish.
Q. Coming to broader issues, where would you say the PR industry stands today?
Speaking of the PR industry in India, we have seen the impact of globalisation on the structure, style and service parameters of consultancies operating here. The positive impact is that all recognised PR firms here follow standards of performance which can be definitely benchmarked against global ones.
Among the larger and more professional firms, there is a continuous effort to look at ongoing improvements across key aspects – strategy, career planning, client management, processes and systems, training, etc.
The PR industry is grappling with the changes which technology has brought about. Focus on online PR is increasingly gaining prominence and credibility in its own right. A subset of online PR is blogger relations, and the recognition of blog’s prominence and importance in the world of digital content is being seen here.
Q. In these competitive times, it has become very difficult to retain highly-skilled staff. What role can PR play in stemming attrition?
People retention is an issue facing not only the PR industry but almost all sectors. With a dynamic economy which provides multiple opportunities to professionals, this is a reality which we have to confront.
A professional and cheerful work environment, fair play, fostering team spirit, mentorship and training, opportunities for growth and skill enhancement, and incentives are some of the ways in which organisations can stem attrition.
Q. Would you agree that PR is primarily considered as only media relations? How can the industry move away from this common belief?
We have seen that in every industry, understanding of issues and subjects are different for different sets of people. It’s important to make this distinction.
There are some PR firms and organisations which focus on media relations as the most significant aspect of public relations. At the same time, there are a large number of companies and PR firms who recognise that while media relations is an important aspect of PR, there are many other facets to the discipline.
PR is a critical management function. An effective public relations plan for an organisation is developed to communicate to an audience in a way that it is inextricably linked with the organisational goals. And since the target audience is not limited to the media but also encompasses diverse stakeholders from opinion leaders, business partners, industry organisations, financial analysts to many others, it is imperative to keep the focus on all constituents which play an invaluable role in determining the reputation, and therefore the success of the organisation.
Q. Essentially, what is the key communication plank for Lexicon?
Lexicon has a very strong focus on strategy. For us strategy is critical to creating sustainable competitive advantage.
It’s my unwavering conviction that it is strategy, in tandem with operational effectiveness, which distinguishes excellence from mediocrity. In fact, strategy has become more necessary than ever, particularly for organisations which want to differentiate themselves from others.
Q. What has been your most exciting experience in PR till date?
It’s difficult to pick one exciting experience. However, if I were to pick an experience which I found personally and professionally meaningful, it was an opportunity to work on a programme for Rolex called the ‘Rolex Awards for Enterprise’. I have been associated with this programme for three of its series, the first when I was based in Colombo.
‘The Rolex Awards for Enterprise’ is a biennial programme which supports exceptional individuals from across the globe who initiate ventures that advance human knowledge and well-being. The five laureates receive $100,000 and a Rolex chronometer as international recognition.
By virtue of being associated with this programme I got an opportunity to meet exceptional individuals who beat all odds to achieve their goals. More importantly, their achievements are not driven by self-gratification but by a desire to make a difference to the community which they are part of. The experience was both humbling and inspiring.
I would say this was a dream project for me – the ability to work with one of the most reputed global brands and at the same time, in my own modest way, make a small contribution to a remarkable cause.
It also further strengthened my belief that businesses can achieve commercial success and at the same time, make a meaningful contribution to society.
Q. What are the new developments taking place in the field of PR? What are the future challenges?
Greater competitiveness, entry of more international players, focus on specific industry verticals, emphasis on research and training, harnessing new technology for public relations are some of the developments which are taking place in the field.
The ability to set yourself apart from other organisations, continuous improvements in knowledge levels and service skills, managing attrition, delivering on client expectations while sensitising them to the environment under which PR practitioners operate are some of the current and future challenges.