Content is not King, Context is: Experts at IPRCCA 2017
At the recently held India Public Relations & Corporate Communications Awards 2017 (IPRCCA), communication experts deliberated on various aspects of the industry and searched for best practices that could define good public relations in current times
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Disruption in the corporate communications and public relations is a reality that has taken place in the last few years. With the coming of social media and use of new technology, these domains are grappling with some new challenges to stay relevant.
At the recently held India Public Relations & Corporate Communications Awards 2017 (IPRCCA), communication experts deliberated on various aspects of the industry and searched for best practices that could define good public relations in current times. The session was moderated by Suresh Vaidyanathan, Director of Communications, MobiKwik
Speaking about PR challenges in the times of digital & social media disruption Atul Takle, Senior VP Adfacators PR said, “Since we are talking about disruption that digital and social has brought about, I think it is important to look at some of the key challenges that we face today. The big question is -- is the top management in sync with the change that is happening out there. Also the digital and social environment means there is loss of control and you are no longer the master of your message. Also the speed of response has to be real time and it is important to understand the environment in which you are operating in order to stay relevant.”
Though the communications industry might be grappling with disruption in communication space, and coming to terms with new opportunities, at the same time this disruption has also created level playing field for corporate communication professional and journalists.
Stating that disruption was not a new phenomenon, Deepa Dey, India - Head Communications & CSR, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare stated, “I think disruption is not new. In my 23 years in the profession, I have seen disruption at every phase, what is different is people gathering to discuss it. What is new is the fact that the control which you thought you had has moved completely outside and the challenge is how you get it back. I think what is important for communicators is to define the purpose of the communication and understanding the business that one is supporting. Most importantly, one should be able to spot trends to add real value to the clients’ demands. I would say content is not king, context is, be careful of the context in which you are disbursing your content.”
“Importance of storytelling has become a key factor in today’s times because of the disruption. Earlier there was just one layer between the brand and the consumer and now there are multiple layers. I believe that in this disrupted world it is important to learn every single day to stay relevant”, added Kunal Kishore Sinha, Founder and Director ,Value 360 Communications.
According to Jayaram Ramanathan, Vice President Corporate Communications, Aviva Life Insurance, there is a perceptible shift in the functioning of the communication process which has primarily taken place due to technological developments. Commenting on practices for effective communication in such times, he said, “I believe the speed of communication is critical in today’s world. Moreover, the shift in communication is that earlier we used to say walk the talk while in today’s times it has almost become like talk the walk. Also I would add that in such a time the message needs to be in sync to be consumed effectively. Also, the ability to analyse the situation is critical and the one-size-fits-all approach is not relevant anymore.”
At the recently held India Public Relations & Corporate Communications Awards 2017 (IPRCCA), communication experts deliberated on various aspects of the industry and searched for best practices that could define good public relations in current times. The session was moderated by Suresh Vaidyanathan, Director of Communications, MobiKwik
Speaking about PR challenges in the times of digital & social media disruption Atul Takle, Senior VP Adfacators PR said, “Since we are talking about disruption that digital and social has brought about, I think it is important to look at some of the key challenges that we face today. The big question is -- is the top management in sync with the change that is happening out there. Also the digital and social environment means there is loss of control and you are no longer the master of your message. Also the speed of response has to be real time and it is important to understand the environment in which you are operating in order to stay relevant.”
Though the communications industry might be grappling with disruption in communication space, and coming to terms with new opportunities, at the same time this disruption has also created level playing field for corporate communication professional and journalists.
Stating that disruption was not a new phenomenon, Deepa Dey, India - Head Communications & CSR, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare stated, “I think disruption is not new. In my 23 years in the profession, I have seen disruption at every phase, what is different is people gathering to discuss it. What is new is the fact that the control which you thought you had has moved completely outside and the challenge is how you get it back. I think what is important for communicators is to define the purpose of the communication and understanding the business that one is supporting. Most importantly, one should be able to spot trends to add real value to the clients’ demands. I would say content is not king, context is, be careful of the context in which you are disbursing your content.”
“Importance of storytelling has become a key factor in today’s times because of the disruption. Earlier there was just one layer between the brand and the consumer and now there are multiple layers. I believe that in this disrupted world it is important to learn every single day to stay relevant”, added Kunal Kishore Sinha, Founder and Director ,Value 360 Communications.
According to Jayaram Ramanathan, Vice President Corporate Communications, Aviva Life Insurance, there is a perceptible shift in the functioning of the communication process which has primarily taken place due to technological developments. Commenting on practices for effective communication in such times, he said, “I believe the speed of communication is critical in today’s world. Moreover, the shift in communication is that earlier we used to say walk the talk while in today’s times it has almost become like talk the walk. Also I would add that in such a time the message needs to be in sync to be consumed effectively. Also, the ability to analyse the situation is critical and the one-size-fits-all approach is not relevant anymore.”
