Mr. S. Narasimhan
Senior Partner
R.K. Swamy BBDO, Chennai

"Brand Building through PR"

Mr. Nazeeb Arif
Vice President, Corp. Comms.
ITC

"Best Practices in Public Relations”

Dr. S.K. Panda
Joint Secretary, Dept. of AYUSH
Ministry of Health and author of
’Corporate Social Responsibility in
India – Past, Present and Future’

"PR role now extends to CSR too!”

Mr. R. Gopinath
CEO, Gopast Centre for Learning (P) Ltd.

"Inside and Outside is Ourside"

Mr. Jean Marie F. Richard
mipra, prcpam, Chairperson, Public Relations & Communication Professionals of Mauritius

"Mauritius – An historical overview of PR….. Changing threats into opportunities by surfing the globalisation wave: Exciting time
for PR/COM professionals…"

Mr. Avis
chiefdreamer, imagequity+®

"Six Sigma for the Soul TM: How to Shrink the Error Rate in our Thinking”

Mr. Rajiv Lulla
CEO, NDTV Metronation

"Localism: the future of mass communication and what it means to you"

Mr. Steven Hubbard,
Associate Dean (Computer Animation)
The Media School
Bournemouth University, UK

”Development of the British Digital Effects Industry"

NATIONAL PR DAY - Panel Discussion Panelists:
Ms. Mythili Chandrasekar,
Sr. V.P. & Executive Planning Director,
J.Walter Thomson

Mr. Bhagwan Singh,
Consulting Editor,
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd.

Mr. Arup Kawan,
Managing Partner,
Wellspring

Dr. Shripad Bhat,
Head - Govt. Affairs,
Ford India Pvt. Ltd.

”Leveraging PR in Today’s Business Environment

Mr. S. Narasimhan
Senior Partner
R.K. Swamy BBDO, Chennai

"Brand Building through PR"

'PR can add great credibility to advertisement campaigns’

S. Narasimhan, senior partner, RK Swamy BBDO, makes a connection between brand-building and PR. For most companies, PR is often the last item on the brand-building agenda, he says, adding that the PR function deserves time and effort. PR is sometimes considered a sort of free service. There has to be a fee for thinking, intelligence and research, he says and points out that PR can play a strategic role in brand-building and add tremendous credibility to campaigns.

IWhy is PR poorly understood by brand managers? Is there a need to bridge the gap between PR and advertising? Providing an ad man's perception of PR, S. Narasimhan, senior partner, RK Swamy BBDO, Chennai,
a trainer on brands and an avid fan of Formula 1 racing, told PRSI members that often PR was an unpredictable commodity and very few practitioners really got the formula right. “Is PR the objective of brand-building or is it the other way around?” Narasimhan asked the audience.
Providing examples of iconic and powerful brands such as Apple and Google and entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs for whom the “media waits with bated breath for the launch of an Apple product”, Narasimhan said such brands had great credibility. “When media engages with brands it makes for good PR. Good PR is a prized objective. Did the media cover the brand? Did the brand get (adequate) column space? Clients want buzz in the market place.”
Talking about perception in the media, Narasimhan provided the example of Air India. Although the carrier had in recent times got new aircraft, trained airhostesses and upgraded the quality of food, the company often received flak from the media. “It is in the media's mind,” he said. Narasimhan gave the example of Nike shoes being produced in dingy factories in Vietnam and when the story that got around showed an image of an iconic brand not being fair to people, the company was hauled over the coals.
“Good brands attract loyal customers. But PR is a double-edged sword. The larger the brand, greater the damage. In today's age of Facebook and Twitter, news spreads like wildfire. What happens in China lands on my desktop the next day. Customers are more watchful and cynical. We do not do PR as a brand-building strategy, do not take a strategic view of PR. PR must be handled with care,” cautioned Narasimhan.
Narasimhan listed out the misconceptions brand managers and stakeholders make. The first misconception, according to him, is that PR manages the media to get good coverage. “It is really moulding public opinion. We are obsessed with what the media is going to say rather than create goodwill. Is it just to get some press coverage? Yes, it is a fact. Managers do not think of the impact of coverage on the stakeholders,” he said.
The second misconception: PR is all about press releases and press conferences. “There is no PR calendar. Little effort is made to create excitement; we just give out factual stuff. Do we pre-test press releases? Media is a consumer. If you do not excite that human being… why do we spend so much money and time over an ad?” Narasimhan wondered.
The third: PR has poor strategic capabilities. This, Narasimhan said, was because the right questions were not asked of clients. Often, the media contacts an agency; the column centimetres generated is all that matters. But the message conveyed nobody bothers. “What tools do you have to measure results or ensure results are achieved? Often, a day before launch, PR planning does not get the time and effort an advertisement gets. You meet the PR agency only before a launch; it's the last item on the brand agenda,” he said.
And the fourth misconception: PR is free, so why pay for the service? Narasimhan's response: “If you want to get high-quality personnel, unless clients are willing to pay for strategic service, you can't. There has to be a fee for thinking, intelligence and research, not just execution.” He mentioned Infosys as never having advertised but one of the very few companies in India to have strategically engaged with the media over ten years, making for quite an amazing story.
How do you differentiate between brands, asked Narasimhan. “Only five out of 200 brands really make it in the market place. Brands today have more than just a commercial purpose. Brands espouse happiness, peace of mind and trust, and instill values. Brands must demonstrate they can live up to their values. We expect brands to have a purpose vision, to be rooted in values. A bad story destroys a brand's foundation. When we create brands, we give them a life, a voice. A brand stands for something. Today, brand-building is really about making connections with consumers, and the purpose is to innovate to make people happy. It's all about having a view of the world. People buy brands that provide aspiration. Brands energise.”
Use brands to communicate
a much larger message, Narasimhan exhorted the audience. “PR can play a strategic role in brand-building. We can add tremendous credibility to campaigns. The media has to convey a message that is overall consistent with brand strategy.” He went on to list some of the fundamentals:

• Be visible
• Take media seriously
• Be distinctive
• Talk about the larger purpose
• Deliver on promises
• Be transparent
• Disclose timely information
• Don't let media catch up
• Reveal the truth
• Don't manipulate media
• There has to be a basic honesty in the relationship
• Be credible
• Do not give any spin

Mr. Nazeeb Arif
Vice President, Corp. Comms.
ITC

"Best Practices in Public Relations”

'Sr ITC officer urges companies to aim for sustainable, inclusive growth’

The PR challenge, according to Nazeeb Arif, vice-president, Corporate Communications, ITC, is to embed sustainable, innovative practices that create value for the customer and shareholder, and also to create livelihoods. Arif cites poverty and income inequities, diminishing environmental resources and lack of sustainable practices as chief reasons for the malaise affecting India.

It was in 1975 that Sister Irene Mathias invited Gyan Haksar, M. Gopalakrishnan and R.K. Baratan to establish the Department of PR in Stella Maris College, Chennai. Backed by the University of Madras, the three stalwarts gave the PR department in the college a definite shape. The initiative marked a pioneering industry-college-university collaboration. Over the years, the college's PR Department has provided students a platform to share talent and skills.
The memorial lecture in honour of Haksar and Gopalakrishnan at the St Clare Centre in Stella Maris began with a prayer and the lighting of the kuthuvilakku. Welcoming the gathering, Sister Jasintha Quadras, principal of the college, said that everything that was done or said was PR. “Best practice by an individual, company or organisation is not only laudable, it is the need of the hour. Any practice that is the best has to be pursued daily and continuously for it benefits not only the individual or the organisation but also creates a lasting impact on society.”
Nazeeb Arif, vice-president, Corporate Communications, ITC, the chief guest for the evening, quipped about feeling terrified walking into a girls' college and the principal's office and meeting people who were very knowledgeable. Paying tribute to Haksar and Gopalakrishnan, Arif said it was because of their tireless efforts that there was a future for youngsters in PR today.
Dwelling on 'Best practices in PR', Arif said PR practitioners in India wielded enormous power. He stressed how important it was to get new ideas, stand for what you believed in, break rigid mindsets and inspire leadership. The challenge, he said, was to embed sustainable practices, especially since the rules of the game had changed completely.
Speaking about “new threats” that impeded development, Arif referred to 27 million losing jobs in 2009 worldwide and millions of others in dire straits. The recession was only the tip of the problem; there were much larger issues that needed addressing. For example, in the case of household assets, the bottom 50 per cent of the population owned only one per cent of the equity. The country was home to one-third of the world's poor; there were more than 400 million people who lived in poverty, 200 million of them suffered from acute hunger, he said.
“We have all become insecure. The problem is when it starts impacting you. There is social unrest across the country. We've had fellow managers lynched; poor people do desperate acts. Half the people who are young are in situations like this; there are millions on the streets. We believe business cannot succeed in societies that fail. For 300 million who are doing well, there are 300 million living on the edge,” explained Arif. He cited poverty and income inequities, diminishing environmental resources and lack of sustainable practices (leading to degradation of environment) as chief reasons for the malaise.
How can an organisation create value? Providing the ITC example, Arif spoke about creating value for the customer, and creating livelihoods and shareholder value through innovative practices that are embedded in business strategies. “Ten years ago, we almost closed down our paper business. There was no pulp; we could import but didn't. We conducted research and planted saplings on wasteland. We created huge nurseries and a green cover over one lakh hectares with 125 varieties (of flora). Because of the way we do business we provided employment - more than 46 million person days of employment. We worked towards zero-effluence in our plants in Bhadrachalam, eight years ahead of legislation. Our e-choupals are part of a case study conducted by the Harvard Business School.”
According to Arif, 60 per cent of villages in India have a population of less than 1,000 and do not fall in the top rung of villages. A large part of the farmer's income is spent on fertilisers. “To ensure that fertilisers are not used unnecessarily, we provide farmers information about prices so that they can decide when to sell. Unless they see things happening, they don't believe in growing paddy and vegetables like capsicum. Our whole effort is aimed at increasing the size of the farmer's wallet. There is no written contract with farmers to bind them down. When the farmer speaks to his community it means much more than a contract. So, why can't the poor farmer also have the choice and convenience of retail?”
Giving the example of a village in Rajasthan where women have to trek three or four kilometres to fetch water, and ITC's initiative in building check dams and bringing water bodies closer to homes, Arif said the next world war could be fought over water resources. “Our costs are actually one-fifth when we do things like this. And then there is satisfaction as well. We must be able to convince others that a lot more of this can be done.”
Arif highlighted other ITC initiatives the choupal sagar that brought many farmers together and had ATMs as well as petrol stations; women in Bihar producing agarbattis, gaining empower-ment and helping community develop-ment; construction of 'green buildings'; and consciously opting for renewable energy. He spoke of how Chirala in Andhra Pradesh seemed to be stuck in a time warp the India of the 1920s.
“There is enormous power in your choice of companies that are sustainable and that have a conscience. If civil society exercises preference, things can change and be sustainable in the future. Let us opt for growth that is sustainable, inclusive. Let's put India first.”
Also present at the function were Sister Colleen North, vice-principal, Stella Maris, and Chandrika Raman, assistant general manager-CSR, Murugappa Group.

Dr. S.K. Panda
Joint Secretary, Dept. of AYUSH
Ministry of Health and author of
’Corporate Social Responsibility in
India – Past, Present and Future’

"PR role now extends to CSR too!"

'CSR must be a long-term initiative, says AYUSH secy’

Corporate social responsibility is a must and must be dynamic so that it can change with time and prevailing social conditions, says Dr S.K. Panda, joint secretary, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health. CSR is emerging as a long-term empowerment-based imperative; it is not a short-term charity, he points out.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is yet to gain roots in India, according to Dr S.K. Panda, joint secretary, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health. Dr Panda, who is the author of the book, CSR in India Past, Present and Future, was addressing members of the Public Relations Society of India, Chennai Chapter, on Mahatma Gandhi's martyrdom day, on the topic: 'PR role now extends to CSR too'.
“Today's market does not recognise CSR… but it will come, it is an evolving process. Take the example of quality - today we go by the brand name and the reputation, unlike years ago when we purchased what was offered. In the Indian context, which is an evolving society, we will choose, as far as investment is concerned, the corporate that is socially responsible,” said Dr Panda, adding, “CSR is driven by the person at the top. A deputy manager driving CSR may not work. How the corporate takes the employees along is left to itself. There are lots of examples like the Tatas who have taken all the stakeholders with them.”
Dr Panda stressed it was for the government to care since it had the major responsibility. “But in a democratic country it is slow, because of larger issues that are beyond our control. The solution does not lie in India not being a democracy. There are constraints. The success of democracy lies in civil society. The more civil society gets active, the more democracy gets into order.” He was for companies planning business processes, making profit and then focusing on CSR.
Outlining the Indian scenario,
Dr Panda said literacy, public awareness, Panchayati Raj, and print and electronic media had together raised high expectations, leading to frustration, anger and violence. There were market limitations in ensuring growth with equity, he said, pointing out that poverty alleviation was slow while relative deprivation was widening.
The question Dr Panda asked the audience was: Who will do it? Is there a Constitutional provision? Can business afford to remain a mute spectator? “CSR is a must and must be dynamic, so that it can change with time and prevailing social conditions. It is emerging as a long-term empowerment-based imperative; it is not a short-term charity,” he said, adding that commitment and involvement on a long-term basis were vital.
According to Dr Panda, CSR has been making a difference in the lives of people in health, nutrition, education and sanitation. He referred to the examples of the Akshay Patra Foundation and initiatives by Biocon, Lifeline Foundation, Axis Bank and L&T Foundation.
Dr Panda also dwelt on the paradigm shift in modern business that laid emphasis on the 'triple bottom line' approach and called on PR practitioners to view CSR as a means towards attaining long-term empowerment of organisations. He added that the key to optimisation of CSR goals was adopting a synergy of action where government, corporates and civil society converged to “encourage and facilitate”.
Earlier, in a packed hall made up of many PR students from Stella Maris College, T.T. Ashok, managing director, Taylor Rubber, who is chairman, CSR Sub-committee, Confederation of Indian Industry (Southern Region), and member, National Council, CII, released Dr Panda's book. Ashok has been elected deputy chairman, CII (Southern Region) for 2010-11. Former PRSI, Chennai Chapter chairman V.S. Ramana, active in CII's CSR programmes, spoke about Ashok's passion and commitment to CSR, the recent initiative, e-LAWN, which had ably taken off under Ashok's leadership in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tuticorin. For Ashok, it was yet another occasion to connect with friends at PRSI, Chennai.
Dr Panda, a postgraduate in chemistry and a PhD in Economics, a topper all through his academic innings, joined the Indian Forest Service in 1976. Later, he joined the Manipur-Tripura cadre of the Indian Administrative Service.

Mr. R. Gopinath
CEO, Gopast Centre for Learning (P) Ltd.

"Inside and Outside is Ourside"

'It's an organisation with character that stands out’

Human beings are born to rule, to create something, says R. Gopinath, CEO, Gopast Centre for Learning. PR and communication are highly specialised skills that can build a company's good reputation, he adds.

WAs individuals, or people in homes and offices, to what extent are we involved (with our lives and work) and how passionate are we? When you are faced with challenges, rise above the crowd; it's the stuff inside you that matters, said R. Gopinath, CEO, Gopast Centre for Learning, providing the successful examples of M.S. Subbulakshmi and Sachin Tendulkar.
“Human beings are born to rule, not to die (unsung). Work is worship and competence is the true wealth. We are not here to witness what is happening but to create something. We are dynamic, vibrant and creative,” said Gopinath, a former chairman of the LIC of Sri Lanka who has motivated more than a thousand agents of the company with his inspirational speeches. “Leadership is not a position or a rank; it's a responsibility. A team gets built around people who are ready to sacrifice.”
PR, Gopinath stressed, was not a general topic needing no preparation, as a principal in a college where he was lecturing had made it out to be, but a highly specialised skill. Linking PR and communication to character building, Gopinath said that if character was not solid, good reputation would only be temporary, and no amount of lobbying would help. “Nothing stays invisible for long. Dirt or diamond shows itself. An organisation with character stands out. It should have a vision, mission and values,” he said, convinced that morality worked in Kaliyug (the present age), too. “Great reputation brings good people, new business growth, clients, favourable credits and kind media. The PR department cannot be successful unless all other departments are successful.”
According to Gopinath, PR activity starts at the brand level and percolates down. “A particular image has to be projected. Relationships have priority over business. Profit is a good word.
It is needed to pay people, fund research. But profiteering is bad. While behaviour is visible, intentions are not.”
Gopinath said that while bad or negative things were quickly reported, good news hardly got noticed. But proper communication would make that possible, he added. Creditors and clients usually helped companies with a good reputation, he said, providing the example of people in a tea estate voluntarily buying tea from a company godown to prevent its wastage and deterioration after the roof was swept away by the wind.
“Good people need to get aggressive. Public observation about our behaviour builds reputation. Communication is also about listening and experiencing. Has there ever been a listening competition in schools? You need to know what the public is thinking about you,” said Gopinath.
Earlier, Suganthy Sundararaj, chairperson, PRSI, Chennai Chapter, set the tone for the evening, stating that the desire to excel was exclusive, irrespective of the fact whether it was appreciated or not. “Excellence is derived from inside, not outside. It's not for someone else to notice, but for our own satisfaction and efficiency,” she said.
Echoing Suganthy's views, Gopinath said, “When we individually excel, we change people around us. The job of a PR person is to build a strong brand that people will recognise. Why are there no global brands from South India? You need to use your creative juices to create such brands. God wanted us to improve the world and create excellence. How are you going to answer God at the last performance appraisal? Make your mother proud that she brought you into this world."

Mr. Jean Marie F. Richard
mipra, prcpam, Chairperson, Public Relations & Communication Professionals of Mauritius

"“Mauritius – An historical overview of PR….. Changing threats into opportunities by surfing the globalisation wave: Exciting time
for PR/COM professionals…"

'From firefighters and spin doctors, PR has come a long way in Mauritius ’

PR has had a strong link with the history of Mauritius and its sugar industry. PR not only helped bridge the divide between landowners and government in the years preceding independence, it has also in recent years helped in promoting the country overseas. Jean Marie F. Richard, chairperson, Public Relations & Communication Professionals of Mauritius, traces the growth of PR in Mauritius. .

Although public relations in Mauritius is a relatively new activity, it is closely linked to the country's history. Providing a historical overview of PR in that country and how threats were changed into opportunities by latching on to the globalization wave, Jean Marie
F. Richard, chairperson, Public Relations & Communication Professionals of Mauritius, for whom a visit to Chennai was a homecoming of sorts (his forefathers had left Madras shores for Mauritius decades ago to work in that country as indentured labour) linked the country's history to the sugar industry and to the first PR department set up in Mauritius in the early 1960s the Municipal Council of Port Louis.
There was a clear divide then, with the private sector made up of landowners of sugar-based industries firmly against the country's independence. In the 1960s and 70s, the migration began to South Africa and Australia. On March 1, 1968, the PR Office of the Sugar Industry (PROSI) was established. This was followed by the most important PR event of those times, the opening of the sugar crop in July 1968. The first monthly PROSI magazine was published in January 1969. Eventually, based on goodwill, PR helped foster cooperation between the government and the private sector.
The setting up of the PR department and the mission to bridge the communication gap between the sugar industry and its stakeholders, followed by the role played by PR practitioners within the sugar industry in the 1970s and 80s had a positive outcome, Richard explained. It helped reduce the misunderstanding that prevailed, and a climate of trust was gradually established. Compared to the 1980s when there were 17 sugar mills in Mauritius, today there are only four. On the other hand, there are four or five companies engaged
in PR today.
The mid-1980s and the early 1990s saw the diversification of the Mauritian economy, with new emerging sectors such as service and tourism. The number of PR practitioners slowly increased. Strong links with PR practitioners worldwide were established and hands-on training was provided to those interested in pursuing PR as a career. 1992 saw the creation of the PR Association of Mauritius (PRAM) with Jacques Dinan being the first president. Dinan is today a doyen in the field.
PRAM began conducting workshops and conferences to promote the profession. Strong links were established with PRSI and the PR Institute of South Africa (PRISA) to foster international relations. Today, various fields such as marketing communications, public affairs and corporate social responsibility are closely linked with PR. In November 2008, the PR and Communication Professionals Association Mauritius (www.prcpam.org) was launched. On November 26, 2009, PRCPAM formed a global alliance with PRSI and PRISA.
Richard mentioned Victor B. Sibeko, president, PRISA, referring to the alliance as “a new association for changing times… forming a part of the decision-making and strategic planning process.” Sibeko had added: “CSR is an emerging sector where we have to educate corporates in-house as well as clients to adopt a more global inclusive approach.”
According to Richard, the objectives today were to bring together the smartest minds in the PR and communications field in Mauritius, to contribute to national drives, promote training, and take students on board to expose them to “real-world ethics” and best practices. In April 2009, communi-cation was used as a tool to promote Mauritius as a destination, showcasing the institutions involved. A partner-ship was forged with the faculty of humanities of the Charles Telfair Institute and the University of Mauritius, with students teaming up with local PR and Communication practitioners.
Richard also quoted Cassam Uteem, a former president of the Republic as saying that PR and communication professionals “can help turn the situation around and contribute to making the country a model of a shared society.”
It was either “adopt or perish”, Richard said, with Mauritius no longer only an island. The country had diversified into manufacturing, with the financial services and business process outsourcing (BPOs) constituting the second wave, and property development, eco-tourism and medical tourism the third.

Mr. Avis
chiefdreamer, imagequity+®

"Six Sigma for the Soul TM: How to Shrink the Error Rate in our Thinking”

'How 'self' and 'living' can bring a difference to our lives’

Put 'self' before work and career, and see the difference
it can make towards living a more productive and wholesome life, urges Avis, chief dreamer, Image Equity, a reputation management firm. To deserve, you must also serve, and then life takes on a whole new meaning, he says.

Work - career - family - health -self. That is usually the order of priority for a human being. Reverse that order and bring 'self' first and relegate 'work' to the end, stressed Avis, who styles himself as chief dreamer of Image Equity, a reputation management firm he runs.
“Flip your priorities. Start looking at life first. Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get. When you start looking at your life first, you will become more productive, successful and prosperous. To deserve, you must also serve, and then life takes on a whole new meaning,” he said, pointing out the difference between 'living' and 'earning a living'.
Avis did not make it to B-School. He barely scraped through college to save his parents embarrassment, according to him. But it was a packed hall that listened to the motivational speaker who not only spoke about how the Japanese principles of Six Sigma (a quality programme that ensures that when a product is manufactured or a service is delivered, the error rate is 3.7 per million or less) could be used to “shrink the error value in our thinking” but also revealed how he spent 80% of his time and energy living life to the full, reserving only 20% for earning a living. “That is enough to take care of 100% of my life's needs,” he assured the audience.
“Have integrity of purpose, all else will follow,” said Avis, who had spent ten years as a journalist writing for established newspapers and two years in the corporate sector before establishing in August 1996 Image Equity. Dwelling on his and wife Vaani's experiences, Avis said that human beings really amounted to nothing in the larger cosmic design. “I am a nobody. I observe and learn from life,” he said. As salesman, journalist, “corporate animal” and consultant, Avis said he was someone who learnt all the time and believed that sharing learning was the “blissful state to be in”.
Recalling how he had ambitions of becoming the most visible entrepreneur and the richest, and about a “nice business plan” he had prepared, Avis said that his business was not moving the way he had wanted it to; he was obviously a man in a hurry. It was in March 2004 that Avis got introduced to his “teacher” not a person, but the grim reality of life. “I had a tobacco habit, was a daily drinker. That day was my daughter's birthday and I was in front of the doctor (for diabetes). I threw away the packet of gutka concealed in the car (after a grim prognosis) in the garbage bin. That night I woke up in my air-conditioned room to a meeting with my teacher (life).”
At that point, Avis's firm had employed 40. He was travelling all over the world and was ambitious. However, the question that popped up after that day at the doctor's was: “What is life?” “Life is different things at different times. It is a hard teacher the test comes first, the lesson later. That reality started staring at me more and more. What is it that keeps the poor woman on the other side of the car with no money to buy milk for her baby? It is a choice-less entry we make, and a choice-less exit. We didn't choose our parents. We all come with our expiry date. The only thing is we don't have a barcode reader, and the only choice is to live intelligently and walk the tightrope. We live as if there were no tomorrow. We live in an instant gratification world.”
Avis's predicament led him to research human psychology and find solutions. Even as he was trying to control his life, his anger, anxiety and jealousy, he learnt that human life was usually dominated by fear, anxiety, desire for financial success and material possession. He realized that a lot of people had the opportunity to correct this. The questions that once again popped up were: How do you stay anchored? How do you get a more productive outcome of your thinking process?
“The master plan has no flaw. It has different designs for the exotic game called life. Life is the biggest adventure. We live in surprise and amazement all the time. When it meets our expectation, we love life; when it doesn't, we term life 'unfair'. The master plan's purpose is to allow us to evolve and learn. The way to anchor our thoughts is to go back to the purpose of our creation, to live life intelligently (stay calm amid chaos)
or monotonously (amass and possess). You need to be silent, not the environment. If you can stay calm you have conquered the mind. You need to peel away the sounds around you like you would an onion. Remain silent an hour a day, for 21 days. If you practise your silence you will find new doors opening.”
Avis also mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi's principles of ahimsa (absence of violent thought as he called it) and satyagraha (practice of truth in action) had deeply influenced him, as had a poor boy who returned the loose change Avis had thrust into his hands through the car window.

Mr. Rajiv Lulla
CEO, NDTV Metronation

"Localism: the future of mass communication and what it means to you"

'Reaching out to masses, a key function of public relations’

It is communication that plays an important role in disseminating information to all stakeholders and making a difference in people's lives, says Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group, addressing members of the PRSI Chennai Chapter at its 2009-10 inaugural. Rajiv Lulla, CEO, NDTV Metronation, points out that in India although social networks go back centuries, actual penetration (Internet) today is less than 3%. He adds that the challenge is to put together tools that can activate large masses of people.

Rajiv Lulla, CEO, NDTV Metronation, and Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group, inaugurated Chennai Chapter's activities for 2009-10. Addressing members, Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group, who has been spearheading activities at the group and at whose initiative Apollo's 'tender loving care' concept was launched, complimented Suganthy Sundararaj, manager-PR, Apollo Hospitals, for taking over as the PRSI chairperson and assured continued support.
Stating that public relations sometimes did not give the right connotation and that it was not considered in a complimentary sense, Reddy referred to Barack Obama's campaign for the presidential election and said that it was the skill of communication that put him in the White House. That he was young, refreshing and different also contributed to his victory. “Every time we communicate right, we touch people's lives; it's a huge responsibility,” she said.
Dwelling on the 'localisation' factor, what he called the “future of mass communication”, Lulla, a chemical engineer from Aligarh Muslim University who later studied abroad, explained that localism amounted to more than the overwhelming phenomenon of social networking. “Our social networks are much stronger than anywhere else. It can tap into the massive universe of our city's population,” he said. Pointing out that Internet penetration in India was less than 3%, he was for putting together tools that could activate large masses of people at the bottom of the pyramid.
Lulla said that the need for localisation emerged from the fact that 70% of stories in the media related to national issues, stories out of Delhi and Mumbai, and that there was “a city-centric rise of interests” the H1N1 flu virus, safety, traffic, road conditions, local celebrities, music, dance and arts, sports, food, jobs and social events. According to him, a local television channel such as NDTV Hindu would help better interaction with viewers and get to know what they really wanted; it would engage and empower local advertisers; provide more shelf space for video content; and help the channel engage in better customer relationship management. Referring to how an Obama visit to a small town in the United States was covered by numerous local networks there, he said the same could be done in India, too.
Lulla said that national advertising needed better geographical targeting. There are several local and small businesses that are looking for an alternative medium to place advertisements - a local medium that offers better customer service, understands their business and can generate local leads and responses. He provided the example of Idea using Abhishek Bachchan as their brand ambassador, and Shreya in south India.
Listing many social issues that needed to be addressed, Lulla broadly classified them under three heads: safety, health and education. “What difference can we make? How safe are our airports, trains, streets and public places? A city's health issues are as unique as are its food, water and environment. How can our education system lay stronger foundations in our youth?” he asked. And added: “The are 150 different subjects that people can talk about. We must empower citizens to encourage participation. Involve government authorities and businesses to move toward solutions. More challenges mean more opportunities. We must create cross-media opportunities for print, radio, television and outdoors. We must engage viewers and advertisers and tap into their passions and interests.”

Mr. Steven Hubbard,
Associate Dean (Computer Animation)
The Media School
Bournemouth University, UK

”Development of the British Digital Effects Industry"

'The magic of digital visual effects: View of a British university dean’

Steven Hubbard, associate dean (computer animation), the Media School, Bournemouth University, U.K., traces the development of the digital visual effects industry.

With PR today being much more than sending page after page of press releases or relying on the print media alone, PR practitioners are having to keep pace with developments in the media field happening at a furious pace. Bringing a sample of such developments in the British digital effects industry was Steven Hubbard, associate dean (computer animation), the Media School, Bournemouth University, U.K. The university, home of the National Centre for Computer Animation, caters to 17,000 students, including about 80 from India.
Pointing out that what India was going through today was what Britain's digital effects industry experienced 25 years ago, Hubbard went on to explain what digital effects or digital visual effects was all about - shots in a film that cannot be achieved in front of the camera but created post-production.
Tracing the growth of the visual effects industry, Hubbard said that the traditional visual effect was a film-based process undertaken with optical and photochemical techniques. In what he called the “golden age” of visual effects, were movies like Star Wars (1977) and Jurassic Park (1992) produced. In 1992, computer animation was used to portray seven minutes of a full-motion dinosaur. And within two years, the entire U.S. visual effects industry went digital.
Gradually, London gained repute as the creative centre for commercials production. Quantel innovated by using computer technology for video and created Paintbox, which allowed a single frame to be loaded from video into computer memory, manipulated and stored back to videotape.
Meanwhile, the 3-D computer animation industry developed on two fronts - educational institutions spinning off small specialist boutiques as digital pictures and post-production companies bringing in highly specialised 3-D hardware (the Computer Film Company and Peerless Camera Company were exceptions).
The turning point was when Kodak found Cinesite to promote a digital film. Cinesite rapidly became the first contemporary large-scale digital effects studio in Britain. The Moving Picture Company, the largest commercials video post-production house, established its film effects subsidiary, Digital Film, drawing people from Cinesite and other companies and began drawing a profile, especially on James Bond films. Framestore, Megalomedia and the Computer Film Company merged to form Framestore. And Polygram created a science fiction film called Pitch Black, leading on to the Harry Potter series.

NATIONAL PR DAY - Panel Discussion Panelists:
Ms. Mythili Chandrasekar,
Sr. V.P. & Executive Planning Director,
J.Walter Thomson

Mr. Bhagwan Singh,
Consulting Editor,
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd.

Mr. Arup Kawan,
Managing Partner,
Wellspring

Dr. Shripad Bhat,
Head - Govt. Affairs,
Ford India Pvt. Ltd.

”Leveraging PR in Today’s Business Environment

'PR has a long way to go to prove its worth, say experts'

Mythili Chandrasekar, senior vice president and executive planning director, JWT, is convinced that a good PR idea can make for good branding. PR should be treated as a distinct management function, she says; Bhagwan Singh, consulting editor, Deccan Chronicle, stresses that the onus is on PR practitioners to provide a proper image to the outside world; Arup Kavan, Well Spring, says PR programmes should align with company branding objectives, but for PR to find a place at the boardroom table it will take some doing; Dr Shripad Bhat is for having an open relationship with media and government.

To celebrate National PR Day, April 21, the PRSI, Chennai Chapter, invited four guests to elicit views about public relations. Present were Mythili Chandrasekar, senior vice president and executive planning director, JWT; Bhagwan Singh, consulting editor, Deccan Chronicle; Arup Kavan, Well Spring; and Dr Shripad Bhat, head, Govt. Affairs Division, Ford India. R.K. Dharan, national vice president (south), PRSI, explained the significance of National PR Day and G. Krishnan, vice chairman, read out the 'Code of Ethics'.
Letting the tone for the discussion, R.K. Baratan, founder-member of the PRSI, Chennai Chapter, mentioned the aspect of corporate social responsibility and gave examples of the Melinda Gates Foundation and Sudha Murthy donating wealth toward the cause of basic healthcare and education. At the other end of the spectrum, he provided examples of the Nano plant moving out of Singur and the Satyam fiasco. In all the cases, there was the element of PR going either right or wrong.
Taking off from where Baratan stopped, Mythili Chandrasekar provided a broad sweep of building image and reputation (included the product, CEO, company and social responsibility) and how branding and PR worked (included philosophy of the organisation, services offered, employee participation, stock market and the Internet brand). Infosys, for instance, she said, never really ran a PR campaign but created an image through the actions of its top management and creation of wealth for employees. “Most consumer models are built around CEOs,” she pointed out, giving the example of Kingfisher's tag line 'Living the good times'.
The Femina Miss India contest had gone on to become a property brand by itself. “We work in a world of ideas. A good PR idea can make for good branding. PR should be treated as a distinct management function,” said Chandrasekar, citing the examples of Ashok Leyland, Dominos Pizza, Lifebuoy, ITC and Cadbury, brands that have stood the test of time.
Against the backdrop of a tough economic environment, lay-offs and salary cuts, Bhagwan Singh stressed that the onus was on PR practitioners to provide a proper image to the outside world. PR, he said, had become more important because advertisement budgets had been pruned after the economic downturn.
“Don't run away from journalists, talk to them. Newspapers are responsible and understanding and are not interested in selling a few more copies. And don't underestimate small papers. There's nothing like a small or big newspaper. Even a small ant in a soft drink bottle can cause a lot of damage,” Singh said.
Arup Kavan emphasised that the opportunities for PR were enormous and that PR practitioners hadn't done enough to grasp them. Stating that clients usually approached PR agencies for the media aspect first, he said that agencies did not engage with media as they should. “It's only when PR moves from 'thinking about it' to 'doing something about it' that PR will be better equipped to deal with today's environment,” he said, adding, “PR is not equal to media relations, but it is still what largely passes for PR.”
Kavan said that reinvention was necessary and it mattered because there would always be the satisfaction of developing and implementing PR solutions that worked. There were also the aspects of earning respect, driving growth and utilising opportunities. “Grappling with changing media dynamics is a challenge. How do you deal with aggressive advertising, editorial-combo offers? What about media-led on-the-ground events that spawn editorials in various forms? How do you deal with the phenomenon of large media houses investing in brands and offering them committed, favourable editorial?” he asked the audience.
Dwelling on the aspect of earning respect, Kavan gave the example of a PR outfit that promised coverage and delivered by charging the client Rs 2,000 per story and paying the media contact Rs 800- Rs 1,000. “A business built on a pay-off platform does nothing for our reputation as an industry. It's time we broke the stereotype and built ourselves a reputation we'd like for ourselves. It will be dreadful if we don't make the time to set the basics right,” he said.
Kavan said that PR programmes should align with company branding objectives. “The more we align with business objectives, the less PR programmes disintegrate into a set of mood-of-the-moment tactics. A good PR programme engages with multiple target audiences and stays on for years from hostile and skeptical audiences to an engaged customer. Each demands different commitment. Intent has to be backed by considerable time, effort and dedication,” he said, adding that key messages should relate to: what we say and how, what do we want to communicate, what is core to the brand, what is relevant, and how does it fit into a larger communication plan. “Understanding behavioural psychology and more about the product is key. Are we generating enough ideas? There must be a commitment to research that impartially tracks programme efficiency. We should know what component of our programme works and what doesn't so that future energies are not wasted in the wrong direction.”
Not refraining from calling a spade a spade, Kavan said: “Earning our place at the boardroom table will take some doing. Lobbying for it isn't enough. Our marketing and advertising counterparts are already there. They don't think very high of what we bring to the table. We don't do much to give them cause to think otherwise. We will be better equipped to leverage PR when each of us live each day with eyes wide open and take the trouble to learn about other communication disciplines (such as marketing and advertising). A true reflection of whether we are leveraging right is when we are able to attract and retain talent. We can only leverage PR when we develop a learning culture. PR is not about smooth talking our way out of difficult situations but schmoozing our way into the hearts and minds of the target audience.”
Shripad Bhat was for having an open relationship with media and government. PR was not a “sidey activity”, he said. There were roles and responsibilities, but PR was the first casualty always, he added.