In today’s volatile world of business, corporate reputation is delicately balanced between growth and responsibility, profits and sustainability, aggressive targets and sound governance. How then can it be built, nurtured, sustained, protected? How can better understanding of the stakeholders and influencers improve the actions that corporations need to take? How can practicing the science of public relations influence stakeholder perception? How does the explosion of social media and mobile communication change the way people make decisions?
Reputare is my attempt to explore and prompt a dialogue on this subject within the growing community of professionals in this arena. I invite you to participate in the conversation and share experience to make the discussion richer and deeper.
January 20th, 2012Public Relations needs Empirical Public Relations
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January 13, 2012 - Campaign India
Perhaps, one city that represents the rapid transformation of our economy is Gurgaon, a sleepy hamlet to a bustling metropolis within a span of a couple of decades. Called the “millennium city” but plagued with 20th century infrastructure issues. Sounds familiar? In a similar vein, the need for Public Relations has transformed over the last couple of decades; from a proxy for a “free advert” to possibly playing a central role in building corporate credibility. However, the profession itself is plagued with an image problem, often quoted as the “Dark Side” and practioners referred to as “Spin Doctors” and their role often limited to generating positive publicity!
Public Relations today needs Empirical Public Relations more than anything else if it has to Click to Read More
August 29th, 2011Going Green Pays 2011 Green Brands Survey
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How Green Brands can connect with consumers
Insights from the PSB 2011 Green Brands Global Survey
A green future with greener surroundings and a green bank balance is on most people’s list irrespective of which side of the globe they are on. But is green a healthy colour only till it reaches your shopping cart or it becomes a decisive point when making purchases? As countries globally step on the pedal for greener policies and organisations increasingly adopt the ‘organic’ growth path, is a consumer’s desire for going green translating into action when they make key decisions during crowded, crazy shopping hours? And if so, what is driving the consumer’s choice for green brands in India? Or, for that matter, breaking it…….
Here’s the good news, capturing the perspective of over 9,000 consumers across 8 countries, the 2011 ImagePower® Green Brands Survey reveals that an increasing number of consumers have a desire for going green and are willing to pay relatively more to buy a green product. Click to Read More
August 8th, 2011The Need to Plan for a Crisis
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IS YOUR COMPANY A BOY SCOUT, A TIGHT ROPE WALKER OR AN OSTRICH?
Today, it seems that the world of business is being struck by a crisis a day. Whether it be Hackgate which ultimately led to The News of the World having to be shut down or even closer home the Singur crisis which hit TATA or the 2G scam which is taking down telecom companies as I write this, it has become imperative for companies to be prepared for crisis. PSB has for long realised the need for effective crisis preparedness by companies and has helped businesses and corporates be ready with an excellent plan in the event of a crisis. What we have noticed though, is that it is the company’s response to identifying and admitting that it is facing a crisis and its initial reactions which form the cornerstone for any crisis management plan to be effective.
To understand the prevalent views of companies in regard to crises, PSB in partnership with Burson-Marsteller conducted 826 online and face-to-face interviews Click to Read More
May 16th, 2011Brand India is here. But are Indian Brands?
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Brand India is here. But are Indian Brands?
In these very columns I had written about the transition of Brand India. I had delved into the world’s acknowledgment of India’s tour de force and its need to combine hard and soft power to make a mark on the world stage. As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, India has certainly made the world sit up and take notice. The world has taken note of India Inc’s global expansion. But does the world know who the makers of Brand India are? More importantly, do India Inc’s power players enjoy brand power on the global stage?
This was the very reason we at Penn Schoen Berland, www.psbresearch.in conducted the global survey of Bizfluentials™ to find out the recall and recognition of the growing tribe on ‘Indian Multinationals’. We shortlisted 61 companies with a turnover of at least INR 1000 crores and had international listing or international operations. Titled Click to Read More
April 3rd, 2011‘New Normal’ needs ‘New Public Relations’
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As communications professionals are acutely aware, great shifts in economic, social, political and technological behavior are afoot, altering the fundamental project of Public Relations. India is at the locus of many of these changes. As one of the most dynamic economies, with one of the fastest-growing middle classes, with the world’s largest democracy, it is possible that these shifts, and their impact on the way companies communicate with consumers, are felt more profoundly here than in any other market.
The Indian communications industry requires nuanced understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities it faces. This study was conceived to facilitate such understanding; as such, we interviewed a wide variety of senior practitioners on the both the agency and client sides, including CMOs and practice managers, to incorporate their diverse perspectives on the fluid situation. We found remarkable consensus on many key issues, but one conclusion was paramount: the industry must adopt Empirical Public Relations: communications strategies rooted in the Click to Read More
