'Today PR Is About Public Relationships'

With over two decades of experience as a public relations executive, Bob Pickard, President & CEO Burson Marsteller APAC, talks about the need for timely communication as a key for effective PR. He also explores the role of digital media in conversation with BW's Suneera Tandon.

Does the role of a PR agency only get restricted to being a messenger between the media and the client?
Of late, more than just value for money, clients want value for service. They are looking at impact, measurability as well as digital penetration. Clients are looking at impact vis-vis a PR campaign. What returns does well co-ordinated product launch provide to a client? Clients will finance a PR campaign that has higher returns and value for money. Today it’s not about public relations, but public relationships.

How has the role of a publicist evolved over the years?
A publicist is no more restricted to just media interaction, but should help co-create a brand experience. From engaging the right kind of people to providing information in a tailored way, the role is one of nurturing a brand. So it’s no more just a connecting media to clients but that of consulting the client to take the right approach.

Of late, too many instances of crisis-management-gone-wrong have hampered public image of a company. How best can a crisis situation be managed?
Pre-preparation for any sort of inevitable crisis, works best for any company. This comes in handy when a crisis moment occurs and does not overwhelm people. However, the best way to handle crisis is being timely and efficient. The more time one leaves in making things public, the more the void allows for communication to be filled by inauthentic news and once that takes over, it leads to damage of brand image. A public apology in a situation involving loss of life and to those concerned is essential part of any communication process.

How does a PR agency view the worthiness of information channelised through a digital medium?
Media (digital\internet) is too over-informed nowadays. It is amplified by voices of bloggers, videographers, who think they should get the story first and the accuracy will be checked later. Therefore it’s important for a PR agency to develop content that is relevant for the web. As the media environment becomes more competitive, over-emphasis on trivia, speculation leads to lack of credibility. Thus to reach out to mediums like tele-communication, web etc should be given priority. From tweets to social networking sites, companies are becoming more engaged with customers on these mediums which is a good thing.

suneera(dot)tandon(at)abp(dot)in