By Atul Ahluwalia
Vice Chairman, Weber Shandwick India
In my two decades in public relations, the industry has grown from a niche, little understood discipline to being an integral part of any organization. Every organization today benefits from putting a robust and dynamic communications strategy at its core.
I believe in the power of curiosity and because of it, I have learnt something new every day. My first day at the office is a case in point. With a skillset grounded in advertising and design rather than PR, I was eager but ill-prepared. Therefore when my new colleagues and I arrived at a prospective client’s office clutching copies of agency profile, acetate slides, along with a hired overhead projector, I was simply there to add to the numbers.
Following a gruelling two hour pitch, the prospective client turned to us and asked, smiling, “So, what do you recommend? Your presentation was a well constructed menu card; we’re looking for some smart answers.” Not surprisingly, we lost the pitch. But I had learnt Lesson No. 1 of my new career: Have a point of view and validate it.
We had our fair share of wins following that presentation, a reminder that when you learn something, act on it. But we were far from perfect.
Sometime later, we had to pitch to a big client and, naturally, spent a lot of time and energy researching the organization’s business and communication challenges. Based on this, we prepared what we thought was an impressive strategy. But something did not feel right. Some preliminary discussions with the prospect had flagged an interest in tactics over strategy. So we downplayed the strategy and guess what? We lost the pitch as the client felt that we were not strategic enough! Lesson No 2: Tell the client what they need to do, not what you think they might want to hear.
We work in an industry where time is a luxury and 48 hours notice before pitch day is not uncommon. Such occasions demand long hours and generate some particularly anxious moments. But creativity has a habit of flourishing when under pressure and whilst I don’t encourage it on account of the inherent dangers, it can sometimes be the very catalyst everyone’s been looking for. Which makes Lesson No. 3: Intense pressure fuels the imagination. Too much pressure destroys it. Always find the balance.
While we mostly work with big clients and in metros, we recently had opportunity to drive a far-reaching public service campaign and it turned out to be one of the most challenging and rewarding assignments of my career. The campaign, to encourage condom use in India’s hinterland - ‘Condom Bindass Bol’ - was an exercise in social immersion. The team spent months in eight States of India going door-to-door to converse and engage chemists, media and prominent personalities, encouraging them to take part in the campaign. the results proved to be exceptional, reversing the decline in condom use. ‘Condom Bindass Bol’ went on to win the UN Grand Award for Excellence in Public Relations.
It was a humbling experience and reminds me of Lesson No. 4: Be brave, be bold and act with conviction. Determination allows people to do the most extraordinary things in the face of adversity.
I have come to realize that this is an industry where you keep learning every day, regardless of how long you’ve been around. Opportunity is around every corner and you need to be prepared.
Feedback: atul@corvoshandwick.co.in
