Reputare

Public Relations needs Empirical Public Relations

Ashwani Singla — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:50:23 +0000

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 remain relevant to corporate reputation.

As practioners are aware, paradigm shifts in economic, social, political and technological behavior are afoot, altering the fundamentals of Public Relations. India is at the locus of many of these changes. As one of the most dynamic economies, these shifts and their impact is felt more profoundly here than in any other market. The Indian public relations industry requires nuanced understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities it faces.

We at PSB undertook a study to facilitate such understanding; we interviewed a wide variety of senior practitioners on the both the agency and client side, including CMOs, CEOs and agency heads to incorporate their perspectives on this very dynamic situation, what I call the “New Normal”. We found remarkable consensus on key issues, but one conclusion was paramount: the industry must adopt Empirical Public Relations: public relations rooted in the science of public opinion.

What’s that? Empirical Public Relations demonstrates how campaigns move the needle by applying research-based actionable insights at each phase, working from baseline stakeholder perception, through communications developed and tested to maximise effectiveness, to monitoring and evaluating its impact on business.

Practitioners agree that applied insights result in impact than traditional, reflexive approaches and clearly that is the way to go as 89% of clients say they are more comfortable with research-based recommendations. Why? Because they are operating in a hypercompetitive marketplace, their issues are no longer local but global, the digital mediums have changed their operating landscape and they need to show a demonstrable impact on business, not just RoI on spent. This is their New Normal.

Therefore, it was not surprising that over 70% of the professionals agreed that in the last few years they have shifted/intend to shift from measuring press coverage to business impact of their programmes.

However, a crucial gap currently prevents the industry from applying science to its practice: agencies are waiting for clients to ask for it while clients are waiting for agencies to propose it. So will this impasse continue? Perhaps not, as clients say they are ready to pay the premium for insights-based campaigns. It’s really now for the service providers to demonstrate that they have both the ability and the willingness to building science-based public relations programme.

Much as Empirical Public Relations will change the way campaigns are priced and paid for, addressing the human capital challenge will require a revised model of compensation, reward and recognition to attract and retain first-class talent.

Simultaneously, communications firms will have to make strategic investments in technology, both to communicate most effectively in an ever-accelerating, ever more-global digital world, as well as to improve business efficiencies.

As Public Relations leads with demonstrative business impact, the industry will increasingly earn a place at the table with the C-Suite, a perspective which will lead to more impactful campaigns. This positive feedback loop will benefit the industry, service providers and business partners.

The Public Relations Industry needs Empirical Public Relations .

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Going Green Pays 2011 Green Brands Survey

Ashwani Singla — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:34:39 +0000

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.

However, with transparency and choice being the key decision maker for consumers there is a lot more expected from the policy makers and organisations in pushing green products ahead in the supply chain. Here are some of the top lessons from the annual ImagePower® Green Brands Study:

Going green: Indian Consumers want more

Indian consumers do care. The annual ImagePower® Green Brands Study shows a heartening trend among consumers in India, China and Brazil towards choosing green products. The green brands survey, which is amongst the largest consumer surveys on their perceptions of green brands and corporate environmental responsibility shows that 64% of Indian consumers plan to spend more on green products in the next year. More importantly, nearly 48 % of Indian consumers and 55% of Chinese consumers said they were willing to spend over 10% more on a product simply because it is green. The survey showed that 28% of Indian consumers in the survey expressed the intent to purchase green automobiles in the next year, as against the 16% that purchased green automobiles in the previous year.

Green Brands India: What consumers are looking for and what brands must do to tap into `green’ consumers

Packaging right

While consumers show a clear inclination towards green products, the challenge for companies is not just in creating greener products but following a marketing strategy that showcases their green side. The green brands survey shows that packaging and publicity both figure high on the consumer mind as important parameters for choosing green products.
Absence of proper labelling was seen as one of the critical reasons for people not choosing green products. Nearly 56 % of consumers in China and 33 % in India felt the green labelling or product information was confusing, which impacted their decision. Along with going green with their products, companies need to improve packaging and labelling by including information such as ingredients & origin, food testing and safety as well as environmental impact. Expanding the distribution to increase the accessibility of green products in shopping venues is another important step.

Cost Considerations

Price is yet another important consideration for consumers wanting to buy green products. Their lower accessibility and higher prices make consumers see green as a luxury purchase rather than a sensible and sustainable one. This is further accentuated by the inability of consumers to gauge the actual value of the product due to the absence of proper labelling that inform them about its green qualities and benefits.

Advertise your green power

The 2011 ImagePower® Green Brands Survey shows that as far as Indian consumers go, nearly 57% would be influenced by TV advertisements to buy green. The green survey shows that consumers in emerging countries are more trusting of advertising compared to their counterparts in developed countries. Clearly, companies must leverage this opportunity to establish their green credentials through awareness and education.

Regulate green responsibility

Showing a similarity to the global trend, the green survey had 95% of Indian consumers wanting the government to support green innovation and regulation. With regard to household goods, consumers want the government to mandate producer responsibility and greater label clarity. Currently, India does not have a consistent standard on packaging and labelling, which leaves consumers in the dark and unable to make informed decisions. The Indian consumers made a clear indication that they wanted the government to play the role of regulator and ensure the private sector provides consumers with clear and consistent information on their products.

The 2011 ImagePower® Green Brands Survey tells us that greenness remains a major issue for consumers around the world, and that they expect green practices from the companies they do business with. It is time then, that Indian companies got their green credentials right.

The consumer is watching. Think about it.

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The Need to Plan for a Crisis

Ashwani Singla — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:20:11 +0000

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 globally amongst business decision makers in May and June 2011. The people spoken with were key business decision makers in their company – some were self-employed and others worked for companies, but all had significant decision making powers in their business. Overall, half the respondents were from large enterprise businesses and half were from SME businesses.

The aim of this study was to understand how crisis is experienced, explore the extent and need for crisis preparedness and plans, examine how companies approach crisis management planning and to assess the level of crisis preparation undertaken by these companies keeping in mind the growing impact of social and digital media. After all, in today’s world, thanks to the spread of the internet the smallest crisis is made visible to a widespread audience at the click of a mouse.

The findings of this study underlined what some companies understand about crisis, but most are unaware of. Across regions, from EU to Asia Pacific to Latin America and the US, 59% of business leaders said they had experienced a crisis in their current or previous company with 37% driving home our view that the level of crisis affecting companies has only increased in recent times. They said that their company had faced a crisis in the previous year itself. 79% of the respondents felt that they were only 12 months away from a potential crisis, while more than half agreed that it would be through new media.

There were certain trends noticed through the study.

APAC business leaders seemed more likely to have experienced a crisis, while Latin American companies were the least likely. The APAC business leaders seemed more concerned about product safety triggering off a crisis, while Latin America was worried about technical accidents. It was also interesting to note that technology companies felt more at risk than other sectors. Controversial company developments were the most common crisis encountered till date – such as company developments like layoffs, with logistical difficulties and product safety following closely.

What was interesting was that a large number of respondents said that online or digital security failure and critical or negative new media campaigns had resulted in grave crisis for the company.

As I had stated earlier, the world can be made aware of a company’s deficiencies or problems in an instance thanks to the internet. The impact on the company was primarily a loss of revenue resulting in lay-offs and cutbacks, followed closely by loss of corporate reputation and public trust. A drop in share prices was not far behind.

Despite the perception by almost 79% of respondents that they were going to be hit by a crisis within 12 months, it was interesting to note that only 50% of them had a crisis plan in place. APAC companies and those in manufacturing or technology were seen as more likely to have plans, with a general indifference to crisis and the perception that it was too expensive a measure to take being the key barriers to others not developing a crisis preparedness plan.

Even those who have created a crisis management plan, feel that there are still gaps which have not been addressed by their crisis plan, with 47% saying that the current crisis plan would not protect the company completely. It was heartening to note though, that in the last five years 47% have increased their internal resources for responding to a crisis, while only 7% have decreased their resources.

When it comes to planning for a crisis, there are three types of companies. There are the Boy Scouts, who are well prepared and have strong and comprehensive plans, which will stand up to the pressure of a crisis. Worryingly, only 20% of companies fall into this bracket. The majority are the Tightrope Walkers. These are the most vulnerable companies, as they are dependent on crisis preparedness plans that are simply not sufficiently comprehensive. 45 per cent of companies fall into this category. And then there are the Ostriches who are exposed to any crisis as they lack a crisis plan entirely, since they see only barriers to creating plans and thus avoid making them. A staggering 35% of companies are in this bracket.

The benefits of crisis planning cannot be more reiterated by me. Companies with a plan recover faster and are more likely to have handled the crisis effectively. While 41% of companies with no crisis preparedness plan saw a loss of revenue, only 30% of companies with an effective crisis plan saw a loss in revenue. Similarly, cutbacks and loss of corporate reputation affected those companies with crisis plans less than those without.

The growth of digital media has made crisis management even more challenging for companies. 40% of respondents were aware of how much harder it was to plan for a crisis today, owing to the changing nature of communications today. More than 55% of companies believe that the rise of digital communications has increased a company’s vulnerability to a crisis and that there is a need for an instant response to a crisis. There is no time to put together a crisis preparedness plan once a crisis strikes.

There is an imperative need to recognise the power of new media. Its widespread reach is not uni-dimensional and negative, it can be put to use to alleviate a crisis as well. While 81% of respondents believe that new media’s role in driving reputation during a crisis is on the rise, 55% did believe that new media (including social media) has made it easier for the same company to recover. In fact most companies realised that an inability to respond effectively to new media and a slow response time had led to crises affecting Wikileaks or Sony snowballing out of control. Not surprisingly, half of the companies did not even have a new media crisis plan in place or even know who their online stakeholders were. While 52% of APAC companies had a digital crisis communications plan in place, only 37% of American companies had the same.

It was made obvious from this study that every company is vulnerable to crisis and companies are simply not planning sufficiently in the event that such a crisis hits them. That there is a need for a crisis preparedness plan to be developed by companies is understandable and is increasingly being recognised by companies.

The question you need to ask is – does your company want to be as well prepared as a boy scout, or as exposed as an ostrich?

Think it over!

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Brand India is here. But are Indian Brands?

Ashwani Singla — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:40:58 +0000

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 PSB 50, the findings revealed some surprising revelations.

Who are these global Bizfluentials™?

These are financially literate business elite who are CXOs, Analysts, Journalists or investment managers who read the financial press, have an interest in India and would be generally considered to be aware of business in India. All together 600 bizfluentials™ were surveyed with 400 across US, Europe and APAC and 200 in India.

Indian MNCs: Present but no PRESENCE

The survey found a striking lack of awareness about Indian companies among global Bizfluentials™. Only one company successfully managed to break the 20 % unaided awareness in all the regions. Ratan Tata led the way, with his own leadership and that of the Tata Group emerging as a company with not just strong national status but global brand presence as well. If you want to access the report just log on to www.psbresearch.in

I am sharing with you a few highlights of the survey:

1. 91% of Global Bizfluentials™ say that Indian companies have strong futures, and 89% see Indian companies as a good investment.

2. For companies, brand image is amongst top three factors besides Financial and Market performance to earn the admiration of Global Bizfluentials™

3. For Corporate Leaders, their Business Vision was seen as the most important factor driving the admiration for business leaders

4. 47% of the Americans and 51% of the Europeans polled felt the recent success of Indian companies’ is due in large part to lower costs for business and some form of government protection. On the other Indian Bizfluentials™, see their entrepreneurial spirit as a bigger driver of their successes

In short, the world acknowledges India’s potential and its bright future but not the companies and leaders that are drafting this success story. In simple words, the Indian success story is seriously short of story tellers. I believe The PSB 50 provides the following lessons for Indian MNCs:

1. Build your Brand Story

I was recently asked how we could say Indian MNCs were not brands when the Indian IT industry is in itself a brand and known the world over. The point here is not that the world recognises the industry or takes note of a couple of companies. The thing to note is that global business leaders still believe India is gaining power because of its low cost offer and not its innovative products or unique offering from a company. We don’t have a Microsoft or a Dell story that creates brand resonance, following and finally loyalty.

The need then, is for companies to make brand building their singular vision. It is important not to mistake brand building with advertising here. We are not talking about selling our products. We are talking about selling our story. The entrepreneurial and innovation story that Indian MNCs believe makes them unique and one that the world is yet to hear of.

Indian companies have products and services that currently occupy space in the world market. What they need, however, is to build brands that occupy space in people’s collective memories - that become part of not just Indian aspirations, but global aspirations.

2. Convey your Business Vision

The survey clearly shows that there is a positive view of India Inc. and its future. It is not seen, however, as the hub of innovation and knowledge. The need then is for Indian leaders to be seen and heard much more beyond Davos. To be seen as builders and as the influencers rather than the influenced. Whilst Davos has played a key role in shaping the presence of some of the leaders, captains of Indian industry have to expand their field of play.

Business Vision is linked to the Brand Story as the vision gives the “Purpose” to the brand. Therefore developing your “brand purpose” means establishing a higher purpose for the brand/business to achieve than just merely standing for a product or a service. I recently worked with Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra and his vision for the business was encapsulated in one word “Rise”. A vision for making a positive difference in the lives of the people the group touches. I quite look forward to the how Anand will take this forward as I believe this a message that could re-define the group and its image around the world.

3. Make the spirit of enterprise and innovation a core message

India Inc. believes its entrepreneurial spirit and innovation gives it the competitive edge. Unfortunately, global bizfluentials™ don’t. This can only be addressed when businesses and business leaders “show and tell” and take their story to the global stage. Being an Indian, I believe in the spirit of the enterprise of our corporate leaders, however, I also know that they have not invested in telling their story well. Unless India Inc. does this aggressively, there is a good chance Indian companies will continue to be seen as low cost masters and not masters who are frugal.

Take the Nano example. The world acknowledges it as a marvel of frugal engineering. Show more Nanos and tell your story.

I believe the time is now and India Inc. is standing at the cusp of that opportunity with the world watching and waiting for India Inc. to show them the way. I don’t think we will get a second chance.

This one don’t think it over..Just do it.

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‘New Normal’ needs ‘New Public Relations’

Ashwani Singla — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:38:23 +0000

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 science of public opinion.

77% of the professionals we talked to said that the primary factor making the industry more complex in the last few years is the ongoing shift from measuring coverage of a communications initiative to measuring its business impact.

Empirical Public Relations demonstrates how campaigns move the needle by creating and applying insights at each phase, working from baseline measurements of perception, through communications tested to maximize effectiveness, to tracking research to demonstrate ROI.

Practitioners agree that applied insights result in impact than traditional, reflexive approaches: 89% of clients say they are more comfortable with research-based campaigns. However, a crucial gap currently prevents the industry from applying science to its practice: agencies are waiting for clients to demand measurement, while clients are waiting for clients to propose it. Fortunately, we also found a bridge. Clients say they are ready to pay the premium for insights-based campaigns – meaning that agencies must create a framework to address this opportunity.

This new model will be constructed on a foundation of expertise in the science of public opinion, which will require development of the communications industry’s human capital. Therefore, industry leaders must enhance their organizations’ applied science capabilities by upgrading their own skills, developing those of their employees and hiring new expertise into their teams. And much as Empirical Public Relations will change the way campaigns are priced and paid for, addressing the human capital challenge will require a revised model of compensation, both to attract and retain first-class talent.

Simultaneously, communications firms must also make strategic investments in technology, both to communicate most effectively in an ever-accelerating, ever more-global digital world, as well as to improve business efficiencies.

As Public Relations engages in more and more projects with demonstrative bottom-line impact for clients, the industry will increasingly earn a place at the table with chief executives, a perspective which will lead to more business-impactful communications. This positive feedback loop will benefit both our industry and our partners – and it is founded on Empirical Public Relations.

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Stirred or Shaken?

Ashwani Singla — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:32:17 +0000

Just how did Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s much awaited Union Budget for 2011-2012 leave India Inc. feeling in the end? With the FM announcing a 9 per cent growth, the budget saw the Minister send a clear signal – coalition politics was not going to thwart the focus on reforms.

The FM’s ability to deliver on promised reforms has been in question for a while. India Inc.’s top brass in a research conducted by PSB South Asia & Bloomberg TV poll identified corruption, governance, high inflation, poor performance on infrastructure, rising subsidies and high fiscal deficit as some of their biggest concerns.

While the FM recognized weeding out of corruption as a major challenge, the absence of any concrete steps is clearly a disappointment for those who were looking for some `action’.

We did see some reason for cheer though with some clear focus emerging on the agricultural sector. With easy credit support for farmers, rise in credit target for farm sector and schemes for promotion of food products, the FM was clearly in sync with India Inc.’s expectations of pushing agricultural reforms.

Increase in FDI in the insurance, pension and banking sectors through legislative changes is yet another positive step. One, that the industry is sure to welcome. Our research showed India Inc. wanted the Govt to raise caps in sectors such as insurance and introduce the Direct Tax Code.

Managing the fiscal deficit was clearly the big concern for the industry. With the FM making clear the Government’s intention to introduce the Constitution Amendment Bill to make way for the GST, the industry clearly has a reason to cheer.

These are still early hours, but if we were to come back to my earlier question of public and industry sentiments being stirred or confidence shaken, I would say, perhaps a little stirred more than shaken.

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Web 2.0 and the new Public Diplomacy

Ashwani Singla — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:19:01 +0000

I was invited to speak at a conference organised by The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India on “Public Diplomacy in the information Age” and my session was titled “Web 2.0 and the new Public Diplomacy”. I am happy to share my remarks at the conference.

The vastness of the subject conflicts with the paucity of time. It almost feels like trying to TWEET a 1000 word essay in 140 characters! No wonder, Twitter comes with a standard pack warning nowadays: Tweet at owners risk

At the cusp of the telecom revolution in India, a company at the launch of its service, boldly proclaimed “GEOGRAPHY is HISTORY”. Ladies & Gentlemen Welcome to the REPUBLIC OF INTERNET. A nation without boundaries!

If Facebook was a nation, it would be the world’s third largest nation with 500 million users & growing. The Time Magazine predicted it to touch a billion users sooner than later!
1. 70% of these users are outside of United States of America
2. 50% of these users log on to Facebook everyday
3. People spend 700 BILLION minutes per/month on Facebook
4. Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
5. Average user creates 90 pieces of content each month
6. ONE OUT OF EVERY TWO USERS access Facebook through their mobile device
7. Over 200 operators in 60 countries are integrating/deploying facebook applications
This must TRULY be the most engaged nation in the world.

So what has this got to do with Public Diplomacy?

India is Rising & Rising. As India begins to take its place on the “GLOBAL BOARD ROOM” of Politics and Economics, it will naturally invoke fear and suspicion. As many CEOs, who I talk to tell me, one of their biggest challenge to global scale are “NON TARIFF BARRIERS”. The price of India’s growing influence within governments and communities

The brick and mortar world sadly is NOT so borderless!
Could the digital world be a force multiplier in engaging communities around the world as our diplomats engage governments?

HOW SO? Let’s get back to our digital world or what many call “THERE SECOND LIFE”, when I see my 16 year old, I wonder whether it’s his FIRST LIFE!

India at the end of Sept 2010 had 688 million mobile subscribers. We add approximately 17 million subscribers every month so by now we have over 700 million subscribers.

On the other hand only 81 million Indians have access to Internet and of that a mere 5 million have access to broadband!

So, imagine the potential that a 3G connected India offers for engaged communities.

So who’s connecting?

India is an old nation with a young population? India will be amongst the youngest nations in the world. Half our population will be under 40 years of age in the next decade.

So, it’s not a big surprise that 75% of the 16 million users of Facebook in India are between the ages of 18-35 years. In fact the largest demographic on FB globally is 18-25. A well informed, highly vocal and opinionated audience lives on-line and it’s exploding; little wonder that India has the 10th largest base of users of Facebook globally and 3rd largest in Asia. I don’t think we are going to be 10th or 3rd for too long!

Lest you think, I work for Facebook, let me tell you nine facts about Twitter!
1. Twitter has 105.7 million registered users
2. 300,000 new users sign up per day
3. Approximately 60% of them are coming from outside the U.S
4. Twitter receives 180 million unique visitors per month
5. 37% of active users use their mobile phone to Tweet
6. In Feb 2010, Twitter processed 1.2 billion tweets/month
7. In 2010 India premiered amongst the top locations on Twitter.
8. The average user is following more people, followed by more people and has posted more updates.
9. Nearly, 25% of the tweets are all about emotions. 20% of tweets go towards announcements, support. And nearly 13% are RTs.

And I could go on about Orkut, Flicker, Youtube, Ibibo, linked-in, etc. etc.

THE POINT IS, AROUND THE WORLD, YOUNGER AUDIENCES ARE ONLINE, THEY MORE CONNECTED AND MORE ENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER.

QUESTION IS, ‘ARE WE LISTENING AND TALKING TO THEM?’.

WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT: THE AGE OF CONVERSATIONS IS HERE!

Why web2.0?

Not only can the medium allow an opportunity to LISTEN, RESPOND & SHARE but also enter to multilateral conversations with communities around the world. The youth of the nation and the connected diaspora spread around the globe can become powerful advocates of brand INDIA.

Before, the TECHNOLOGY overwhelms us; it would be pertinent to look at how we can leverage the technology to our advantage: FIVE RULES of Public Diplomacy 2.0:
1. Third Party Advocacy works: Having your message advocated by third-party advocates is often better than delivering it directly. As i earlier pointed out, The Indian Diaspora and the youth of India can be our best advocates.
2. Connect and Facilitate: Find people and communities doing good and put them together and lend long-term support. Don’t be afraid to lose control. Act as a facilitator not the driver. The Pravasi Bharti initiative is an example. Build on it.
3. Public-Private Partnerships can create value: Significant innovation, experience and expertise reside in the private sector. Public-private partnerships could create a gateway to harness resources.
4. Actions have to be real time: Conversations are taking place in real time. Actions will also need to be real time.
5. Act Strategically: Have a strategic plan with specific outcomes. If you can measure, you cannot manage.
In closing…

The mediums can be used as a force multiplier; it’s the message and the messenger that drives the EMOTIONAL BOND that will reduce suspicion, generate affinity.

Is our message to the world going to be relevant & compelling enough to be advocated?

There has never been a more SIMPLE AND COMPELLING message than “QUIT INDIA”. Or in recent TIMES: “CHANGE CAN HAPPEN”.

How do we develop compelling themes that defines India and achieves it public diplomacy objectives?

What is Incredible India? The narrative is important for Diplomacy.

Bapu, not only inspired a nation but became a symbol of “Struggle with Pride & Dignity” around the world.

“The Sage Reformer” has inspired many global leaders, today prompting President Obama to call him his Guru..

The messenger has to be impeccable and credible and also equally inspirational.

Think about it..

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Announcement: Appointed as the CEO of Penn Schoen Berland (PSB)

Ashwani Singla — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:55:31 +0000

I am happy to announce to all of you that I have been asked by Burson-Marsteller to set up the South Asia operations of Penn Schoen Berland as its Chief Executive Officer with plans to launch operations early next year. This is a great opportunity to not only further leverage my experience in communication strategy but also expands my professional horizons into an areas which has been a passion consumer and stakeholder insights.

So Reputare also expands its scope of discussions from all things reputation to insights and communication strategy. Yes, I will continue to share my stories in various aspects of public relations, a noble profession and a powerful management tool.

Many of you who read the posts have reached out to me via twitter (@ashsingla), facebook and LinkedIn to wish me the best for the new opportunity.

Thank you very much for your best wishes and lets continue the conversations albeit with me in a new Avatar. Watch the space for more.

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The Great Kalmadi Show: You can Run but you cannot Hide

Ashwani Singla — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:31:41 +0000

Reputare has been silent for a while as I was very pre-occupied with getting our new home up and running after a disaster called a ‘goofy sub-contractor’ hit us. That’s now settled. Thank God. Thank you for your patience.

Well I am back and there can be no better time than this to learn from the “Great Kalmadi Show.”

Let me say up front, that I support the Games. I support them in-spite of the mess, the corruption, et all because it IS after all, about the athletes and their moment of glory. Can we afford to boycott them? This is the recognition, they work so hard for to achieve, rising above the system that is designed to discourage not encourage. So, I support the games because I care for our athletes.

I remember the song; we used to sing in school. “We shall overcome/ Ham honge kamyab ek din.” This is their moment, so lets cheer them to win for India.

Now to Mr. Kalmadi, a little birdie informed me that he has now hired another consultant to manage his public image and has already gone through two before that. Does he not realize that changing consultants is not going to change his image? A very wise and learned man once said to me. “Good PR cannot be a substitute for a BAD product.”

This how the issue was unfolded in the media as I understand it.

Times Now, Navika Kumar broke the story about rampant corruption and mis-management at the baton relay and put the Chairman, OC, CWG in the center of it. Mr. Suresh Kalmadi comes out gun blazing at a press conference but soon his bravado and threat to sue the channel disappeared for want of substantial evidence contrary to the claims of the news channel and he was seen doing rounds of various channels, trying to defend himself and making unsuccessful attempts to find scapegoats in the High Commission. Good Try but it did not work as the high commission and the MEA quickly got their act together and put a wet blanket on this before it could find any legs.

Anyway that did not seem to shift the mood of the press, so he did the next best things: set up an “enquiry committee” to find the real culprits. Soon a certain Mr. Darbari, who was a supposedly his chief aide was ‘suspended’ pending investigation. Finally a scapegoat! In an interview with Arnab Goswami, his most quoted phrase I remember was “we have instituted an enquiry committee; wait for its findings.” Perhaps his media managers asked him to stick only to that as his “Key Message” because anything else and the deck was stacked heavily against him. Wonder whether people actually believed that? Don’t think so, with so many voices demanding his resignation.

So what’s the point I am making?

I am reminded of a saying by Aristotle. “Endeavour to be what you want the world to see you as.”

Sadly, many individuals in public office or corporations tend to forget history or learn from it.

Today, the public perception is weighed heavily against Mr. Kalmadi and in-spite of his many appearances on TV, interviews on print and constant effort to deflect media attention to softer aspects of the games, the mud continues to stick. Just type “Kalmadi + CWG” on Google and see for your self.

This episode should serve as a reminder to corporations that they hold the trust of their stakeholders and if they abuse it, their misdeeds will be revealed rather quickly and when that happens, there will be nowhere to run!

Today corporations have no choice but to conduct their “business with responsibility” or face the consequences of public wrath in full media glare.

Do we remember the story of the Emperor and his clothes?

Think about it.

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The Cinderella Makeover

Ashwani Singla — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:25:54 +0000

A dear friend of mine who runs a boutique reputation management firm sent me a thought-provoking article. She found it so interesting that she actually typed it and sent it out to her friends. To protect her privacy, I am going to keep her identity a secret.

Since she found it so beautiful, I thought I would share this with all of you as this piece breaks some ‘stereotypes’ and Reputare is all about understanding stereotypes as the heart of the discipline of public relations. It’s also a subject that would touch you in some way, someday..in the past or in the future.

Since this came typed to me, I claim no intellectual ownership of this content as my original creation. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.

THE CINDERELLA MAKEOVER

Is there any space for fairytale romances in love and relationships today? Absolutely. Only the rules have changed ….

As women, we have all grown up with the “Once Upon a time” fairytale. You know the one : “Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a princess…” It always had the same spin and the same happy ending , with the poor, fair maiden laying in wait expectantly for her prince, who of course comes to her rescue in his shining armour astride a white horse, upon which they both ride into the sunset and to a place called Happily Ever After. That’s the stuff our childhoods are made of, and pretty much all of us are genetically and socio-culturally programmed to buying into that idea of happily ever after. Well, recently I read an interesting new fairy tale, it reads as follows: “Once upon a time there was a princess. Along came a prince who asked her if she’s like to ride on his white horse. She said, ‘I’d like to take a ride on your horse, but I can’t right now because I’m a little busy getting my OWN horse. Go ride off into the sunset without me, and I’ll catch up a little later so then we can ride side by side.”

Wow. I think we’re onto something here, I thought. This little re-write was neither suggesting that women play the victim card, looking to be ‘rescued’ by the man of their dreams, nor was it corollary to the feminist way of thought that women are perfectly capable and happy to take care of themselves and don’t need a man complete their lives. It’s an in between road that I feel speaks out loud and clear to the woman of this new century we’ve just embarked upon. I am not a feminist. Hardly. Or else I wouldn’t be writing this. I believes in romance and all the candy floss stuff to harlequin day-dreams. I‘m not a victim either. Bandage is more freely available than princess, if you’re looking for a saviour. If anything there are two pearls of wisdom that I have over the years come to fully understand, appreciate, and live by: Love finds you the minute you top looking for it . And, love like you’ve never been hurt.

Maybe it’s something to do with your settling in your 30s , but the more women I talk to, the more I am acutely sensing this silent awakening. Several of my closest girlfriends are beautiful, intelligent, successful, funny and happy single women. They know how to fix something when it breaks, and do so without having to need a man. But here’s the thing: that doesn’t necessarily WANT a man. Realising this difference between needing and wanting, they’ll put their feet up and say , “Oh Sure! I’d love to one day. If it happens to come my way –great!” Now pay attention ladies here to the words “If it comes my way.” What they’re essentially saying is rather than filling a void that can be filled by walking into someone else’s ready-made life and making his life your own , they’ve filled their own lives with so much goodness and light which they’re more willing to share with the right man eventually invite him to enter their space. When you start focussing on yourself and making you the priority, you begin to shine like a beacon so bright it’s almost irresistible. Before you know it , you’ll have men thinking in their heads , “Damn , she has the most amazing life. I want a piece of THAT!” I know many who personally would vouch for this.

So what happens once that proverbial love finds you ? Happily ever after doesn’t come with any guarantees, warrantees or expiry dates. Love is the ultimate gamble and the stakes are super high; many are too scared to lose and so they hold themselves back. Perhaps we should all approach love like we would business. Are we satisfied with running the corner convenience store because it’s safe , or are we talking about a hugely successful corporation whose ethos is, to win big you have to play big and take calculated risks that ensure continued and exponential growth? With growth comes failure – it’s just part and parcel of the game. If we all lived in fear of getting killed tomorrow, our today would be a pretty forgettable few hours in the greater scheme of things .The female heart has an infinite capacity to love , which is one of the most beautiful things about being a woman. Unfortunately, men take an emotional beating far harder and take longer to come out from the rabbit holes they’ve dug deep to protect themselves from getting hurt again. When heartbroken, women go through the cycle of emotions more intensely but faster. They’ll get it all out –Cry, scream, rant, rave, and cry some more – and then it’s almost over! When you’ve come out of that cycle embrace it. Surrender, let go, you don’t always have to be in control. We’ve all read The secret which hits the nail bang on the head when it likens us all to giant magnets: Love life and life will love you back. If you surrender yourself to love and are open to it being a constant in your life in one way another without fear, you’ll be rewarded ten-fold. Be selfish and let it enter your life. When your heart’s been broken, it’s fantastic preparation for when the real deal turns the corner and bumps into you, you’ll be more equipped to recognise true love the next time it happens to you. And everything that’s taken place in your life up till that point was an education prepping you for this moment.

Perhaps this couldn’t hold true more than if you’ve ever gone through a divorce. Barring the death of a loved one, divorce can be the single most shattering experience of anyone’s life. In today’s increasingly maddening and hectic world, divorce is like a rampant epidemic. And I’m not so sure if it’s a sad statistic that I know more happily divorced people than happily married ones. If I actually take a look and examine all the divorced women I know, they are …. Happy. The so-called ‘stigma’ is slowly lifting. Most married really young. Most married and yet alone. Egged on by their parents and family. They grow up in their marriage. And sometimes, as it may happen when you marry too early, they grow apart and into very difficult individuals who want different things in their life. Today, these women are successful stockbrokers, artists, jewellers, fashion designers, architects, entrepreneurs and they’re out there having the time of their lives. They’re taking exotic vacations, they’re dating. They’re falling in love again, they’re falling out of love, and they’re brushing themselves off and doing it all over again. Because to have a special someone in their lives is like a sweet bonus, garnish on an already very delicious sundae.

These are our 21st century Cinderellas. In today’s fairytale re-write, she’ll be throwing her own, “if the shoe fits’ ball, which all the princes in the land will be clamouring to attend. She’s all women, feminine and dignified, and will graciously accept the attentions of the modern–day Heathcliff, Mr. Darcy, and Prince charming. Lancelot and Romeo who are utterly baffled by this strong, independent, proud and self-respecting Cinderella. And utterly captivated. In relationships and romance, there’s nothing more attractive to man than a woman who has dignity and pride in who she is. Our Cinderella has her own castle (mortgaged or not, it’s still her own ), she’s got her own chariot , she’s got her own diamond ring , and she grows her own fruits and vegetables. She’s not perfect, and thus the spell is cast. She still makes him feel like a man and do all the thing men for centuries have done – be the provider, the bread-winner, the caregiver, the fixer. Only now, he doesn’t feel pressured to assume that role because he has to, but because he wants to. Besides, somebody’s got to water that vegetables garden.

So that mythical place called Happily Ever After? It exists inside each and every single of us. Once found, it enables us to have far more enriching and lasting relationships. Love and relationships isn’t such a scary thing after all. All it needed was a little makeover.

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