LET me begin in classic contemporary style, with a disclaimer. This by no means purports to be a serious analysis of the public relations (PR) industry. Instead, it seeks to take a snapshot view of an industry that is coming of age. Actually, PR and its implications have been on top of my mind ever since the great deluge that submerged many parts of Mumbai. If the administration goofed up in everything it attempted, PR could be added to the list.
Apart from that, there have been several `live' instances in the recent past that have focused on the need for good PR. The Mumbai municipal corporation apparently invited a pitch from leading PR agencies and in its expectedly brusque manner asked the agencies to `plant' stories in the media about the wonderful job the municipal corporation had been doing. Happily, some of the agencies protested and the corporation might have seen that there was a better way of going about things.
Then, of course, pitched battles between warring members of leading business houses have been fought on the front pages of newspapers and on television screens across the countries. Professional public relations have had a huge role to play in these high-profile skirmishes. Whether you think of politicians or film stars or the `chatterati,' not much publicity happens by accident. Almost everything you see or read is the result of an organised effort on the part of a growing community of public relations people.
The fact of the matter is that PR has come a long way. Sure, many public sector undertakings, banks and quasi-government undertakings still have Public Relations Officers who arrange for airline tickets, check the Chairman in for a flight and wait for the busy person to arrive at the last moment, clear him through Customs when he returns from a junket abroad and pester newspapers to publish pictures of the Chairman distributing some largesse. However, corporate India has embraced professional PR in a big way.
Several years ago the stock market boom turned the focus on PR. Public issues were the order of the day (they were not called IPOs in those days). Several advertising agencies positioned themselves as specialist financial services agencies. Their forte was public relations. I believe this phase did a lot of harm not just to the small investor who got creamed after the markets crashed but also to the profession of public relations and commercial journalism.
Remember, this was a phase when there were as many as three or four public issues opening every day. Press conferences had to be organised by the PR divisions of these agencies and there were only so many journalists in a given city. I will not be exaggerating when I say that business journalists were literally dragged from one conference to another (happily, all the conferences were held in one of three South Mumbai hotels in those days) and made to sit till the mandatory speeches were completed. Then the press kit which contained relevant material and a gift was handed over and if it was an evening conference, everyone would adjourn to the bar.
Considerable time was spent in deciding what gift should be purchased. Journalists were tired of receiving pen sets and calculators. Textile companies would dole out suit lengths and saris. Others took the unimaginative route of handing out envelopes stuffed with money.
Let me place on record the fact that some journalists politely returned the gift packets as they walked out. That simple gesture brought an element of sanity to the otherwise bizarre operations. Yet let me hasten to add that these journalists were the exception which actually proved the rule.
The net result was that PR personnel acquired a rather unsavoury reputation, business journalists were seen as commodities and the investor was condemned to read publicity handouts.
In a way, the post-Harshad Mehta situation acted as a kind of cleanser to the entire scenario. Many years have passed. PR professionals do exist and they are giving their clients sound advice, and value for their money.
Yet, if this very useful communication tool has to be used effectively there has to exist a sense of understanding and maturity.
I believe the PR industry has the expertise to add significant value to the overall efforts of the communication plan. What it needs to do is educate clients and make them understand what this potent tool is all about, what it can do, more importantly, what it should not attempt to do and finally what its limitations are on the one hand and its responsibilities on the other.
Keep in mind the printed word (editorially) is still taken as gospel by an overwhelming majority of readers. The broadcast images on a news platform are viewed with the same confidence by viewers. In this situation there lies a great responsibility in the hands of the PR professional and the media.
It is against this backdrop that one views with great trepidation operations where editorial space is officially sold to anyone who wants to buy it. The argument that clients are in any case paying PR firms who in turn pay some journalists to plant news, so why not legitimise the effort, is the highest form of balderdash I have ever heard. The answer lies in professionalising institutions, not legitimising something that could have undesirable effects on an unsuspecting audience.
The formation of the PRCAI (Public Relations Consultants Association of India) is a very positive step. The PRCAI seeks to establish benchmarks in standards, knowledge, ethics and expertise. Towards this, it provides its members services in the areas of professional codes, consultancy management standards, international information, education and research. Fifteen leading PR consultancies have enrolled. An interesting point to note is that this association is committed to the formation of an advisory board with representation from their critical stakeholders. This should go a long way in spreading awareness about professional PR and encouraging its use.
It is important to keep in mind that the financial markets are booming again. In fact, with all sectors of the economy promising great things PR has a huge role to play. Public relations also have an onerous responsibility to the single most important stakeholder in all our lives – the public.
The author heads Canco Advertising.
