Growth momentum seen in global PR industry has been stronger in India: Archana Jain

In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital during the pandemic period. At the same time, the industry has been facing stiff challenges; moreover client expectations have also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears.

In PR conversation this week, Archana Jain, CEO, PR Pundit Havas Red, speaks in length about the emerging trends expected to shape the PR industry in 2024, shedding light on the firm's focal points for the year. Given the unpredictable nature of crises, Jain elaborates on the firm’s crisis management and reputation protection approach for clients. She shares insights into the evolving challenges in this domain and outlines the strategies considered crucial for 2024. Touching upon the increasing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Jain explains how PR Pundit Havas Red addresses these aspects in both internal operations and client campaigns.

Could you highlight the emerging trends and innovative strategies in the PR industry that are expected to shape the landscape in 2024? How is your firm adapting to stay ahead of these changes?

We are living in the decade of brands. A brand is no longer a product alone, it’s an emotion, hence to build a brand and strengthen its appeal and relevance, PR must lead the way in emotive story-telling.

The future of PR is in the integrated format where ‘owned media’ is at the heart of powerful story-telling. Companies must fuel this engine with authentic and human stories. Earned media, shared media and paid media must all align with the brand’s own voice across its website, LinkedIN, Instagram, X and YouTube.

At PR Pundit Havas Red, our collective of experts have a pulse on the now and new and deliver integrated & effective communication solutions. We nurture client relationships by connecting the dots of communication, collaboration, influence to elevate perceptions. We have increased our relevance by embracing new practices to be always future-ready. We are adept at humanising storytelling, be it via community advocacy, authentic influencer marketing and/or social media management in the age of digital. We pursue an inventive & adaptive communication approach for brands and organisations across platforms, be it traditional and new-age media, digital, social or meta verse.

What are the three things you are going to focus on this year?

• Trying to be a force for good and becoming more meaningful is something more businesses need to do. This is not just because our planet needs it, but because consumers and employees wish to support brands and organisations that are committed to people, planet and purpose. These subjects will enjoy a clear PR advantage in 2024 and beyond.
• Social media is only going to get bigger in 2024 and beyond as more and more people access and get hooked on to it. It’s paramount therefore that we are adept at publishing original content; sharing insights; showing up in the comments; building thought leadership and employer branding on X, LinkedIn, etc. Influencer marketing and KOL collaborations are going to continue to be a critical part of the communications toolbox to tap new cohorts and amplify messages.
• The creative sector has always been driven by our unique human voices and imaginations, and that’s not going to change in 2024. But we need to harness artificial intelligence more productively. It is already helping PR professionals in terms of data analysis, consumer and industry insights, content generation and more. But in 2024, we will have to learn to steer this machine-generated intelligence more to our advantage. I believe we can overcome the shortfall in available talent and multi-task with smarter use of AI!

How is your PR firm leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, data analytics, and automation to enhance the effectiveness of PR campaigns? What role do you foresee technology playing in PR strategies in the coming year?

In the fast-evolving landscape of PR, tomorrow’s success hinges on understanding and integrating emerging trends and technologies. From AI-driven analytics to computer generated images, harnessing innovations is the cornerstone to success.

As technology continues to advance, so will the need to acquire new skills to adapt to the changing landscape. The demand for expertise in data analytics, digital marketing and AI integration is where PR professionals need to enhance their skill set to remain competitive in their roles.

We are pursuing many avenues for skill enhancement and ongoing learning to ensure professional growth and adaptation to evolving industry demands. We have new AI tools being discussed each week to ensure teams are well-prepared for the dynamic industry landscape.

Given the unpredictable nature of crises, how does your firm approach crisis management and reputation protection for clients? Can you share any insights into the evolving challenges in this area and the strategies you believe will be crucial in 2024?

The backbone of crisis management has always been and will always be preparation. We work with our clients to plan for, on how to respond to and then recover from crisis events – with a view to safeguarding the company and brand’s image to minimise long-term reputational damage. We do so by pursuing pre-emptive measures like a vulnerability analysis of the business, training key stakeholders on a coordinated and timely response, outlining a media and social media communications plan, including recommended procedures, protocols, etc. Given the diversity of possible crises and the fact that every specific event will unfold differently and have varying impacts at different times, we canvas a range of generic actions that will assist management in responding to an incident. We believe in building a forward-looking approach of being prepared, build a culture of communicating proactively and develop a mindset of dynamic decision making.

With an increasing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, how is your PR firm addressing these aspects in both internal operations and client campaigns? What steps are you taking to ensure a more inclusive representation in your client portfolio and within your organisation?

PR Pundit Havas Red has always promoted a harmonious and healthy working environment that supports everyone’s equitable growth and development. It fosters a culture where diverse voices and perspectives are encouraged and respected, and where all employees are equally supported in developing their careers.

Now as part of Havas, we are committed to Havas All In, their global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) program, which includes a wide range of initiatives across ethnic and cultural representation, gender equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability, wellness, age, and other topics.

With an increasing number of our clients adopting progressive DE&I programs, DE&I is expected to be an extremely relevant part of storytelling for employer branding.

As clients increasingly demand measurable results, how does your firm approach measuring the success and return on investment (ROI) of PR campaigns? Are there specific metrics or tools you find particularly effective, and how do you anticipate the measurement landscape evolving in 2024?

We have always pursued a measurement by objectives approach which aligns success measurement to end goals and benchmarked against category norms. Our standard reporting includes a breakdown of media/social coverage and reach; a digital sentiment analysis against performance KPIs with a focus on relevant stakeholders; and improvement in media sentiment, including uptick in positive inbound media enquiries.

In some cases, an enhanced reporting dashboard is created which combines data from third party independent platforms, media coverage, enhanced social media/ listening and metrics to evaluate paid campaigns. Relevant KPIs are tracked from increase in media and website traffic; increases in keyword rankings for specific topics and leaders.

Measuring the impact of communications activities needs an additional budget and we hope that in 2024 our clients will allocate more resources to help us capture sentiment to track progress and measure the impact of campaigns via before-and-after stakeholder surveys.

How has the PR industry performed in 2023, and what has been the experience for both your firm and the broader industry throughout the year?

As the world opened up after the pandemic, India emerged as a stronger economic centre, with a powerful voice in the world, and is the centre of business attention. This has had a healthy rub-off for the Indian PR industry. India is a key market in a larger number of global RFPs today.

The growth momentum experienced in the global PR industry has been stronger in India.

I believe India will continue to grow faster than other economies in 2024. The growing investment in infrastructure, India’s attractiveness for investments, and an increasing confidence among Indian brands to make a global mark, 2024 may just be the year of India. In parallel, the Indian PR industry has come of age too, and we shall tango in the growth story of our economy.