PR ought to be treated as a journey, and not as a destination: Abhilasha Padhy

In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital, especially in 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.

Abhilasha Padhy, Co-founder & Joint MD, 80dB, speaks to Adgully about her journey as an entrepreneur, why marketing and PR need to be looked at differently, safeguarding brand reputation in an uber-sensitive virtual world and more.

How has the journey been as an entrepreneur ever since you started your PR consultancy? What are some of the teething issues and challenges faced? What are the key changes that you have observed in the PR industry in the last 10 years?

The journey has been incredible, every day being a learning experience. It’s been 19 years since I started my career in PR and it’s been a very fulfilling journey. I’ve spent time both at agencies and at corporates, which has broadened my perspective. During my years in the profession, I have seen PR evolve to take on a much more strategic, senior, and meaningful role. It is becoming an integral part of branding and marketing, and critical to overall brand planning. Already riding a wave, the advent of social media and digital has made PR more exciting.

Founding and running 80dB (with my fabulous partner Kiran Ray Chaudhury; in our seventh year now) has been the highlight of my journey. It’s been literally like raising a baby, but backed with experience. What helped us sail through was the clarity of our shared vision and values. Our intention has been simple – to help tech entrepreneurs and businesses grow in India using simple, clear and effective communications. We knew that strategies would be bespoke for every client, but having a basic value framework helped steer us in our desired direction.

Hiring the right talent was crucial, not only in terms of the right skills, but also people who would be as invested as us, in our overarching values. We were fortunate to meet with enthusiastic folks, and be able to put together a highly dedicated and professional core team, which has grown and evolved over the years.

The last decade has seen significant changes in the PR industry, as digital and social media ushered in disruptive changes in engagement and business operations. In this uber-sensitive virtual world, the public persona of a brand can overturn fortunes almost overnight. The role of the PR agency, too, has evolved from managing media relations to managing the virtual existence of a business, from inception through to its life cycle changes. PR today needs to be part art and part science, to employ the right techniques in the right proportions, to generate cultural relevance.

There is a rapid change in the way digital is approached today. How is your company helping clients to manage and handle this digital transformation?

The digital age has ushered in new ways of approaching businesses and consumers. While companies are pouring in millions into digital transformation initiatives, very few are able to convert these into concrete engagements. The reason is simple: companies invest in digital, but with the old mind-set.

The first thing to understand about digital is that it is not about technology, but a mindset shift. A lot of our clients are already from the tech sector, so the digital transformation in their case is about helping them appreciate the role of the digital audience as prolific contributors to popular culture.

Take for example, early forms of branding and PR, which involved riding the wave of entertainment and sports, as celebrities and popular folklore came from these industries. Today, the former, near-monopolistic status of the entertainment sector has changed unequivocally. Whereas in the past, brands could literally purchase their way to fame by placing brands in the hands of celebrity endorsers or even sponsoring shows that had the public eye, today the consumer has become the icon. So, marketing and PR need to be looked at differently.

We help brands reimagine themselves from these perspectives. We try to harness the potent new social networks that virtual platforms have created, in creating a brand presence that commands respect and trust. We also recognise the role and value of meaningful and unique data in today’s age, which is a key input into campaign decisions, and in measuring their success. The content we create incorporates important aspects of such data.

What are some of the best practices you follow that help you stand out in a competitive industry? And how do you manage expectations of clients?

As our name conveys, we keep the pitch at a level that is not just audible, but offers crystal clear sound quality. This means that instead of offering meaningless spiel, we ensure that the key messaging and positioning of the client is communicated clearly and simply. We focus on authentic storytelling to build engagement and credibility for our clients.

We emphasise to client leaders that mere expertise, familiarity and popularity do not help an individual or brand build a lasting and credible reputation in the digital age. It requires thinking strategically, and designing in detail, a communication program that helps build and strengthen credentials.

There is a start-up that is being launched every other day and most start-ups trust PR a lot. What is the role of PR here and as an agency how do you help them build their reputation?

Yes, the start-up ecosystem is really buoyant and we are bullish about it ourselves. PR can help with the right positioning for many of the ventures that have got their model right. However, we explain to our clients that PR ought to be treated as a journey, and not as a destination.

We help with laying the groundwork, by making people aware of the gap the company is looking to address. We build effective media engagement, both in traditional as well as digital spaces. Our intention is to build credibility and trust for the brand, and the positioning helps determine the choice of platforms and media where relevant stories are told.

Our goal is to ensure that we make the presence of the client felt consistently across media channels and platforms.

Is media training still an important component of the services that the PR industry offers? As an agency, how do you help and advise your clients to handle and face the media confidently?

In short, absolutely. Media training helps professionals learn how to communicate across varied media. Several channels have moved from print to digital, however the essential rules of the engagement stay the same. We encourage our clients to keep media interactions simple and direct.

Many brands and clients want to achieve a thought leadership position overnight. We all know that attaining a thought leadership position as a spokesperson and brand takes time. What’s your view on thought leadership?

Without doubt, thought leadership plays a key role in positioning and transforming a brand. It helps establish individuals and companies as leaders in their industry, and is an important source of trust, if built progressively and over a period of time. The brands or individuals that emerge as thought leaders need to excel at defining what they stand for, to build high credibility.

To begin with, we help leaders and brands articulate their niche, convey their expertise, and understand what their audience may value.

We then find and craft their unique voice. Being proficient at one’s subject is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition to be regarded as an authority on it. The leader needs to communicate clearly and genuinely.

One of our strengths is the ability to cut out the clutter, and to keep the message simple and clear. We ensure that the messaging is aligned to brand objectives, consistent, and focused. We also keep exploring evolving channels of communication, and picking and choosing the right one by industry and brand – a vital part of thought leadership.