Today, PR is all about Presence and Relevance: Rachana Panda

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.

In conversation with Adgully, Rachana Panda, Country Group Head, Communication and Public Affairs & Sustainability for Bayer South Asia, speaks about how PR has become an integral part of the corporate strategy today, Bayer’s focus on Data & Digitisation, the company’s partnership with the government, and more.

How has PR evolved in the last 10 years? Going forward how will the industry shape up as the dynamics of the PR is changing with the acceleration of digital?

There has been a paradigm shift in the way business is conducted over the few years (more so post-Covid) and the public relations industry or communications at large is no different. We have seen the space evolve considerably – from being focused on getting press releases published to becoming an integral part of the corporate strategy. Today, PR is all about “Presence and Relevance”.

This evolution has been made possible due to a variety of factors:

Brand custodians today understand the power of PR in shaping and influencing perceptions. They view PR as an important cog in the wheel to drive their brand forward and build reputation and trust.
Digital has certainly helped the evolution. With the way people consume content today, earned media through PR has become an indispensable tool for marketers. It not only gets eyeballs but goes a long way in effectively positioning brands favourably in the minds of the audience.
Today, PR also offers creative and out-of-the-box solutions to solve for clients and that is a big shift that has taken place in the last decade. The integration of traditional and digital to offer holistic, 360°campaigns is a positive step for PR practitioners.
Measurement has played a pivotal role in enhancing the importance of PR in the minds of CXOs. The availability of tools, both quantitatively and to assess perceptual shift has demonstrated how critical public relations and advocacy is in creating a favourable impact, not just do the business, but equally towards the organisation’s reputation.

Today, artificial intelligence and data analytics are becoming very important in marketing and communication. How are you making use of this to help in your overall messaging for your various brands?

Data & Digitisation is at the core of everything we do as an organisation at Bayer. Our products and solutions, whether in the areas of agriculture, pharma or consumer health, are informed by deep data from our customers to give them the best value and improve their lives and livelihoods.

With the advent of digital modes of communication, it is important for us to be available to our customers 24x7. The needs of our customers, for instance farmers, are very different across the country. Data analytics and AI make it possible to tailor our solutions to a diverse range of users across geographies. Similarly, our messaging for health solutions varies according to the target audience – whether for OTC (Over the counter) products that are sold direct to users or for our diabetes products that cater to doctors and medical practitioners. AI and analytics act as an effective tool to not just develop products but also to make them accessible to the right audiences who stand to benefit most from them.

Internal communication and external communication with stakeholders are very important in every industry. What process and framework do you follow to continuously stay engaged with both your internal and external stakeholders?

As a large and diverse organisation, we engage with various stakeholders across the spectrum on a regular basis. In a fast-changing world, the need for creative communication and real-time engagement has never been greater. The communications & Public Affairs team at Bayer plays a critical role in ensuring that we are clued into the latest developments and engage effectively with all our stakeholders – external and internal. Our engagement is defined by our vision of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none’ and our mission of ‘Science for a better life’. Our focus is to prioritise and ensure delivery of the most critical aspects of our corporate strategy. We periodically assess interventions and focus on elements that add value. Clearly, people are Bayer’s biggest ambassadors. It is, therefore, extremely important to align them with Bayer’s vision and goals to instill a sense of pride in the workplace. We follow a regular cadence of engagement with our people through leadership townhalls, intranet, yammer and other digital tools/ channels to keep them informed of the developments in the company.

Leadership in every organisation needs to stay connected across all stakeholders. How do you leverage your CEO’s valuable knowledge and time to engage with both internal and external stakeholders?

At Bayer, our communication strategy is informed and guided by our leaders, including the President for South Asia, Mr D Narain. He is also the Global Head of Smallholder Farming for Bayer and plays a critical role in devising the strategy for the businesses. Having worked in several countries across the world, he has a deep understanding and a wealth of knowledge on matters related to agriculture and healthcare.

Despite keeping a busy schedule, we regularly leverage his vast expertise to engage with employees and leaders within the company and guide the company’s initiatives. He also represents Bayer at various industry and government forums to talk about the company’s vision and goals and to rally support for favourable policies and initiatives for the benefit of the agricultural community and farmers in particular.

Similarly, our other business leaders – be it our crop sciences, pharma or Consumer Health – these leaders have always been the voice of the sector & customers and huge advocates of the communications and Public affairs functions. They are demanding stakeholders too and that is what pushes us to innovate as a function.

In today’s complex world, cross-cultural communication at a global level is a challenge. One has to manage different geographies in different languages. So, what are the challenges you face and what process do you follow to have effective and meaningful communication across cultures and stay relevant?

As a global company, Bayer is present in 83 countries across the world, with a significant presence in all countries in South Asia. We work very closely with our colleagues across the region and the world. In such a scenario, cross cultural communication is a very important consideration for the company and its people. It is critical to be in control of our narrative across regions and present a unified message to our stakeholders. We encourage our employees to learn about other cultures and be sensitive to differences, within and outside of the country. It is extremely important to take the time to understand their audience, the cultural nuances and the sensitivities involved.

Sensitisation and education also help in eliminating the problem of misinterpretation due to contextual and cultural differences. It also helps with creating effective and targeted communication for our stakeholders across geographies while saving time and resources at the organisational level.

Being a global multinational, you need to maintain strong and cordial relations at the government level. It is a challenge to deal with the government. So, how do you go about managing the various regulatory policies that are enforced by the government from time to time?

Food and health has always been the focus for all the governments across the world. And we at Bayer are well positioned at the powerful intersection of both these sectors.

As lawmakers, the government helps in shaping policies in the interest of the people and for the benefit of the country at large. We view ourselves as partners to the government, working towards the common goal of improving lives and livelihoods. Our partnership with the government over the years has grown, whether it’s been through our solutions or even our various CSR programmes to support people and communities across the country. We are well aligned with the government’s long-term vision of growth and prosperity for the people and the nation, and we continue to act as able and effective partners in helping the government achieve this vision.