All About PR

Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI ) is a force to reckon with in the industry. Today we speak to WICCI PR & Digital Marketing Council's National President - Kavita Lakhani and Vice President - Anjali Mehra on the need for a council in this segment. It aims to be the force for gender equality and equal opportunity for women within the Indian communications industry through support and interventions where needed. The council is on a mission to create a safe community for women in communications to thrive within the industry, perform and transform to reach the highest levels of leadership through support and connections that educate, empower and inspire.

Hit play and know more about WICCI and get inspired. 

Season 2 - Episode 4

In today’s podcast, we continue our discussion on how you can create a career in communication outside India. What does it take to craft a global career in PR? Is your education in India enough? Is agency work sufficient or do you need corporate experience too? What happens when you move out to a new country? Can you do this on your own or do you have to rely on your company to make that switch for you? Do work ethics and professionalism differ across continents? Is the skillset you acquired enough to give you a headstart? When do you start? All great and valid questions. So many questions pop up when you think about creating your career in a new country! And to answer them today on the podcast we are joined by Bhushan Rao, Communications & Social Consultant, National Australia Bank, Melbourne who spills the beans on the secrets of a global career.  

Bhushan is a marketing communication professional and has worked with multiple companies across India, the UK, Australia & the wider APAC region. Former Social Content Lead for Microsoft Asia Pacific, he specializes in Corporate Comms and creating engaging content in the digital/social media space.  

Hit play and know more about how to craft a global career for yourself. This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals! 

Season 2 - Episode 3

When you think of moving out of PR there are a multitude of streams you can venture out into. But which one and what is the most apt for you ? and wouldn’t you like to know more whether a firm grounding in PR will be an advantage or disadvantage?

Ruchi Kaushal: Global Marketing Manager- Car Workshops - Castrol joins us on the podcast today to help PR professionals understand how to chart their career course beyond PR.  Ruchi works in the Oil and Energy Industry as a Global marketing manager. She describes herself as an 'organised creative' and has worked in Sales, Marketing and various brand roles for more than 16 years. She started her career in PR and Corporate Communication and diversified into sales and marketing function where she has spent the last 14 years working across roles in India, Australia, Asia Pacific and Germany.  She is currently based in Hamburg, Germany and spends her time collecting Jazz Records and taking long walks with her dog when not working. 

Hit play and know more about how to chalk a path for yourself beyond PR.  This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals !

Season 2 - Episode 2

New age-independent media has come of age in India. They have created a thriving ecosystem for themselves that allows them to create stories for a niche and loyal audience. Though has the Indian PR industry caught up with them? What is the ROI - tangible and intangible? How do you engage them? So many questions! 

Aekta Kapoor- Editor and Publisher, eShe magazine joins us on the podcast today to help us decode independent media and how as PR professionals we can engage them in a more efficient manner.  The founder of the independent women’s magazine and blog based in India and Canada celebrates the extraordinary stories of women around the world. Currently ranked 23 among the top women's magazines in the world by Feedspot, eShe has touched the lives of millions of women and men worldwide since its launch in July 2017. As a journalist, Aekta's pieces regularly appear in some of India’s top media platforms, including The Economic Times, Open and Money Control, and are translated to Malayalam on Azhimukham. After a long career in fashion media, Aekta now focuses on social justice and personal development through her writing and talks.

Hit play and know more about how to engage Independent media.  This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals!

Season 2 - Episode 1

Media Advocacy is an essential skill that a PR professional must acquire to move up the ladder. This is also what will gain you more influence within the organization you work in and a seat at the table. But do you know how to create a media advocacy program? Where do you start? What issue actually warrants an advocacy program?

Bhaskar Majumdar, Head - Corporate Affairs, Communication & Digital media, Egis India joins us today to help us understand more about Media Advocacy.  Bhaskar has more than 22 years of strategic communication consulting experience in the field of Strategic Communications, Crisis Communication, Leadership Communication & engagement, Public Policy, Digital/Social Media Outreach, Industry Body Engagement & Brand Building. He has worked with several leading Indian and global PR agencies in the country along with managing communications for Indian corporate giants and television channels.

Hit play and know more about media advocacy.  This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals!

Season 1 - Episode 12

The influencer and PR community have had a tumultuous relationship since they laid eyes on each other. The romance has had its ups and downs. However, in the past couple of years, the influencer community has evolved to add more professionalism and creativity to it. If you are a part of the PR industry…you need to catch up...if you haven't already. 

In this episode, we speak to Pankhuri Harikrishnan, Director - Fetch Consulting - a Digital-first agency that excels at curating unique collaborations and bringing together various marketing aspects to create impactful content.  With over 20 years of experience in events, PR and influencer management, her expertise in creating new marketing concepts and forging partnerships between brands and opinion leaders, has ‘fetched’ her agency some coveted associations between brands, influencers and media. Her circle of influence stretches across multiple verticals and every possible brand creating a demonstrable track record of successful creation of organic marketing buzz through engaging content. Join us as she de-mystifies influencer management and traces its evolution in India with us. 

This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals!

Season 1 - Episode 11

As every business fights to come back to a semblance of normalcy, they are now being questioned on sustainability. PR & Communication teams have their task cut out for them with requests to tweak the messaging or add to it or educate their clients on why it is important and how being a part of the sustainability conversation will add to their reputation, generate goodwill and profit. In this episode we have Priya Zutshi, Corporate Communication, Mahindra Group joins us for a discussion on the subject. 

This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals!

Season 1 - Episode 10

Today we discuss PR in the theatre industry. While most of us are enamored with the spotlights on the stage, few know that it takes a lot of effort to craft that precise scene.  It's only when you peek behind the curtain that you understand that a PR army is working non-stop and putting in the hours to help create an enviable reputation. Within the entertainment industry as well theatre occupies a unique space. Today we have with us seasoned communication professional - Kajal Gadhia, Founder – Mindworkz who specializes in PR for the theatre industry. She is also the executive producer of Manhar Gadhia Productions and has produced several plays. She focuses on theatre, music, art, culture and Gujarati films.

Kajal is one of the most sought after consultants in the industry and works for some of India’s leading artists that include names like Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Makarand Deshpande, Zakir Hussain etc. production houses like Motley, Aadyam, Rage Production, Ansh Theatre etc. and cultural hubs in which she counts Prithvi Theatre, NCPA, Goethe Institute, G5A Foundation to name a few. 

This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals!

Season 1 - Episode 9

Podcasts are an exciting section to explore for PR & Communication professionals and add to their campaigns.  But how does it fit into a PR campaign and will it have real impact ? What do podcasters expect from the PR community?

This episode is by a special arrangement with PRPOI - A space dedicated to upskilling for PR & Communication professionals!

Season 1 - Episode 8

Do you start your PR journey from an agency or from a corporate communication team? Or do jump into the world of entrepreneurship and start from there? In this episode, we speak to seasoned communication professional - Pooja Trehan, who shares her insights from her experience spanning 15+ years across all these segments. 

The experienced storyteller started with a stint in a PR agency that helped her get a firm grounding in the industry. Pooja quickly rose up the ranks to head national and international projects. Her corporate experience for over a decade with Colgate, Castrol and Brand Capital also added to her understand of the larger picture. The entrepreneurial bug bit her 5 years back and she went back to her passion - food! She built a business she never needs to take a vacation from. 

Apart from sharing practical nuggets she also shares with us what each phase can teach you and helps you become a well-rounded communication professional.  

Season 1 - Episode 7