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Young leadership has become key factor for organisational growth: Atul Sharma

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In today’s Epilogue 2022 series, Atul Sharma, managing director, Ruder Finn India, talks about how the youth may lack experience but they posses several elements of leadership that benefit organisations and inspire colleagues 

The year has ushered in 356 days to be filled with achievements, success stories, and thoughts and ideas. This is also the time to stop and reminisce about the year that was – rethink our learnings, be grateful for our triumphs, and imbibe wisdom from our mistakes, all the while preparing ourselves for the days ahead.

With this in mind, we present ‘Epilogue 2022’, a year-ender series from e4m PR & Corp Comm that will feature stalwarts from the Indian PR fraternity. Today, we have Atul Sharma, managing director, Ruder Finn India. A business leader and trusted advisor working across technology, telecom, venture capital, consulting, aviation, automobiles, sports, lifestyle, retail and consumer durables sectors, Shrama has been a part of the PR industry for nearly two decades.

Excerpts: 

What are the changes you have seen in the industry in 2022?

Increase of share in the larger marketing pie 

The last year (2022) was one of reinvention, optimism and transition for the PR industry. What mattered to brands and consumers five years ago looked incredibly different in 2022. With the adoption of new technologies, and data and analytics taking centre stage in forming unique strategies, the PR industry was able to increase its share in the overall marketing pie. This is because the money you invest in PR and the results you get are disproportionate, which is why in 2022, we saw more and more brands investing in PR. In all of this process, 2022 was a realisation that not only was there an increase in revenue in the industry but we were also able to get a seat at the table where integrated communications became a key component at the intersection of creativity and storytelling.

Welcoming hybrid work-culture 

In terms of work perspective, the hybrid work culture has been welcoming. More and more industries have become open to the idea that the workforce can work from anywhere and yield better productivity. Closer to home, at Ruderfinn, we adopted this culture and are proud of the fact that we have built an element of trust in our people, which is now deeply rooted in each and every member of our  Ruderfinn family. Not only has it paved the way for a flexible working culture but has also levelled productivity to a maximum. Communications strengthened virtually and in-person teamwork and collaboration gave rise to a fresh perspective of thoughts and accelerated movement. 

Moving from an employer to an employee-centric market

The other thing that significantly changed in the PR industry in 2022 was that the market moved towards being an employee market from an employer market. The talent market has heated up and with an employee-centric market, this could be both a challenge and an opportunity in the long run. 

What are the trends that have yielded optimum results this year? Are there any global trend practices you would like the Indian PR/ Corp Comm fraternity to adopt? 

Rise of digital media 

While the pandemic heavily impacted print media, we saw a steep rise in social and digital media which gave new scope for stronger content, storytelling and data-driven strategies, and it impacted communication in a progressive way. And this trend of digital and social will bring massive changes to the industry in the long run. 

Deeper penetration in the influencer circle

The second trend that delivered rewarding results was deeper penetration in the influencer circles. Influencers play a major role in building brand visibility, ensuring that the product reaches the right target audience. It also has scope for larger community building in terms of recognition and visibility, resulting in better reputation management. Today, influencers are considered the next generation of thought leaders and industry experts who significantly impact a brand’s reputation. Moreover, young leadership is an awakening that has become one of the most influential factors for the growth of any organisation. The youth may lack experience but they possess several elements of leadership that will benefit organisations and inspire colleagues. 

The above two trends gave rise to talent upskilling, skilled management and newer ways of working. For example, mass pitching is becoming a sunset in the industry. We are all living our lives online, magazines and newspapers are switching to digital subscriptions and exclusive pitches are becoming even more valuable than mass pitching. Exclusivity is building new and mutually-beneficial media relationships that will land you key coverage in the future. 

Focus on ESG 

Meanwhile, globally we saw a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns that proved to be shaping the global communication space. In India, too, we saw brands becoming more and more aware of their contribution in these sectors to enhance sustainability. This trend is something we could implement and shape the communication industry in a better way. 

We are rapidly moving ahead in the area of digital communications and will do more so in the new year. Do you feel that new technology can co-exist harmoniously with the traditional ways of PR and corporate communications?

Today, in the industry, where integration is key, you can’t distinguish or draw parallels between traditional and modern PR. While ‘Live Streaming’ is finding a place in PR tables and there’s more room for visual story-telling, media engagements continue to be equally important for brand reputations. With constant evolution and changes, multimedia content makes way for unique pieces, however, authenticity amid fake news remains a concern and old-school fact-checking remains in place.  

At this point, the two are in such amalgamation that they cannot be viewed separately. Moreover, with a multi-generational workforce, both traditional and new-age PR will bring rewarding results. 

As we reach full-time normalcy, there has been a fresh revival in talent acquisition and salary restoration. What are the other areas that you are expecting a full revival of?  

I am not sure if I want to call it a revival because nothing was ever dead. Things certainly slowed in 2020-2021 but we saw an acceleration in communications with the return to normalcy. There certainly has been a revival in talent acquisition and salary restoration but now we have become an employee-led market. We are still observing the stark talent gap we see in the industry. We need to start positioning PR in such a way that we start attracting talent. Investment at the right time with the right people can help grow a business. 

The other area where I see a revival is that people have started to get an affinity for working from the office, however, I believe a hybrid work culture is here to stay, balancing the nuances of both worlds. 

With new-age technologies driving the force, human connection and collaboration made an impact on campaigns. Reputation management has become even more robust in an era of fake news. Firms have gotten back to organising on-ground events for clients and consumer activism is reviving with CSR activities. Co-curation and dialogue storytelling coupled with Artificial intelligence are also making PR firms smarter.

The content in this section is curated by the PR and Communications team. For any feedback kindly write to karan.bhatia@exchange4media.com.


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