Is it time for PR start-ups to shake up the PR business in India?

 10th December 2014    PR Insight 

The start-up culture is now firmly established in India and has also begun to invade the PR business. Though PR in India has always been full of mom and pop stores, PR start-ups are now gearing up to cater to the growing demand for PR, from not only mid-sized firms, but also to cater the ever growing start-up action in India.

PRmoment India takes a look at some of the youngest firms in the country. We chose firms that are doing interesting work and whose founders are all under 30 or have set up shop in the last year.

FoxyMoron

Self–funded, digital hot shop, FoxyMoron, was set up by 4 teenagers over 6 years ago and today handles some of the biggest brands in India across Ed-Tech, education, consumer and hospitality. In August 2013, the company also kicked off its PR wing.

26 year old Suveer Bajaj, director - media operations and co-founder, FoxyMoron, gives this piece of sharp advice to other people with a start-up dream. Suveer says, “Always be relentless. Keep evolving. Keep on your toes. If not, the industry will eat you alive. The fast pace the industry works at doesn’t help either; one can become redundant within the blink of an eye.”

Suveer’s Gyan: “Listen more and speak less. Absorb everything you possibly can from the Ecosystem. Network, network and network some more!”

“Set unachievable tasks. Commit. Dream. Do it. And don’t look back ever.”

 

Standout mantra for FoxyMoron: “As storytellers, we believe that new-age digital tools can give life to a brand’s story! With a constant need for engagement for greater brand recall, our integrated approach to Public Relations is a powerful combination of traditional and digital PR. “

WhiteCrow PR

The imaginatively named WhiteCrow PR was set up by 25 year old, Pradnya Ghadge, 28 year old, Triveni Bhatkal and Sonali Ramaiya, in February this year. The firm, which started with two clients, an artist and a consultant, chose a crow for its quality of being an intelligent and witty communicator as their mascot.

WhiteCrow has since grown to handle clients across art and culture, banking and finance, commodities, HR, F&B and IT.

Pradnya Ghadge, whose father is well known artist, Prakash H Ghadge, says this about their first big breakthrough, “The first project that we started for jazz did not fetch large financial gains, however, it created a big footprint in the jazz fraternity and we bagged a series of jazz event projects for a renowned theatre in South Mumbai.”

Standout Mantra for WhiteCrow PR: Pradnya says that, “We have been partnering with mid-sized business owners and managers to make visible their brand and create an identity, thereby helping them to grow their profits.”

Facio Communications

Set up 4 months ago, by Abhishek Gulyani and Rahul Pandita, Facio Communications handles both start–ups and well-known international brands across BFSI, telecom, BPO and technology.

Breakthrough projects:  Facio is currently involved in planning a marketing campaign for launching an international chocolate brand in India, as well as handling an innovative one click mobile app.

Product Differentiator: Facio Communications has taken an integrated approach and handles everything from internal communications, to branding, digital marketing, social media, traditional media and PR.