What do PR professionals want this Valentine Day?

 12th February 2019    PR Insight 
 Paarul Chand

All I want this Valentine Day is ....I know, I know. It's a bit of a cliche to look at what PR folks want on a Valentine's Day. But it's a good reminder to introduce some rose coloured sentiments for the ties that bind in the PR business.

Saikat Pyne, who describes himself as a storyteller@Times Internet has a specific 'ask' for Valentine Day, saying, "I pray the word ASAP disappears from the Indian PR vocabulary. This would collectively lower blood pressure and cortisol levels for 98.763% of young PR folks in the country. I submit to you, using ASAP for deadlines means nothing other than that you’re freaking out. Even Egyptian astronomers wouldn’t know what amount of time qualifies for ASAP, so let’s stick to hours and minutes."

And yes, Saikat is looking for love too! In a shoutout, "To the elusive lady in the big bad world out there, this is not a drill. Let me know what I need to do to earn as much as my peers in business and product functions, and file my IT returns while you’re at it. I glaze over in HR workshops every time they mention TDS, Form 16, HRA and other such cerebral stuff!" 

The mere idea of working on V-Day get's the goat of Sanya Bhatia (pictured left), image executive, Perfect Relations. She says, "I want a party for singles."

Having a 'show me the money' moment, Sanya also wishes, "For an opportunity to give the entire media fraternity and PR friends a moment of peace and an extra bonus paycheck to celebrate the day of love."

Getting right down to brasstacks, senior PR professional Aseem Bhargava, wishes for better understanding about PR from clients. Admititng that it could be wishful thinking, but he says this V day he would settle for, "Clients who DON'T say we are are looking at mainly building the brand through PR, have a miserly budget and don't want to spend on any paid opportunities in today's paid scenario!" 

 

Rumela Chandra, PR associate with Ideosphere PR, echoes Aseem, saying she wants, "Clients to have more faith and better understanding. Trust me, that is all a PR  professional wishes for!"

Rumela ( pictured right) also asks for some feedback, positive of course, for all the unseen, uncredited work PR folks do for V day themed stories. She says, "The planning, listing, invites, campaigns only make sense when the feedback of the particular event is great. As we curate the plan, offers and theme, it feels great when people genuinely respond to our hardwork. As we often do not come out in the open, good feedback can just light up OUR VDay. All we need is some good vibes and motivation!

A PR professional, who shall remain unamed, says in a rather resigned manner on a PR WhatsApp group discussing V Day stories that, "We are already in an eternal love-hate relationship with media and clients."

Impact Public Relation's Kulpreet Freddy Vesuna, who along with her husband, made it to the cover of Brunch over the weekend (see left) with her own love story, says she will be, "Doing a potluck at office, and will make my famous Rajmah Chawal for the team . We are also going to do some TikTok videos and the best video will win."

 

To conclude, Rohinee Ram Shashidhar, public diplomacy officer, Consulate of Israel to South India sums up the entire PR-media relationship saying that she wants, " More love from the media.", asking rather plaintively, "Is that too much too ask?"