Which Indian industry sectors desperately need a PR fix?

 21st June 2017    PR Insight 
 Paarul Chand

What with in-house corporate battles (the Tatas), the pain of GST, demonetisation, bad loans, it has been a tough year for the Indian corporate sector. PRmoment India, looks at three sectors that desperately need a PR fix.

FMCG

Sheena Sharma, chief health and wellness, issues and crisis and client studio at Genesis Burson -Marsteller believes that the, “Sheer volume of competition, growth of indigenous players, evolving consumer trends along with increased regulatory scrutiny has kept the FMCG sector in the news.”

The PR FIx, Sheena Sharma, Genesis Burson-Marsteller:

Sharma advises that, “A well-balanced mix between content and new media platforms as also leveraging an innovative influencer outreach campaign and most importantly delivering measurable impact should be the focus. Another very critical area where companies should invest more is issue preparedness. There has been a significant uptake of this service so far but unfortunately the decision to prepare for a crisis continues to be more of an afterthought. Its important for brands to observe the environment they operate and the numerous vulnerabilities they are prone to (external as well as internal) and then prepare a comprehensive strategy to manage the same.”

Real Estate

Sarvesh Tiwari, founder and managing director of PR Professionals points to, “Real estate as another industry which needs PR more than never before. Even though demonetisation has led to financial constraints, real estate companies should invest in PR. Real estate sector has always been perceived as a hotbed of corruption and black money. Recent events like demonetisation, passage of RERA and Benami Act created uncertainty for the real estate sector. Responsible Public Relations can help quell common myths associated with real estate sector and portray the favourable image of the company.”

The PR Fix, Sarvesh Tiwari, PR PRofessionals:

“The need of the hour for real estate is to practice traditional PR. While technology may be the front runner of the majority of the businesses, strong media relations still rule the roost in PR. Regular media interface and strong interpersonal skills remain the foundation of effective PR practice.”

Early stage startups

Lovejeet Alexander, lead strategist at Green Cheese PR flags early stage startups in India as needing PR badly. He explains,“ Peep into a youngster's mobile and you'll get to know of half a dozen new apps that are so interesting and useful. You might have never heard of them but then you would like to use them quite often. Why did these startups miss out on business from you and did you miss an opportunity to use them? Well, they never went for PR and were told "it's not the time.”

Adds Alexander, “Moreover, with the shoestring budget in hand, they have no choice but to get the maximum ROI and a short turnaround time. That's only possible with smart only.”

The PR Fix, Lovejeet Alexander, Green Cheese PR:

"Going with a mega-agency may not be a cost-effective option. The agility and innovation required by startups is hard to get from agencies already overloaded with giant corporate accounts. I suggest finding a young and creative PR partner.”