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Mokobara gets cheeky with PR, Mumbai Marathon runs on legacy PR: Good and Bad PR

Credit: Mumbai Marathon Flag off

It's been a hot minute since we signed off in December, and we've returned to a year's worth of stories. 

Some resolutions for 2025: First, we will ignore quick commerce as their newsreels spiral out of control. We reckon they've long given up on the notion of good and bad PR. 

Second, we're leaving behind the work hours debate. Thank you, SN Subrahmanyan, sir, for the straw that broke the camel's back. Your PR team deserves an all-expenses-paid vacation after what you put them through this month.

A new mantra for 2025 will surely make our business leaders salivate: If you want to buy things without looking at the price tag, work without looking at the clock.

Good PR: Tata Mumbai Marathon Proves the Power of Legacy

There are more than 1600 registered timed races in India. For the non-runners amongst us, can you name another Indian marathon or race without Googling? Thought so. So, how do you become one of the top 10 marathons in Asia (without having famous marathoners) in just 20 years? 

The answer is to envision a 100-year plan for your property. 

TMM has stayed with the times, weaving narratives like sustainability (We Saw You, Hero Vida) and inclusivity into its narrative, not just also-rans. We can't think of a more iconic photo-op than the runners in full sweat tearing down the sea link - typifying India in a nutshell - people and progress.

Sir Mo Farah was on hand to boost the event this year, not that TMM needed it desperately. You see, this was the first Tata marathon after the passing of THE legend.

The sheer number of runners who ran in tribute is just one more example of the power of legacy. It's a good thing TMM is held in January; most of our fitness resolutions fizzle out by the end of this month. 

Big shout out to that one guy who soaked in both - the Coldplay concert the night before and the TMM the following day. Well played, bro.

Mokabara Gets Cheeky With It

Cheeky PR

 In a world where toothpaste has become 'oral care,' dishwasher fluid has become 'cutlery shower gel,' and suitcases get rebranded as 'travel lifestyle, ' if you bought into the lifestyle, clicked at least one airport selfie for the Gram with the luggage box, and maybe even looked down on someone with a hard case suitcase without built-in locks and a charging pouch (so LS), last week's white-labelling accusations against Mokobara probably hurt.

Hands up if at least one person sent you the link mocking you for buying a Chinese, mass-manufactured product. No, not Apple, but a suitcase. You want the brand to help you out. You want them to post a scything reply denying all allegations and nipping this in the bud.

Mokobara responded with a tongue-in-cheek response, claiming originality courses through their veins, and they couldn't be bothered to set the record straight by using words. For a brand that means ' carry your identity' (we Googled it), counterfeit allegations are to be avoided like the plague. 

One of the biggest concerns of white-labelled Chinese goods is durability and longevity. Mokobara has a readymade opportunity in 2025 - send all your influencers on train journeys to all parts of Viksit Bharat. If the bags survive, I don't think anyone cares where you manufactured them. 

For a detailed explanation, check out what @beastoftraal's Karthik Srinivasan had to say.


Shoeb is the chief innovation officer at Ideosphere Consulting. He loves helping brands and business leaders articulate their value better. If you want to point out examples of good and bad PR message him on LinkedIn

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