Diwali is the busiest season of the year for PR professionals: brand campaigns peak, gift lists never end, and every brand is fighting for space in a packed content calendar.
Khushboo Alag, senior account manager at Nucleus PR, agrees. “Diwali is never really a break when you handle multiple categories. FMCG clients are at their busiest with launches and gift guides, while media agencies push out festive brand campaigns till the last day. It’s all campaign announcements, last-minute approvals, media queries, and that one influencer post that goes up at 9pm.”
Prerna Dalakoti, account director at PRP Group, says, “For those of us in PR and communications, Diwali is when the festive spirit is high, but so are the deadlines! While most people are gearing up for the holidays, we’re juggling brand launches, inaugurations, festive campaigns, announcements and an endless stream of Diwali greetings. Amid all this, the real challenge is finding time for your own celebrations!”
So we asked PR professionals to take a short pause and tell us about this season’s main gifting trends, and one wish they have for the PR community.
Influencer generation values the unboxing experience
Sonam Motreja, associate vice president, influencer marketing, associate support and media buying, PRHUB. says, " The gifting is evolving. It's no longer just about what we gift, but how thoughtfully we present it, personalise it, and let people experience it. In this AI and influencer generation, we see that brands are focused on presentation, storytelling and the overall unboxing experience. Ultimately, the trend is shifting from gifting something expensive to gifting something meaningful, memorable and useful."
What’s one Diwali wish for the PR community?
"May this festive season open doors to new opportunities, stronger partnerships, fresh ideas, and collective success. Above all, I hope we continue to make a positive impact through the stories we tell and the relationships we build. Wishing the entire PR fraternity a bright, joyful and prosperous Diwali!
Mandatory Diwali tIme off
Integrated marketing consulting firm One Source, like every year, announced its ‘Happy People Work Harder’ retreat, where the firm’s management reaches out to all clientele, partners, and stakeholders, informing them of the week-long break for its people, during which they get to ‘switch off to switch on’ with family, or otherwise, during the festive season.
“At One Source, HPWH gives our people back to our most important stakeholders at One Source, the families of our people. We’d be fools to say people work for only fame or firms; they work first and foremost for their families, and it is because One Source aligns firmly with that, that we have grown strength-to-strength in business outcome consulting, this last decade. We have no interest in being the biggest; if we can be the best, concurrently, the happiest”, shares Sandeep Rao, managing director, One Source.
Dont get carried away by AI this Diwali
Ganapathy Viswanathan – communications & branding strategist and author of the book 'Mastering the Message' shares his views.
Diwali Gifting Trends
"I would much rather receive a gift voucher for a fitness centre or a basket of good herbal products that promote health and fitness. After all, what better gift can one give than something that encourages people to take care of their health."
My Diwali Wish for the PR Community
"My wish is simple. Let us not get carried away by AI. Technology will have its place, but let us not lose the ability to think, use our own judgement and bring a human touch to our strategic approach. At the end of the day, PR is about people, relationships and trust."
No last minute Diwali campaigns please
One of the most interesting shifts we’re seeing this Diwali is the move towards more thoughtful, homegrown and experience-led gifting, says Falguni Khemka, co-founder & COO @deQollab.
My one Diwali wish for the PR community?
I wish no PR professional had to pull off a last-minute Diwali campaign, spend endless hours staring at a laptop, or miss out on the festival of lights because of a deadline.
And may no client ever come up with a random Diwali campaign at the eleventh hour, expecting maximum media coverage out of thin air. May we all get the time to log off, put our laptops away, light a few diyas, spend time with our loved ones, and actually enjoy the festival we work so hard to make special for everyone else.
Experiences over material gifts
"At our own company, we decided to do something different this year. Instead of traditional Diwali gifts, we took the team to the mountains, where we enjoyed the weather, spent time together and made memories."
"Happy Diwali to the people who make everyone else’s stories shine. May our own lives be filled with just as much light, love, and happiness."
Mihir Ajay Pawar, manager media relations and brand communications, Blue Buzz says, "My Diwali wish for the PR community is to keep raising the bar by choosing credibility over visibility, meaningful conversations over media numbers, and long-term trust over short-termwins. May we continue to challenge conventions, embrace fresh perspectives and create communication that builds lasting value for brands, people and society."
Jovan A. Fernandes - Saldanha, head - corporate communications & public affairs Protean eGov Technologies says her Diwali wish is for organisations to start treating PR as an investment in reputation, not an expense against an announcement
She adds, "We've become very good at counting coverage, impressions and mentions. And while those numbers have their place, they don't always tell us whether we've built credibility, earned trust or changed perceptions.
It's a little like judging Diwali by the number of diyas you've lit, rather than whether you've actually illuminated anything."
Gina Ghosh, strategic reputation and communication advisor says, :A thoughtful gift can make people curious about a workplace. A disappointing hamper can become an internet joke. That's how visible corporate gifting has become. What interests me more is the shift towards letting employees choose their own gifts. After all, appreciation means different things to different people. But here's the thing. Even the most generous Diwali gift means little if employees don't feel valued the rest of the year."
PRmoment India Awards 2027
The PRmoment India Awards, in association with headline sponsor Adfactors PR, celebrate excellence and recognise and reward outstanding campaigns and exceptional talent in the Indian PR and Communications sector.
If you enjoyed this article, you can subscribe for free to our weekly event and subscriber alerts.
We have four email alerts in total - covering ESG, PR news, events and awards. Enter your email address below to find out more: