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‘PR is all about image-building,
strategic planning and clever manipulation’
Dale Bhagwagar writes on the changing trends in his profession and how our industry can benefit from them. Read on to know more.
As per an R&D write-up in the US-based Financial Times Limited’ this month of October, the average corporate PR budget has swelled by over 20 per cent in America over the past year despite the downfall in the economy and in direct opposition to dramatic cutbacks in above-the-line ad spend. A major survey clearly indicates that there is an increase in the average PR budget in 2002, despite the market conditions being low. The survey report adds that the results show that people are getting smarter about how to handle media spending. As more expensive budgets like advertising are being cut, the emphasis is being re-focused and placed on PR.
Now lets come to the scenario in India. But before that, let me introduce myself to you. I started out as a film journalist, and in 1997, shifted focus to PR with the launch of my agency Right Publicity, specializing in publicizing Hindi films. Ever since, I’ve been advocating that it is the article or the write-up which carries more weight or belief for a reader, than the advertisement in any newspaper or magazine. So when a report of the above mentioned American survey fell into my hands, I was least amused.
Okay, let me explain in short. Lets imagine you are reading a snippet written by a familiar writer and it says that a certain film is carrying bad reports. It further says, the performance of its lead star is not very happening. In the next few days, you see a full-page advertisement of the same film in a big reputed newspaper proclaiming it to be ‘the film’ to
watch out for. The colourful ad, with all its catchy captions, boasts about this film with an aim to catch your attention and impress you. Now tell me, which one of the two ways you will believe more in. The written word or the advertisement? Obviously, most people would go by the written-word because that’s the more trusted one. After all, ads are ads; they are expected to do the blah-blah they do. So now you can see and understand for yourself the reason why Americans are cutting down on ad budgets and going up on PR budgets. Positive or negative write-ups are much more effective in forming public opinion compared to ads which only tackle the hype aspect.
In fact, few have realized that India too has started following this trend (its only that none have acknowledged it yet). And as in many cases, Bollywood is paving the way to this development (mind you, it’s a development, not a trend).
But sadly, along with these and others, we also have many who do not understand the media at all. PR is not about blind execution of the things a maker asks the publicist to do. PR is about image-building. PR is about strategic planning. PR is also about clever manipulation. And the media is sure not a medium one can afford to go berserk with. The media has to be respected and treated the way it deserves to be treated. There is a very thin line between publicity and media-splashing; between hype and over-exposure. The better PRs understand that and tell their makers not to cross that line. The others simply listen and blindly do what they are told to.
This andha-dhun haanji-giri without any planned strategy also happens because of the prevalent insecurity amongst PRs. One thinks, if he doesn’t do it, someone else will and he will lose his job. And with cut-throat competition, there are many waiting to take on his job all the time. Also, because nowadays (unlike the past) there is no unity among Bollywood PRs. There is no proper association or governing body to effectively take care of the fraternity’s problems. Whatever association was there for PRs, is as good as being not there. ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ is the line which almost holds true today. No doubt confidence levels amongst most PRs of our industry is low.
Forget coming together on one platform, many of our industry’s publicists don’t even see eye-to-eye. Instead, they grab each other’s projects, criticize and under-quote to be one-up on the other, or just try and force their way into the other publicist’s projects. Maybe, they take the line ‘PR is all clever manipulation’ too personally instead of professionally.
All this is now part of the game, and it’ll take some time, motivation and inspiration to change it. It also makes me remember this rare occasion (maybe, for the first time in the history of film PRs) two years ago, when reputed editor Ms Udaya Tara Nayar brought all the leading PRs together on one platform for the launch party of a publication called ‘Entertainment Business’ (sadly, this one shut down a few months later due to financial problems). At ‘Hotel Guestline’, a party was organised specially for all the PRs of the entertainment industry. Among those who attended were Ajay Bane, Ajit Ghosh, Arunava Khan, B.K.Verma, Deepak Gandhi, Hilla Sethna, Keshav Rai, Parag Desai, R.R.Pathak, Rajendra Rao, Rajni Acharya, Rajoo Kariya, Sanjay Bane, Susheel Sharma and myself. “They are the real stars of our industry, people who are the key link between the glamour world and the printed word,” said Taraji in her touching speech and all the PRs felt proud. As her speech got over and everyone began to head for dinner, it struck my mind that such occasions come once in a lifetime. So the next thing I did was grab the mike and invite all the PRs “to have a group picture and make this a memorable occasion”. Everyone joined and it became a rare ‘n happy group picture. Ever since, I’ve been wondering where that ‘group’ disappeared after that party. Party and drinks over… they were divided again… trying to make their individual presence felt, taking all their burdens on their own shoulders, busy pulling each other down and very busy fighting their individual problems, most of which arise out of lack of unity.
Because of this sorry state of affairs, I have given up on becoming a member of any dormant PR association. Instead, I have gladly joined as a member of AMPTPP. And I thank Mr Anil Nagrath for showing the way. It’s a new beginning I’ve made and with confidence that it’ll lead me (and maybe my contemporaries too) to better times promoting unity amongst my fraternity. After all, isn’t it the quest for better times that takes us all ahead in life? Cheers till next month!!