Career Prospects in Indian PR Industry Post Covid19

 

Career Prospects in Indian PR Industry Post Covid19

Friends, Thank you very much for taking out time from your very busy schedule to read my blog(s). Sharing PR knowledge with you with finesse has become my passion now and I really feel encouraged after reading your feedback in the comments column.  Friends, I’m happy to present Diamond 75th blog “Career Prospects in Indian PR Industry Post Covid19” today.

Friends, a British research firm Crosby Textor ran a survey across various world geographies. As per the survey - worries about job losses were the highest in India as 86 per cent of those surveyed feared losing their jobs and livelihood post-Covid-19 lockdowns. In comparison, this fear is only 31 per cent in Britain, 33 per cent in Australia and 41 per cent in the US; and yes, a reasonably high 71 per cent amongst Hongkongers.

India today has a population of about 138 crore. Of this, about 75% or about 100+ crore are said to be in the working-age, usually calculated at above 15 years. Taking the broadest definition of employment to include any kind of paid work, formal or informal – salary, daily wage or self-employment, in February 2020, pre - corona virus pandemic and the national lockdown, about 40.4 crore Indians were employed, as per CMIE i.e. Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Mumbai. At that point, 3.4 crore were estimated to be unemployed.

The CMIE report, just two weeks into the lockdown flagged some alarming numbers. The CMIE estimated that only 27.7 per cent of the working-age Indian population (103 crore, by the report) was employed soon after the lockdown began. That translates to 28.5 crore. So, within two weeks, the number of gainfully employed came down from 40.4 crore to 28.5 crore, a drop of 11.9 crore. That in effect means that about 12 crore Indians lost employment in the first two weeks of the lockdown itself.

Friends, now some important facts and figures of global and Indian PR Industry that will set the tone of my Diamond 75^th Blog on the topic “Career Prospects in Indian PR Industry Post Covid19”.

·         The global public relations market is expected to grow from $88.13 billion in 2020 to $97.13 billion in 2021 at a CAGR of 10.2%. The market is expected to reach $129.35 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 7.4%. The countries covered in the global PR market are Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, UK, USA and Australia.

·         PR industry in India grew 12% to reach Rs 1,600crores in March’ 2019. 

·      The industry continued to grow at a CAGR i.e. compound annual growth rate of 12.5 per cent, to reach Rs 1,800 crore by March’ 2020.

·    The industry is expected to grow at 15 percent to reach Rs 2,270 crore by March’ 2021. (Actual Figures not available as of now)

·        During Covid19 almost 64% clients have reduced their PR budgets say one in three significantly.

·        Almost 77% of the clients reduced their PR retainers; 90% clients postponed their campaigns, and 83% clients canceled their activation.

·         Almost four in 10 clients imposed extended payment terms during COVID-19.

·         One in five PR agencies lay off staff and instigated furloughs.

·     Revenue has been adversely impacted by at least 20% to 30%”, as the core sectors of travel, tourism, hospitality, consumer and retail have been the hardest hit.

·      Consequently, at many PR firms, employees experienced anywhere from 30% to 50% pay cuts, and at the senior level, even higher, to offset dwindling revenues.

·         There are more then 1100+ PR consultancies in India

·      As per a study done by PRCAI every year, estimated 1,000-1,200 individuals join the estimated 30,000 professional strong Indian PR sector.

·      According to a survey the PR industry in India is growing at an annual rate of 32 percent.

 

Friends, as you very well know that PR is a Persuasion Business because most of the time we’re  trying to convince our client’s target  audience, internal as well as external, to promote the idea, purchase a product or service, support the client’s  position, or recognize  accomplishments of the clients.

We, being a PR professional, are responsible for enhancing the image and promoting the view point of our clients and we do this through using earned media, such as news stories or articles, as they carry much more weight among the target audience.

Friends, a PR agency is basically a consultancy that gives sound communications advice to its clients. It’s of immense importance that the PR agency and the client work in tandem to achieve best results.  It has been experienced that the PR agency is a very useful resource, one that sits outside of  the business sphere and helps the business in seeing the ‘bigger picture’ which cannot be seen from inside due to diverse reasons. 

The ultimate goal of a PR agency is to promote its clients image and brand reputation through a mix of communications tools. This might be through earned media (e.g. articles and reviews) , shared media (e.g. social media), paid media (e.g. advertorials and sponsored articles), speaking opportunities on suitable platforms, influencer engagement and digital marketing services, like SEO, PPC, email marketing and so on. PR agencies uses media pitches, press releases or press conferences  as the main PR tools to get  free editorial coverage for their clients i.e. stories appearing on news websites, blogs, news papers, news magazines and TV News programs as compared to "paid media" or Advertising.

Over more than a century old now, the profession of Public Relations has come a long way. It will not be an exaggeration to say that the globalization of the Indian economy in the 1990s gave its rightful place to PR in India. The emergence of multi-national corporations on the scene in the early 1990s, the opportunities of foreign direct investment increased especially with the de-regulation of industries. The market became suddenly competitive and businesses felt it necessary to build their reputation in order to gain more and more access to new market and new consumers. This led to the explosion of PR and advertising agencies in the country.  

While everyone uses PR in India, be it central or state governments, corporate organizations or the non-governmental sector, the tools, techniques and tactics often differ. For the private and multinational companies, advocacy and corporate affairs (lobbying) are essential part of PR, the public sector organizations, by and large have a standard media mix for PR activities that include press / media relations for image build up with the outside world through non-paid media, and internal communication with employees and investor relations in companies that have gone public. For achieving that the departments use various tools such as films, exhibitions, inter-personal communication, outreach, house journals, company web sites, intra communication, and open houses among others.

A common trend noticed in the private and public sector in India has been the re-christening and re-designation of PR departments as corporate communications departments and from PR managers to corporate communications managers.

Public relation is now a thriving profession in India. There are hundreds of large and small PR consultancies in the country, employing thousands of practitioners. Most companies are in private sector and almost all Public Sector Enterprises or Undertakings have public relations departments. From an executive function, PR is now becoming a part of the high-level management job touching upon the core values of an organization. Finally, PR in India is fast emerging as an institution especially with its growing acceptance as a skilled and specialized profession.

Today Public Relation is doing fairly good business. Some of the reasons ascribed to this spurt in business are globalization of the market and an increasing emphasis on integrated communication for brand management. Social marketing, advocacy communication and perception management are also some the emerging fields that are increasingly being handled by public relations experts. There is a huge demand for youngsters who have a strong grounding in public relations.                                                                                                                                                               

Since the early 1990s, there has been a sudden focus on PR as a career choice among young aspirants. This is mainly ascribed to two factors:

1.     The explosion of public relations outfits all over the country in the wake of the opening of the economy to trans-national companies and the changing media scene in the country.

2.      In the last few years, there has also been emphasis on vocational courses at university level.

According to a conservative estimate, about 5000 students go through PR courses at various levels and of different duration in India every year. How many really get into the PR profession, there is no empirical data available. Unlike other well established professions like medicine, law, accountancy, the mass communication disciplines like Journalism, advertising and PR haven’t still acquired the status of a distinct discipline for which any formal training is considered necessary at the induction level.  Also, PR Professionals don’t need any accreditation to join PR profession. Many youngsters get into PR without undergoing a formal training.

Organizational structure of a PR Agency can have an impact on communication because of the reporting structures and flow of information in the organization. Also, the PR agency structure can vary a great deal from agency to agency based on size - large, medium and small, but it is mostly based upon a consulting relationship to the client.

Let’s take a look at the basic structure of a PR agency and what the different people do. I’ll start with the most essential part of the organization: the teams that serve clients. These teams look similar across most of the PR agencies with a few customary twists, functionally; however, most PR agencies operate in roughly the same manner.

First is INTERN……

Intern

Internships are all about learning. First step on the PR career track is intern. Interns learn the PR business through the most basic of tasks and learn whether the agency and the PR world is what they want to pursue.

Account Coordinator

After INTERN, first full time position on the PR career track is the Account Coordinator. Account Coordinator spend a great deal of time writing, compiling reports, working with media lists, doing social media and traditional media monitoring, maintaining databases and lists, and generally providing a solid foundation for their team to build on.

Account Executive

Account Executives are the relationship people who build relationships with journalists, analysts, influencers, publishers, and anyone who can get the word out about what clients are trying to publicize. Very often they’re the ones writing press releases, media releases, analyst briefs, social posts, etc.

Senior Account Executives

Account Executives become Senior Account Executives when they establish a solid track record for relationship building and a long list of wins under their belts. When a pitch needs to find a home under the most difficult conditions, the Sr. Account Executive is the one at bat. They have the best of media persons in their vertical or niche and are on such good terms with their media contacts that a quick text, Tweet, or message is all that’s needed to get the ball rolling. They facilitate in-person meetings, do media training to prepare their clients for difficult interviews, and even help to win new business. This position is traditionally the last non-management position in a PR agency organizational structure.

Organisational Structure of a PR Agency…….

·         Managing Director or President or CEO

·         VP - Media,

·         VP - Marketing,

·         VP - Creative,

·         VP - Events,

·         VP- Accounts or Clients

·         Account Director

·         Sr. Acct. Manager

·         Acct. Manager

·         Sr. Acct. Executive

·         Acct. Executive

·         Acct. Coordinator

·          Intern(s)

·         Content writer(s)

·         Creative designer

·         Media Relations Manager

·         Researchers 

·         Media Trackers

·         Accounts & Finance Head

·         I T Head & support staff

·         Human Resource Head & support staff

—       Admin & Coordination Head & support staff

Lets analyses the impact of COVID-19 on Public Relations industry and its significance post the pandemic

Mankind is facing an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis which threatens the very existence of the human race. We all are experiencing setbacks but at the same time are confident that a cure is not far away. Almost every country was in lockdown since March 2020, and because of that, the global market is in doldrums and entering a state of recession. Businesses are facing huge losses and are forced to curb their expenses in various ways.

Most of the businesses are adopting the ‘wait and watch’ approach which seems to be the most logical at this juncture. The same is true even for a service-led industry like Public Relations (PR). We all know that the PR and media industry go hand in hand. Due to the slowdown, people are reluctant to buy newspapers even if the WHO guidelines explicitly mention that there is no chance of contracting the virus from printed newspapers.

Most of the people are in a panic mode and because of that, the sale of newspapers has declined drastically. Most sections of the media, barring a few, are focusing only on the pandemic and this has impacted client coverage. Clients have withdrawn their pro-activeness towards continuing PR activities and most of them have put their PR partnerships on hold until the lockdown is called off. This creates a stalling scenario in the industry and most of the experts are not certain when this will go back to normal.

The lockdown has also impacted product launches and other promotional or media events where PR teams play an important role. Now, with all the concerns and uncertainties in mind, most of the companies are in a fix, whether to go ahead with their PR plans or should they just hold on for the time being?

In the current scenario, which is almost a crises situation because of COVID19, most of the industries are in need of and are looking for the candidates with good communication skills for creating and maintaining a positive image of the company, internal communication of employees, and the general public, as it is also a window of an organization through which management can monitor external as well as internal changes.

Post Covid19 many organizations have understood the need of cost-effective communications plans for their growth. With growing adoption of social media, even many PR agencies have started investing in creative and digital arms for fast and effective communication.  Friends, no one can neglect the importance of PR in post Covid19 days because of its huge impact.

You all would agree with me that PR plays a crucial role in analyzing and influencing public opinion. The Scope of Public Relations is extensive for big organisations, corporate to medium or small businesses or just a start up, and even an individual looks for PR support. Public Relations have grown to become a vital component of brand communication, and effective and sustained communication strategies have emerged as critical components of perception and image management of brands today.

Covid-19 has furthered an already ongoing change towards greater proliferation of digital and social media with shrinking traditional media space. This has created new challenges and requirements for the PR industry. The rising value and reach of digital media has shifted priorities and created the need for dedicated digital media strategies.

The current economic crisis due to Covid19 might also spur the rise of niche PR agencies i.e. offering communications services in a single sector or aimed at a particular activity or group. Niche PR can provide better value than general-purpose agencies since they are more targeted. This makes the PR campaign more affordable. PR professionals with niche experience will be viewed as experts because they’ve built up experience and made important connections in that field.

As per PRCAI state of the Indian PR industry report 2019-20 maximum growth is expected in the areas of corporate reputation, strategic consulting and social media and community management in next five years i.e. 2021 to 2025. And the sectors that foresee maximum growth in the similar period are technology, information technology, financial services, professional services (e-commerce) and healthcare.   Friends, as per the report 900 new employees were added to the existing PR work force in 2019. It’s pertinent to note that hiring of PR employees is largely been done from PR consultancies and other corporate’s in-house teams.

Since there is greater emphasis on data driven activities in PR post Covid19 with the goal of better serving the clients, which are largely responsible for creating demand for relevant talent in Indian PR Industry. So those interested to enter the Indian PR space and secure a job in a good and reputed PR agency must start making them well versed with data driven activities also.

Please keep in mind that any PR aspirant and professional can become a data – driven PR professional. Being data-driven doesn’t mean becoming a data scientist, statistician, or computer science professional. It also doesn’t mean abandoning the profession of public relations or communications. Anyone can be data – driven PR professional as long as they are curious, inquisitive, and persistent. The traits that make up a data – driven PR professional are curiosity, integrity, boldness, honesty, persistence, and humility. If these already describe you, then you only need to learn a framework and few tools to become a full fledged data – driven PR professional.  

To conclude.......

Friends, every individual, activity or a business needs to discover a market that they believe they can serve in the most optimum manner possible. That is, finding your niche is of coveted importance.

When any activity / business prize itself at providing exclusively for a specific industry or demographic, they are called business verticals or vertical markets. These verticals are businesses that aim at targeting specific audience needs and providing specialized services for the same.

There is a great scope for a job / work in Indian PR space because of its various verticals for example… Political PR, Celebrity PR, Film PR, Travel & Tourism PR, Healthcare PR, Education PR, Technology PR, Advocacy PR, Fashion PR, Online or Digital PR, Financial PR, Hospitality PR, Government PR, Corporate Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Relations, PR Research etc.

For the students of Mass Comm please.... After completing UG in Mass Comm or PG in PR you just need to put your best foot forward in deciding the PR vertical of your choice and start applying for an Internship or a job in your choice of vertical(s). This way, you can grab the attention of prospective employers that can be a PR agency or a hotel, airline, hospital, bank, political party, celebrity i.e.  Actor or musician or dancer or sports person or artist or poet or singer or writer or film production house, college or school etc… and subsequently you can secure an internship or a job.

Finally, to be a good PR professional, always remember following 10 Cs of PR which is the professional requirements of a public relations person;

1. Clarity

2. Commitment

3. Communication Skills

4. Creativity

5. Concise

6. Continuity

7. Commonsense

8. Courtesy

9. Credibility

10. Computer Literate

 

Thank You for reading the blog.