Public Relations and Communicators Blog

(also appeared in Firstpost)  The recent Tata boardroom spat has spawned many faceted discussions, and one of these has been on the appointment and role Independent Directors – an aspect that not only concerns governance, but also Board room expertise. Like many, I spent a considerable amount of time wondering what the boardroom discussions would be like, extrapolating from the little information that was available. To emphasize the need for expertise in the board, the rules for appointment of independent directors of a board under the MCA Act require the independent director to possess appropriate skills, experience and knowledge in one or more fields of finance, law, management, sales, marketing, administration, research, corporate governance, technical operations or other disciplines related to the company's business. It is quite clear that expertise (and not just experience) is one of the necessary qualities of the board. The question that kept coming back to me was...

The power of Public Relations is the power of the masses. If used well, not only does the Brand get etched into the public minds, but it also has the ability to turn mere ‘carriers’ into ‘idea transmitters’. Public Relations can convert mere believers into self-powered evangelists. What is it that gives an evangelist missionary purpose, infectious zeal and volcanic energy, to go about spreading the ‘faith’ unflinchingly? The idea-meme which converts them, if pure and potent, has the ability to make the transmission of idea-meme a vital reason for their very existence - sometimes even the only reason for their existence. Those who dedicate their lives to religion, country, family, community, society, or organization, exhibit visions similar to that of ‘faith-keepers’. Ideas that may seem insignificant to many still find their faith-keepers, and often these evangelists turn these ideas into revolutions. A few examples include the legendary Jane Goodall who dedicated forty-fiv...

Humans are animals of habit. If we sit in a particular seat in any forum, we will automatically gravitate towards it the next time, if we walk on one side of the road, it will almost always be the same side every time. We lessen the use of our brain by using more of 'muscle' or mechanical memory - the known and comfortable route we know to be safe. Marketers bet on that. Whenever marketers bet big on a campaign, they know that there will be a 'trial' spike in sales after which the cliched 'new normal' will settle at a higher base because of the  neo-converts. Once you've become a convert, another change is not easy. So not only do you make a convert of one through a campaign, but the brand also ensures that this customer  has been blocked from future conversions. We have evolved to believe that if we've tested a method/product/service out any new experimentation is an unnecessary waste of effort. However, in the new age, nothing could be further th...

I read an interesting article today titled ' Apple Fined for Misleading iPad Ad in Oz' (see link for full article)    http://services.bluebytes.info/BlueBytes/PreviewWithoutHighlight.php?HNewsId=a6118daeA4758A4911Ab165A43b0d4cb5364&HNewsName=0&MainNID =. And soon the dots began connecting even though I am not in Australia, neither am I a fan of Apple products, nor do I have more than a casual interest in the Steve Jobs cult. But this article bothers me. It may be the initial sign of a vanishing cult. Like the Incas (or if you want something closer home, Nokia.) The charm of the brand is fading - and very quickly too.  This along with other developments Galaxy III's Android based innovation, Microsoft's attempt at a Nokia takeover, Apple's copyright cases against Samsung, combined with Tim Cook's selective presence (or absence) from the media, I get a strong premonition. If you look around, the Apple product owner is 'less' of an evang...