tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225380712024-03-15T00:52:18.376-07:00Corporate Communications, Public Relations professional Corporate Communications professional who has been designing and implementing innovative, integrated, research-based campaigns in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. Specializations include Crisis Communications/ Reputation Management, Brand and Marketing Communications, Public Affairs, Internal Communications, Pre-IPO/ Investor Relations and Social Media.
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-60374404495240823562018-03-28T02:43:00.000-07:002018-03-28T02:43:07.091-07:00‘Not hype. Not spin. But truth. If public relations is to retain its position as the credible source, we must not…’<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A legendary
PR guru passed away earlier this week, but his words describing PR ring loud
and clear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Thomas
Harris, former President, GolinHarris, now known as Golin, was among the among <i>PRWeek</i>’s
100 Most Influential Public Relations People of the 20th Century. </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He was 87.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Truth is
what we are all about,” he <a href="http://plankcenter.ua.edu/resources/leaders/legacies-from-legends-in-pr/thomas-l-harris-apr-fellow-prsa/" target="_blank">wrote</a> in his personal message to students in <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Legacies from Legends edition of </span></em>the
Plank Center, the University of Alabama. “Not hype. Not spin. But truth. If
public relations is to retain its position as the credible source, we must not
blur the line between information and propaganda, between advocacy and
salesmanship. The old description of public relations as ‘the conscience of the
corporation’ is more relevant than ever in today’s complex society. The highest
calling of PR is to keep our organization on straight paths, to counsel the
powers-that-be not just to say the right thing but to do the right thing. In
the future, our job will be more vital. We will be often called upon to assume
the role of gatekeeper that has traditionally been played by the media. Our
greatest value to our organizations, the media and our stakeholders must always
be to separate information from misinformation and disinformation, and tell it
like it is.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Harris led a
career that stretched decades across the PR and advertising industry, according
to a statement <span id="goog_296863905"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">quoted<span id="goog_296863906"></span></a> in PRWeek. He was the <i>Adjunct </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Professor in the Master’s programme in
Integrated Marketing Communications, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern
University.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He also authored
four books including </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; display: none; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-hide: all;">The Marketer's
Guide to Public Relations How Today's Top Companies Are Using the New PR to
Gain a Competitive Edge "Tom Harris has done more than anyone else to explain
how public relations should be an important element in the marketing process.
Every marketer should read this book." - Joe Cappo, Vice
President/Publisher Advertising Age "Tom Harris might well be consumer
marketing management's next folk hero. His book provides a wealth of
information that will be useful to consumer marketing executives and public
relations professionals alike." - Harold Burson, Chairman Burson
Marsteller "Tom Harris illustrates how companies can gain competitive
advantages in the vicious marketing climate of the 1990s while reducing costs.
This book will be must reading at business schools like Chicago, Stanford, and
Harvard." - Robert L. Dilenschneider, President The Dilenschneider Group
"It's all here: what to do and what not to do, checklists and case
histories, even crisis management and minority marketing. Best of all, it's
projected through the experience of a true professional in marketing PR. All
you need is this book and a client."<br />
- John O'Toole, President American Association of Advertising Agencies "I
just could't stop reading Tom's book. It's right on the money and demonstrates
clearly, comprehensively, and scientifically the critical role that public
relations plays in marketing consumer products - and shows why it's going to be
increasingly important in the future." - Daniel J. Edelman, Chairman and
CEO Daniel J. Edelman, Inc.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Marketer’s Guide to Public Relations:
How Today’s Top Companies Are Using the New PR to Gain a Competitive Edge.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-92004112747577928662018-03-27T03:29:00.002-07:002018-03-27T03:29:29.090-07:00Death of a strong advertising appeal?
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Projecting
the perfect man or woman. That has been one of the strongest appeals used by
advertising in clothing and related areas over the years.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Raymond’s
The Complete Man campaign, which has been running for over 25 years, has been
given a quiet burial by the company. Does that imply that the appeal itself has
lost its appeal? Are their greater appeals than perfection (or being complete)
when it comes to man-woman relationship?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Independent brand strategy advisor Prabhakar Mundkur looks at the Raymond
campaign in his <a href="http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/52601_Raymond-deserts-Complete-Man-and-Sonic-Branding" target="_blank">column</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The new Raymond TV
features visually impaired Canadian singer and writer Jugpreet Singh Bajwa. He
provides “his interpretation of black for the new Black Collection of fabrics”.<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Raymond's latest
film has proved to be a complete departure from the previous tone and
personality of the brand,” he writes. “Almost like moving from an opera house
into a hard rock concert without a transition to adjust to the change.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">On the Raymond campaign,
Mundkur quotes Sumit Roy, long-time trainer and innovation consultant, as
saying, "The Complete Man worked because women actually chose suiting
brands, not men. Apparently, we men can't decide on suits without having a
woman at our side. While I am always for long-running campaigns, The Complete
Man is now over 25 years old. Do women like ‘sensitive men’ any more…? Times
may have changed."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-20251644616515478222018-03-22T23:43:00.001-07:002018-03-22T23:43:06.901-07:00Marketing: Importance of relevance<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“In
this new era of digital-based competition and customer control, people are
increasingly buying because of a brand’s <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">relevance</span></em> to their
needs in the moment,” <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/03/marketers-need-to-stop-focusing-on-loyalty-and-start-thinking-about-relevance" target="_blank">write</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><a href="https://hbr.org/search?term=john+zealley"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">John Zealley</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">, </span><a href="https://hbr.org/search?term=joshua+bellin"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Joshua Bellin</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> and </span><a href="https://hbr.org/search?term=robert+wollan"><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">Robert Wollan</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">, who hold top positions with Accenture, in their article
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marketers Need to Stop Focusing on
Loyalty and Start Thinking About Relevance </i>in<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Harvard Business Review.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
‘loyalty era’ of marketing is on the wane, and, consequently, people may not buy
the same things just because the right incentives are available. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In
order to become a living business, companies should look beyond the traditional
four Ps of marketing as this framework </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">targets a ‘static
customer archetype’. “The reality is that there is no such archetypical
customer,” they argue. “Everyone’s needs vary depending on time and context.
And with today’s technologies, companies now have the ability to see and act on
these fluctuations in the moment. Customers are increasingly expecting all
companies to do just that, both in their marketing efforts and in the
experiences they offer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">‘Relevance’
would increase if companies </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">expand their thinking to
include the following five Ps as well: <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">purpose</span>,
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">pride</span>, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">partnership</span>, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">protection</span>,
and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">personalization<i>. “</i></span>These
form a simple and comprehensive test of relevance,” they suggest. “The first
four extend from the top to the bottom of the psychological hierarchy -- from
what (American psychologist Abraham) Maslow called ‘self-actualization’ or
fulfilling your full potential, to safety, a more basic need. The fifth, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">personalization</span>, enables companies to
connect with customers around any of these needs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Reinvention does not mean you have to throw away all
your previous incentives and strategies, but rather foresee the trend of the
market and readjust your metrics of performance and delivery,” <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2015/08/31/4-ways-to-maintain-marketing-relevance-through-reinvention/#737859547f8a" target="_blank">writes</a> Steve Olenski
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">(currently a senior
creative content strategist at Oracle Responsys) </span><span class="comma"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">in Forbes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="comma"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span class="comma"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span class="comma"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="comma"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Steve recommends four ways that help companies maintain </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">marketing
relevance<span>. These are: 1. relentless relevance; 2. bold moves and innovation; 3. customer
obsession and asking questions; 4. having
a vision for one’s brand and authenticity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Marketing relevance does not come with a crash course
and there is no way to gain expertise in it unless there is continuous
self-growth and reinvention and that can only come by gaining an edge in
technological advances and keeping communication lines open with consumers,”
writes Steve.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-85102563273307814512018-03-22T02:08:00.000-07:002018-03-22T03:00:24.191-07:00Paul Holmes: Morality is not optional<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paul Holmes is a
world-renowned authority on public relations and reputation management.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Paul talks, several
of the global PR giants pause to ponder. But his latest </span><a href="https://www.holmesreport.com/long-reads/article/in-modern-pr-morality-is-not-optional-it%27s-foundational" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">column</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, In Modern PR, Morality Is Not Optional;
It's Foundational could shake the giants
out of their slumber and complacency. “Good relations between an organization
and its stakeholders are built on trust; trust is gained by acting ethically,”
he wrote. “So ethical decision-making is good public relations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the uninitiated, Paul
is founder and chair of The Holmes Group. He has been writing about public
relations for more than 25 years. Paul created the annual Public Relations
Agency Report Card and the Creativity in Public Relations Awards. His group’s
flagship title, The Holmes Report, covers the public relations business in the
Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and the Asia-Pacific
region. In 2011, Paul was inducted into the ICCO Hall of Fame. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not the first time the publication is focusing on ethics. In
October 2017, the Holmes Report published a </span><a href="https://www.holmesreport.com/latest/article/icco-summit-helsinki-declaration-outlines-ethical-principles-for-pr" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">report</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, ICCO Summit: Helsinki
Declaration Outlines Ethical Principles For PR. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last fortnight, the Holmes Report published a </span><a href="https://www.holmesreport.com/latest/article/global-pr-trade-bodies-agree-to-establish-ethics-task-force" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">report</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> on global PR trade
bodies’ decision to set up an ethics task force following the Bell Pottinger
</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2017/sep/04/sports-direct-chairman-keith-hellawell-ashley" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">scandal</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Equally forthright is Alex Malouf, Corporate Communications Manager, Procter
& Gamble, the Arabian Peninsula, who has worked
across the Middle East for 12 years. “Are agencies willing
to sacrifice a paying client for whom they’d have to undertake work which is
unethical or moral?” Malouf </span><a href="https://www.holmesreport.com/latest/article/are-pr-agency-heads-ready-to-sacrifice-profits-for-ethics-in-emerging-markets" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">raised</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the question in his column in the Holmes
Report in October 2017. “The pressure to continually show growth is relentless,
and it’d take an incredibly brave agency country head to turn around to his or
boss and say, ‘I’m sorry, but what we’re being asked to do is unethical’… It’s
easy to talk about ethics in Washington and London, but is the same message
being applied in Africa and Asia?”</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "source sans pro"; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-53661011822541075252016-02-05T02:04:00.001-08:002016-02-05T02:13:45.945-08:00A.G. Krishnamurthy passes away<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">A.G.
Krishnamurthy, Founder, Mudra Communications Limited, passed away in Hyderabad
after a brief illness early this morning. He was 73.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“(He
left) hundreds of people and families desolate for he had shaped their careers,
outlooks and often their characters,” <a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/ag-krishnamurthy-advertising-legend-with-a-difference/article8197677.ece" target="_blank">wrote</a> Ramanujam Sridhar, <i>CEO, <a href="http://www.brand-comm.com/" target="_blank">brand-comm</a>,</i>
in The Hindu Business Line… “AGK had the rare ability of translating complex
communication problems into single sentences. His solutions were path-breaking.
Who can forget the cute girl eyeballing the camera with an ‘I love you Rasna’
or the advertising for an essentially ordinary tagline ‘only Vimal’ that
through different executions, season after season, made it a major brand.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“As
founder Chairman and Managing Director of Mudra Communications, he was well
known for steering his agency from a Rs. 35 lakh company to a Rs. 7
billion corporation in remarkably short span of 23 years,” according to a <a href="http://www.exchange4media.com/advertising/founder-of-mudra-communications-a.g-krishnamurthy-is-no-more_63252.html" target="_blank">report</a> in exchange4media.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“An
outsider to the end - Mudra continued to be headquartered out of Ahmedabad in
his lifetime - AGK had an original take on life as well as the advertising
business,” according to a <a href="http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/47053_AG-Krishnamurthy-Mudras-founder-passes-away" target="_blank">report</a> in afaqs. “It was his passion
that led to the founding of MICA, the institute for strategic marketing and
communications, in 1991. Ironically, today is the 25th anniversary of MICA.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
had the good fortune of working briefly with AGK, and it is rare to find any
Mudraite, from whose memory the advertising and branding genius had faded away.
He touched every one with his gestures, pioneering work and values.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
know that it is unfashionable, but I continue to be a representative of old
world middle-class values,” he wrote in his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If You Can Dream</i> (Tata
Mcgraw-Hill Education, Rs 325, 2013). “I stand by a few basic principles. They
are time-tested beliefs. I believe that: Hard work pays. If you can dream it
you can do it. Dedication and determination are the key tools to achieve our
goals. Gains made from dishonest and corrupt ways do not last long. Integrity
and goodness are the true stepping stones for a good, happy life.”</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">After reading excerpts from the book, I wrote to him,
“Several of the lines in your book would have a deep impact on the minds of all
right-thinking people including myself, as they seem to come from the bottom of
your heart….”</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In my mail, I had also thanked him for the Ganapati idol
he had personally gifted me (soon after I joined Mudra) and the Diwali sarees
which Mudra used to gift to the wives of its employees. </span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">He
promptly replied, “We had Mudra Reunion in Ahmedabad on the 28th of April,
2013, one day before the launch of my new book. Some 60 people gathered
there from different parts of the country. When each one was requested to say a
few words about their experience of Mudra, believe me most men recalled the
Diwali saree and how precious the gesture was and how treasured they are even
today, many years after the event. Quite a touching down memory lane
experience it was for all of us. It was a good old world charm - The Mudra
Experience.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">May
his soul rest in peace even as his words and monumental work – not to forget
his values -- continue to inspire all of us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-19290938225983386812016-01-26T22:00:00.000-08:002016-01-26T22:11:17.045-08:00India PR Guru among most influential global communications leaders <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">M</span>adan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director,
Adfactors PR and Co-Vice Chair, PROI Worldwide for the Asia-Pacific region, turns
60 on January 29, 2016.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sixtieth birthday or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shashti Poorti</i> has phenomenal significance in Hinduism as it is
considered a turning point in a one’s life as one can devote more time to spirituality,
having fulfilled one’s material obligations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In <a href="http://www.adfactorspr.com/key-people/MadanBahal.aspx" target="_blank">Madan</a>’s case, however, Shashti Poorti has to be
redefined both in letter and in spirit as at 60, while others decide to hang up
one’s boots, the Guru of Indian PR plans to devote more time to his global
pursuits, now that <a href="http://www.adfactorspr.com/" target="_blank">Adfactors PR</a> is the largest PR consultancy in
India in revenue terms. Even spirituality has to be redefined to fit his scheme
of things. Work, laced with values revolving around stakeholder welfare, is how
he looks at spirituality. Why else wouldn’t he work for tobacco and liquor
companies/ groups? Why else would he talk about the clout of even the youngest PR
executive disseminating press releases nationally at the click of a button –
the unarticulated dictum is that, in PR too, editorial gatekeeping is paramount?
This is his idea of prayer, worship. Humility and humbleness are the other
elements of his spirituality. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Regardless of whether the times are good or
bad, the serial entrepreneur has been continuing his goal-oriented
never-say-die efforts, working virtually non-stop,<span style="color: red;"> </span>except
when he is on a holiday, for 34 years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">As a professional who has worked closely with
<a href="http://public-relations-india.blogspot.in/2013_09_15_archive.html" target="_blank">Madan</a> in two avatars – first as a senior editor in his dotcoms and then as PR
professional – I am delighted Madan is featured in</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/long-reads/article/2016-trend-forecast-16-people-to-watch" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">2016 Trend Forecast: 16 (Global) People To Watch</span></a></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Holmes Report</i> – last year he secured a place in <a href="http://www.prweek.com/power-book/global/2015" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The PRWeek Global Power Book 2015</i></a>. These are much-deserved
recognitions for all his past work – and what he is setting out to achieve.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Let us look at the reasons the leadership team of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Holmes Report</i> – <a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/authors/paul-holmes" target="_blank">Paul Holmes</a>, its Founder and CEO, and <a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/authors/arun-sudhaman" target="_blank">Arun Sudhaman</a>, its President and
Editor-in-Chief who have known global PR leaders like the back of their palms –
chose to feature Madan in a list of 16 people from the marketing communications
and PR worlds who are poised to make waves in 2016. That too, alongside giants
of the global PR industry including <a href="http://www.teneoholdings.com/bios/charles-watson/" target="_blank">Charles Watson</a>, Chairman, Teneo Holdings
International</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mslgroup.com/who/our-people/guillaume-herbette/" target="_blank">Guillaume Herbette</a>, CEO, MSLGroup, <a href="http://www.hkstrategies.com/leaders/jack-martin" target="_blank">Jack Martin</a>, Global Chairman and CEO,
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Palmieri" target="_blank">Jennifer Palmieri</a>, Director of Communications, 2016 Hilary Clinton Presidential
Campaign, <a href="http://fleishmanhillard.com/profile/john-saunders/" target="_blank">John Saunders</a>, President and CEO,
FleishmanHillard among others. He is the only Indian on the list -- only two
other Asians are in the list – </span><a href="http://www.communication-director.com/personnel-changes/netflix-hires-mcdonalds-jessica-lee" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.communication-director.com/personnel-changes/netflix-hires-mcdonalds-jessica-lee" target="_blank">Jessica Lee</a>, Director of Corporate Communications,
Netflix and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> <a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/ranking-and-data/influence-100/2015/profiles/joy-tan" target="_blank">Joy Tan</a>,
President of Global Media and Communications, Huawei.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">(This)
</span>is a testament to his inspiring 34-year journey – full of hard work,
integrity, commitment to people, and – more than anything – a relentless
pursuit for excellence,” said <a href="http://www.adfactorspr.com/key-people/rajeshchaturvedi.aspx" target="_blank">Rajesh Chaturvedi</a>, Co-Founder and Chairman,
Adfactors PR which provides services to about 280 retained clients, including
some of the largest Indian and multinational corporations and financial
institutions. The consultancy has an 18-office network in India besides
presence in Dubai, Sri Lanka and Singapore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Over the past 30 years, Madan Bahal has built
Adfactors into India’s largest PR firm, and one of the</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">100
<a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/ranking-and-data/world-pr-report/agency-rankings-2015/top-250" target="_blank">largest</a> in the world,” according to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Holmes Report</i>. “But Bahal’s aspirations are unlikely to stop there, as he
gears up for further expansion in 2016. Bahal wants Adfactors to play beyond
India, and is eyeing markets in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Such a move would make his firm an anomaly among Indian PR firms, and place it
next to </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.bluefocusgroup.com/en/" target="_blank">BlueFocus</a> as one of the few Asian PR brands with credible international
aspirations. Amid all this, of course, Bahal must defend his position on home
turf, where a slew of big account wins and campaign awards have established
Adfactors as an operation that is as much about quality as quantity. And, of
course, the question of succession hangs over all these calculations — will
Bahal look to sell his firm, or are other options in the offing?</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yes, there are challenges on multiple fronts,
particularly those related to the much-talked-about talent crunch</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">(PR and communications</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/50557386.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst" target="_blank">stood sixth</a> in LinkedIn’s 25 most in-demand <span class="il">skills</span>) and the changes in the media landscape with the focus
slowly and steadily shifting to digital, if ad revenues are any indication (according
to</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">GroupM, digital advertising in India will see
the <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/LjI3ZO4nYkN8DNdyMIlJlJ/Ad-spending-to-grow-at-155-in-2016-higher-than-2015s-14.html" target="_blank">highest growth</a> of 47.5% in 2016 to Rs. 7,300
crore). But Madan is well-equipped to make all-out efforts to turn every
challenge into an opportunity, as he has demonstrated with his enterprises -- and
for his clients. </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Also, on occasions, particularly in a crisis,
when clients are able to experience the adverse impact of a crisis but are unable
to decipher the causes, a seasoned communications guru like Madan has been playing
an awe-inspiring role. For, PR is one of the most challenging professions
calling for mastery over multiple skill sets including business knowledge,
communications experience and expertise, indepth understanding of the micro and
macro situations, research skills, strategy, expertise in utilizing tools,
breadth and depth of relationships, etc – and Madan has been showcasing his command
over all these, rather unwittingly, with his brief, profound PR prescriptions,
after hearing out all concerned fully.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Few are perhaps aware of his rare gifts, as he manages
to cloak them in an unassailable shield of modesty. He has an uncanny knack for
seeing issues in complete perspective with a rare grasp for the most difficult
of concepts. He zeroes in on core issues quickly, and comes up with razor-sharp
strategy.... But then, while quite a few others tend to fall in love with his
recommendations, Madan detaches himself from the situation quickly and
persuades all concerned to let the teams invest a little time in research,
where he himself again tends to play a lead role. Armed with research findings,
Madan does not hesitate to rewrite presentations done by the teams completely. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Converting a lengthy communication brief into
a terse business problem to be solved: this same unorthodox yet doggedly
focussed strategy helped Madan give birth to multiple entrepreneurial ventures:
Adfactors Public Relations, today India’s largest public relations consultancy
by revenue; chlorophyll, India’s first end-to-end brand consultancy and
Economic Research India, India’s premier research company tracking capital
expenditure and socio-economic indicators,” <a href="https://events.holmesreport.com/gprs-2014/speaker-madan-bahal-3.aspx" target="_blank">wrote</a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Holmes Report</i> some time back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">What is more, he still has the energy,
enthusiasm levels of a 16-year-old when it comes to pursuing any goal,
regardless whether it is entrepreneurship or communications assignments. He
still reads extensively, on diverse subjects including management, PR,
branding, finance, etc. A stellar quality that deserves mention is that he
remains calm and composed at all times, even when facing the worst crisis, whether
at a personal level or at the client’s end, enabling him to focus all his energy
on the problem at hand and its timely resolution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Another note-worthy ability is sizing up people
in just a few minutes, and assigning them responsibilities, aligned with their skill
sets. Building and leading teams with complementary skill sets is another
strength. Equally important is talent retention, and Adfactors PR is considered
one of the best employers in the communications industry – there are several professionals
in Adfactors, who have been associated with the brand for over three decades
(exceptions like me, who had moved on, are very few). He also makes genuine
efforts to upgrade the skills of his teams, adopting different carrot-and-stick
strategies including a mother eagle-like tactic of dropping the eaglet off her
back at high altitude in order to inculcate flying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Madan rarely hesitates to speak his mind, even
in a client situation. In one meeting, when a client went on and on about PR strategies
after seeking a meeting with the PR Guru for important consultations, Madan
remarked mischievously, “Why don’t you start your own PR consultancy?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">And so it is not difficult to fathom why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Holmes Report </i>is betting on Madan as
one of the 16 people from the marketing communications and PR worlds who are
poised to make waves in 2016.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-24800310809551281292015-02-22T02:13:00.001-08:002015-02-22T02:22:18.498-08:00PR, management lessons from acclaimed 9-year-old entrepreneur<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
the age of nine, Alina Morse of Wolverine Lake, Michigan, is already an
acclaimed entrepreneur in the US, winning success and admiration with her
innovation. She has invented a line of lollipops promoting healthy teeth for
children. Helping her in the invention is her father, Tom Morse, a former
consultant to Deloitte for its Consumer Packaged Goods clients. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her
brand, </span><a href="http://zollipops.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Zollipops</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a sugar-free lollipop
containing sugar alternatives erythritol, xylitol and stevia, “helps strengthen
the enamel”, </span><a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2015/01/22/zollipops-sweet-business/22163413/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">reports</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Lauren Abdel-Razzaq in The Detroit News. With a $7,500 investment, Alina sold
$70,000 in Zollipops last year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also,
there is a lot that business leaders can learn from her. The Chief Executive
magazine </span><a href="http://chiefexecutive.net/8-business-lessons-9-year-old-entrepreneur"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">lists</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
eight basic business lessons from Alina for CEOs and business chiefs. The
lessons are: 1. be enthusiastic about your product or company; 2. have a
strategy for wowing the media -- especially in this era of viral and digital
marketing, it’s crucial for a new company to get a foothold in the news and
entertainment media; 3. start the nurture process early; 4. write down or
verbally record every idea, no matter how small for potential customers, new
products and new businesses; 5. solve a problem or create a need; 6. question
the norm; 7. plan your expansion opportunities; 8. think globally.</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That Alina pursues
‘Performance with Purpose’ very seriously has been reinforced by the fact that
she has earmarked 10 per cent of her profits for CSR in an area which is
relevant to her business: organizing oral hygiene programmes in the neighbourhood
schools. </span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-1825777908729566072015-02-22T01:51:00.002-08:002015-02-22T01:51:48.534-08:00Beware, Board of Directors! Activist investors’ clout is growing<div abp="1351">
<span abp="1352" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Activist investors have been storming the Boards of top US listed
companies, and bringing about sparkling changes. The developments have
phenomenal significance for India – more of that a little later. But first
about the developments pertaining to activist investors in the US.<o:p abp="1353"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="1354">
</div>
<div abp="1355" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1356" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">A </span><span abp="1357" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a abp="1358" href="http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21642169-why-activist-investors-are-good-public-company-capitalisms-unlikely-heroes" target="_blank">report</a> in <i abp="1359" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Economist</i> praises the efforts of activist hedge funds in improving
governance among listed companies in the US. Such entities acquire “small
stakes in firms and act like political campaigners, trying to win other
shareholders’ support for their demands: representation on companies’ boards,
cost-cutting, spin-offs and returning cash to shareholders”. </span></div>
<div abp="1360" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1361" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">“Activists run funds with at least $100 billion of capital, and in 2014
attracted a fifth of all flows into hedge funds,” according to the report. “Last
year they launched 344 campaigns against public companies, large and small. In
the past five years one company in two in the S&P 500 index of America’s
most valuable listed firms has had a big activist fund on its share register,
and one in seven has been on the receiving end of an activist attack.”</span></div>
<div abp="1362" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1363" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Among the achievements of activist investors listed by the report are:</span></div>
<div abp="1364" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="1365" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span abp="1366" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="1367" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span abp="1368" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Trian Fund
Management, led by activist Nelson Peltz</span><span abp="1369" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">, secured a Board seat at Bank of New York Mellon in December 2014.</span></div>
<div abp="1370" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="1371" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span abp="1372" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="1373" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i abp="1374" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span abp="1375" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">T<span abp="1376" style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">he <span abp="1377" style="border: 1pt windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">Economist’</span></span></span></i><span abp="1378" lang="EN" style="border: 1pt windowtext; color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm;">s analysis of </span><span abp="1379" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">the 50 largest activist positions in America
since 2009 has shown rise in profits, capital investment and R&D in many
cases.<o:p abp="1380"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="1381">
</div>
<div abp="1382" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1383" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Ram
Charan</span><span abp="1384" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1385" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">, </span></span><span abp="1386" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Michael Useem</span><span abp="1387" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1388" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"> and </span></span><span abp="1389" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Dennis Carey</span><span abp="1390" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1391" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></span><span abp="1392" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span abp="1393" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1394" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <a abp="1395" href="https://hbr.org/2015/02/your-board-should-be-full-of-activists" target="_blank">list</a> out the
following achievements of such activist investors in their article, </span></span><i abp="1396" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your Board Should Be Full of Activists </i>in<i abp="1397" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Harvard Business Review </i>(February
2015):<o:p abp="1398"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="1399">
</div>
<div abp="1400" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="1401" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span abp="1402" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="1403" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span abp="1404" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Backed by institutional investors, Starboard
Capital ensured the exit of the entire Board of Directors at Darden Restaurants
over a spin-off issue in 2014.</span></div>
<div abp="1405" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="1406" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span abp="1407" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="1408" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span abp="1409" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">In 2012, a similar development took place at
Canadian Pacific Railway.<o:p abp="1410"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="1411">
</div>
<div abp="1412" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1415" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a abp="1704" href="http://www.ram-charan.com/" target="_blank">Ram</a> Charan</span><span abp="1416" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"> is a business
advisor to CEOs and corporate Boards, and co-author of the book, </span><i abp="1419"><span abp="1420" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Boards That Lead</span></i><span abp="1421" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">, with Dennis Carey and Michael Useem. <a abp="1706" href="https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/1366/" target="_blank">Useem</a> is Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership and
Change, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, while </span><span abp="1426" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a abp="1922" href="http://www.denniscarey.com/" target="_blank">Carey</a></span><span abp="1427" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"> is Vice Chairman of Korn/ Ferry International and
specializes in the recruitment of CEOs and corporate directors.</span></div>
<div abp="1433">
</div>
<div abp="1434" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1435" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">In their report, </span><i abp="1436" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span abp="1437" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Preparing for Bigger, Bolder Shareholder Activists</span></i><span abp="1438" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">, </span><span abp="1923"><span abp="1924" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;">Joseph Cyriac, Ruth De Backer and Justin Sanders of McKinsey, <a abp="1926" href="http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/corporate_finance/preparing_for_bigger_bolder_shareholder_activists#" target="_blank">write</a>, “</span><span abp="1928" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Activist investors</span></span><span abp="1929"><span abp="1930" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1931" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span>are getting</span></span><span abp="1447" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"> ever more adventurous.
Last year, according to our analysis, the US listed companies that activists
targeted had an average market capitalization of $10 billion -- up from $8
billion just a year earlier and less than $2 billion at the end of the last
decade. They’ve also been busier, launching an average of 240 campaigns in each
of the past three years -- more than double the number a decade ago.”</span><span abp="1451" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p abp="1452"> </o:p></span></div>
<div abp="1453">
</div>
<div abp="1454" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1455" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">The support of
traditional investors has been increasing the clout of activist investors. </span><span abp="1456" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">“The backing of the traditionalists like Vanguard
Group is often giving activists like Trian — the latter with just 2.7% of
DuPont’s shares — the extra clout they need,” write </span><a abp="1457" href="https://hbr.org/search?term=ram+charan"><span abp="1458" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Charan</span></a><span abp="1459" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1460" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">, </span></span><a abp="1461" href="https://hbr.org/search?term=michael+useem"><span abp="1462" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Useem</span></a><span abp="1463" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1464" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"> and </span></span><a abp="1465" href="https://hbr.org/search?term=dennis+carey"><span abp="1466" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Carey</span></a><span abp="1467" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">.
“Vanguard holds more than $3 trillion in assets, making it the equivalent
of the world’s fifth largest country in GDP, ahead of France. Along
with its heavyweight brethren like Fidelity and Blackrock, it packs
enormous punch. Vanguard owns some 5% of most publicly traded companies in the
US.”</span></div>
<div abp="1454" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1467" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span> </div>
<div abp="1454" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1467" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span><span abp="1471" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">In
their </span><span abp="1475" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a abp="1985" href="https://hbr.org/2014/05/how-to-outsmart-activist-investors" target="_blank">article</a>,
<i abp="1476" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How to Outsmart Activist Investors</i>
(May 2014), <a abp="2041" href="http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=275677" target="_blank">Bill</a>
George, Professor, Management Practice, Harvard Business School and <a abp="2097" href="http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6502" target="_blank">Jay</a> W Lorsh, Professor, Human Relations, Harvard Business School, write, “We
remain unconvinced, however, that hedge fund activism is a positive trend for US
corporations and the economy; in fact, we find that it reinforces short-termism
and excessive attention to financial metrics. But because activists -- and the
institutional investors who often follow their lead -- are generating positive
returns, there is likely to be more rather than less of it in the future. In
the interest of their corporations, CEOs and Boards should be preparing for
activist interventions rather than complaining about them.” </span></div>
<div abp="1479" class="description-text" style="margin: 1em 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1480" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">They
cite examples such as that of Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo, who
managed such activist onslaughts well. With her ‘Performance with Purpose’
strategy, Nooyi had, among other things, introduced a couple ‘good for you’
products in the PepsiCo range.</span></div>
<div abp="1483" class="description-text" style="margin: 1em 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1484" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">Before proceeding further on
activist investors, it is pertinent to say a few words about a book which
delves into the concept of </span><span abp="1485" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">‘Performance with
Purpose’. The book is </span><span abp="1486" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"><a abp="2153" href="http://www.jimstengel.com/grow/overview/" target="_blank">Jim </a>Stengel’s book, <span abp="1487" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Grow: How Ideals
Power Growth and Profit</span></span><span abp="1488" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: text1;">.</span><span abp="1489" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span><span abp="1490" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">“</span><span abp="1491" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Maximum growth and high ideals are not
incompatible,” says Stengel. “They’re inseparable.”</span></div>
<div abp="1494" class="description-text" style="margin: 1em 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1495" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">As
for tackling activist investors, George and Jay present several options, which
could be considered by managements and Boards. </span></div>
<div abp="1498" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1499" class="silvernote1"><span abp="1500" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;">Joseph, Ruth and Justin
of McKinsey </span></span><span abp="1501" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;">identify the weak spots
which could trigger an activist attack. 1. under-performance relative to
industry peers, rather than absolute declines in performance; 2. large cash
balances and recurring restructuring charges; 3. executive compensation; and 4.
a gap in consensus earnings. </span></div>
<div abp="1498" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1501" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span> </div>
<div abp="1508" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1510" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Charan</span><span abp="1511" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1512" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">, </span></span><span abp="1514" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Useem</span><span abp="1515" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1516" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"> and </span></span><span abp="1518" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">Carey</span><span abp="1519" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1520" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"> urge
companies to “renew their Boards before an activist changes it”.<o:p abp="1521"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="1522">
</div>
<div abp="1527" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1528" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">The three experts
quote Raj Gupta, former CEO, Rohm and Haas, as saying that the Board and top
management “should think like an activist”. With an “outside in” view of the
company -- rather than an “inside out” view -- directors should pose the same
questions that an activist investor would ask, according to Gupta. “Is the
company’s portfolio too complex? Is management top-notch? Is the cost structure
too high? Has the firm missed an inflection point?” Gupta was also on the Boards
of Delphi Automotive, Hewlett-Packard, Tyco and Vanguard.</span><span abp="1532" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p abp="1533"> </o:p></span></div>
<div abp="1534">
</div>
<div abp="1535" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1536" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">The advice is more
relevant for India, where </span><span abp="1537" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">77 of the 155 BSE-200 companies (excluding
banking and financial ones) have either reported a decline in their market
value since March 2008 or the rise <span abp="1538" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in
market capitalisation has lagged the increase in capital employed in the business,
according to a <a abp="2264" href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/half-of-india-s-top-firms-have-destroyed-shareholder-wealth-since-fy08-114021801054_1.html#" target="_blank">report</a> in Business Standard (February 2014). </span></div>
<div abp="1535" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1537" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br abp="1539" />
“In all, since 2007-08, the 155 BSE-200 companies in the sample have together
destroyed over Rs 22 lakh crore of shareholder wealth, or nearly 46 per cent of
their combined market value in January 2014. The figure would shoot up by half,
to nearly Rs 35 lakh crore, if the figures for IT, pharma and FMCG companies
were excluded.”</span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-44773878057381413572015-02-22T01:32:00.000-08:002015-02-22T01:35:06.451-08:00India’s top banks gain 61 per cent in brand value; TCS is fastest growing IT brand<div abp="933">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="970" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">India's top
banks have regained their earlier glory in the past year by adding 61 per cent
to their brand value, <a abp="935" href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/indian-banking-brands-shine-on-the-global-stage-115020200038_1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">reports</span></a>
Business Standard, quoting the <a abp="937" href="http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Brand+Finance" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Brand Finance</span></a>
Banking 500 study of <a abp="942" href="http://www.brandfinance.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Brand</span></a>
Finance, a brand valuation company. Indian bank brands are the second-fastest-growing
ones worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<u1:p abp="944"></u1:p>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Brand
Finance also <a abp="1025" href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tcs-fastest-growing-it-brand-for-last-5-yrs-brand-finance-115021900751_1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">states</span></a>
that TCS is the fastest growing IT brand with a growth of 271 per cent for the
last five years. The brand value of the IT company, which has retained the
industry's highest brand strength rating of 'AA+', has increased from $2.3
bllion to $8.7 billion. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As for
Indian banking brands, which now rank 13th globally (17th last year), the total
value exceeds those from Russia, Italy, Sweden and South Korea, according to
the study. <br abp="956" />
<br abp="957" />
"Technological advances are opening up exciting new opportunities for
India's banks as swathes of the population begin to bank more formally,"
says David Haigh, Chief Executive, Brand Finance. “Their brand managers may
need to forge new brand strategies to reach these customers most effectively
while maintaining the trust and loyalty of existing ones." <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">State Bank
of India’s (global rank of 40th in 2015, 54th in 2014) brand value has
increased by 62 per cent to $6.56 billion in 2015 on account its “pioneering
approach to mobile banking”, according to the study. Among the top five banks
are: ICICI Bank (80th globally in 2015 as compared to 107th in 2014), HDFC Bank
(104th in 2015, 133th in 2014), Axis Bank (131th in 2015, 178th in 2014) and
Bank of Baroda (187th in 2015, 208th in 2014).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<u1:p abp="964"></u1:p>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Globally,
Wells Fargo holds its position as the most valuable banking brand, with a total
value of $34.92 billion.</span></span> </span> </div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-19840745838692530652015-02-22T01:19:00.006-08:002015-02-22T01:28:32.928-08:00N S Rajan’s PR success mantras<div abp="1052" style="text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">N
S Rajan, Global Partner and Managing Director, Ketchum <a abp="1054" href="http://www.ketchum.com/ketchum-sampark" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Sampark</span></a>, has been serving global and
Indian corporate giants during his two and a half decade public relations
career. Among the clients served by him are DSP Merrill Lynch, ICICI
Prudential, Fitch Ratings, ICICI Venture, Bajaj Auto, Tech Mahindra, Hutch
Vodafone, ABB, Exide, Lafarge, AXIS Bank, Nomura Financials and National Stock
Exchange.<u1:p abp="1056"></u1:p> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">His
<a abp="1061" href="http://www.ketchum.com/tl/profile/n-s-rajan" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">profile</span></a>
sums up his approach succinctly, “Sacrificing quantity over quality, money over
respect and short cut over hard work, NSR in his illustrious career, spanning
over two decades, has through his consultative and advisory approach, at a time
when the industry didn’t have these words in its dictionary, developed and
executed distinctive, high-impact global communications campaigns for several
global and Indian brands.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Business Standard</span></i><b abp="1068"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/making-it-all-happen-115021301907_1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">reports</span></a> on the success mantras of NSR,
as he is fondly called.<b abp="1075"> </b></span></span></div>
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">
</span><span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span><br />
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">"Most
progressive CEOs are paying attention to the importance of PR, and they tend to
listen when they know that the advice they're getting is honest and
logical," says NSR in <i abp="1080" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Business Standard</i>.
"Half the battle is won once the top management is willing to listen… When
business leaders begin to trust your opinions, they come to respect you for
your contrarian views too, especially when they know and understand that you
mean well and the suggested course is in the best interests of the
organisation.”</span></span><br />
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">
</span><span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span><br />
<span abp="1085" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transparency
and aligning PR counsel with business situations and goals are of paramount
importance, according to him. “Our relationship with the company or its CEO is
fairly complex and each solution we suggest needs to be in sync with their
business philosophy and culture, besides being relevant at that point of
time."</span></span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-31386466333616351442015-02-21T23:24:00.002-08:002015-02-22T00:47:15.993-08:00Movie PR case study part of IIM-B curriculum<div abp="885" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
case study on entertainment marketing communications will be part of the media
and entertainment curriculum at IIM-B. The case study looks at the work done by
on entertainment marketing communications agency, <a abp="970" href="http://www.spicepr.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Spice</span></a> for films such as PK, Dhoom 3, 3
Idiots, Ek Tha Tiger, Ghajini and Bodyguard, <a abp="896" href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/iimb-looks-at-how-marketing-can-make-movies-a-hit/article6875350.ece" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">reports</span></a>
Meenakshi Verma Ambwani in The Hindu Business Line. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Besides
films, Spice manages communications and image management work for Bollywood’s
leading actors. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Entertainment
products are not just marketing oriented; they are now market-driven,”
Professor S <a abp="1026" href="http://www.iimb.ernet.in/user/135/s-raghunath" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Raghunath</span></a>,
Professor, Corporate Strategy and Policy, IIM-B, is quoted as saying in the
report. “Internet and mobile technology is changing the way consumers make
their entertainment decisions and, therefore, it is having an impact on the way
movie-makers market their products to consumers.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Bollywood
or entertainment marketing has emerged as a specialized domain, and it is
increasingly getting structured,” according to Prabhat Choudhary, Head, Spice.
“Even celebrity branding is becoming more and more specialized and skill
driven."</span></span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-67359395236661216712015-02-21T23:14:00.004-08:002015-02-21T23:19:45.488-08:00PRmoment India ‘30 Under 30’ list unveiled<div abp="177">
<div abp="1511">
<div abp="54">
<span abp="178" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The first-ever PRmoment India ‘30 Under 30’ list for communication
professionals was unveiled in the second week of February 2015.<o:p abp="179"></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="180">
</div>
<div abp="181" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<div abp="1516">
<div abp="60">
<span abp="182" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In all, 98 entries had been received, from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai,
Bengaluru, Patna and Bhopal. The entries had been evaluated by an eminent jury
comprising leading names from the PR business in India, </span><span abp="184" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">reports Paarul Chand, Editor<em>, PRmoment India. </em><o:p abp="186"></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="187">
</div>
<div abp="188" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<div abp="1525">
<div abp="71">
<span abp="189" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The winners include consultancy professionals, in-house communicators
and independent consultants. For details, please read PRmoment’s </span><span abp="191" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="75" href="http://www.prmoment.in/1780/30-under-30.aspx" target="_blank">report</a>.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-3395794347284537232015-02-02T04:09:00.002-08:002015-02-02T04:20:54.903-08:00Giant leap for PR with HR remit at HSBC… Is PR ready for more opportunities? <div abp="1511">
<div abp="1031">
<div abp="29">
<div abp="19">
<span abp="1512" style="color: black;"><span abp="1513" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1514" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">A
recent global corporate appointment indicates the growing importance of corporate
communications, and the far-reaching management structural changes the said development
could perhaps herald across the world.</span><span abp="1515" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p abp="1516"> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1517">
<div abp="1038">
<div abp="37">
<div abp="28">
<span abp="1518" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1519" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="1041">
<div abp="41">
<div abp="33">
<span abp="1520" style="color: black;"><span abp="1521" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1522" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">According
to a </span></span></span><span abp="1523" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1524" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a abp="1525" href="http://www.holmesreport.com/latest/article/hsbc-extends-pierre-goad's-remit-to-include-hr-names-new-comms-head" target="_blank">report</a>
by Arun <a abp="1526" href="http://www.holmesreport.com/footer-pages/contact-us/authors/arun-sudhaman#" target="_blank">Sudhaman</a> </span></span><span abp="1527" style="color: black;"><span abp="1528" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1529" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="1530" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1531">of The
Holmes Report, </span></span></span><span abp="1532" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">HSBC's
Pierre Goad has taken on leadership of the bank's human resources function, in
a new role that retains oversight of communications.<o:p abp="1533"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span abp="1535" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span abp="1536" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1537" style="color: black;"><span abp="1538" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span></span></div>
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<div abp="1539" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span abp="1540" style="color: black;"><span abp="1541" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1542" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><a abp="1543" href="http://www.communication-director.com/author/pierre-goad" target="_blank">Goad</a>
has made a transition to corporation communications in 2001 post his long
journalism career with media houses like </span><span abp="1544" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Asian Wall Street Journal, The
Wall Street Journal and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.</span><span abp="1545" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1546" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><span abp="1547" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p abp="1548"><span abp="1549" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span abp="1551" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
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<span abp="1553" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1554" style="color: black;"><span abp="1555" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It
demonstrates how far communications has come at HSBC specifically, but more
widely as well," said Goad. "The skills and experience you gain
managing an integrated communications function are applicable and relevant in
other functions. Communications has moved past the press office era…. This is
an unusual move but I don't think it will be the last — it's the new modern,
integrated version of communications... Employees are our most important
resource and our most important ambassadors."<br abp="1556" />
<br abp="1557" />
Juxtaposed with the assessment and recommendations of global experts, one
begins to feel the HSBC appointment would not perhaps remain an isolated corporate
development.</span></span></span><span abp="1558" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p abp="1559"><span abp="1560" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span abp="1562" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
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<b abp="1564" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span abp="1565" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1566" style="color: black;"><span abp="1567" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ram Charan, other
experts’ prescription</span></span></span></b><span abp="1568" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p abp="1569"><span abp="1570" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span abp="1574" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1575" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consider
the views of </span></span><span abp="1576" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1577" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ram Charan</span></span><span abp="1578" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1579" style="color: black;"><span abp="1580" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, eminent business advisor to CEOs and
corporate boards, on the Chief Human Resource Officer’s function, for instance.<o:p abp="1581"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span abp="1583" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
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<span abp="1585" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1586" style="color: black;"><span abp="1587" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
his </span></span></span><span abp="1588" style="color: black;"><span abp="1589" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1590" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><a abp="1591" href="https://hbr.org/2014/07/its-time-to-split-hr" target="_blank">article</a>, <i abp="1592" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span abp="1593" style="color: #222222;">It’s Time to
Split HR in Harvard Business Review (July 2014)</span></i>, Ram Charan focuses
on why global CEOs are disappointed with their Chief Human Resources Officers.
“</span><span abp="1594" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">What they (the </span><span abp="1595" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Chief Human Resources Officers)</span><span abp="1596" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> can’t do very well is relate HR to real-world business needs,” said Ram
Charan. “They don’t know how key decisions are made, and they have great
difficulty analysing why <span abp="1597">people -- o</span>r whole parts of the organization -- aren’t meeting the
business’ performance goals.”</span></span></span><span abp="1598" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p abp="1599"><span abp="1600" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span abp="1602" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
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<div abp="1603" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<div abp="153">
<span abp="1604" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1605" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However,
there are rare exceptions including Santrupt <a abp="1606" href="http://adityabirla.com/About/santrupt-misra" target="_blank">Misra</a>,</span></span><span abp="1607" style="color: black;"><span abp="1608" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1609" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> </span><span abp="1610" class="st1"><span abp="1611" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">CEO, Carbon Black Business and Director, Group Human Resources, Aditya
Birla Group. Misra “</span></span><span abp="1612" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">became a close partner
of the Chairman, Kumar Mangalam <a abp="1613" href="http://adityabirla.com/about/kumar-mangalam" target="_blank">Birla</a></span></span></span><span abp="1614" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1615" style="color: black;"><span abp="1616" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, working on organization and restructuring and developing profit and
loss managers”.<o:p abp="1617"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span abp="1619" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
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<div abp="170">
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<span abp="1621" style="color: black;"><span abp="1622" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1623" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">HR heads like Misra </span><span abp="1624" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">(the other two
exceptions named by Ram Charan being GE’s
Bill <a abp="1625" href="http://www.billconaty.com/about-bill-conaty" target="_blank">Conaty</a> and Marsh’s
Mary Anne <a abp="1627" href="http://usa.marsh.com/AboutUs/Leadership/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3911/Mary-Anne-Elliott.aspx#" target="_blank">Elliott</a> – working in line operations is the distinguishing quality of
such rare HR heads) </span><span abp="1629" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">have inspired Ram
Charan’s prescription of splitting the Chief Human Resource Officer function
into two strands: 1. HR-A (for administration) would primarily manage
compensation and benefits; 2. HR-LO (for leadership and organization) would
focus on improving the people capabilities of the business.</span></span></span></div>
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<div abp="1639" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="1165">
<div abp="180">
<div abp="187">
<span abp="1643" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1644" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ram <a abp="1978" href="http://www.ram-charan.com/" target="_blank">Charan</a> is the author or co-author
of 18 books, including the best-seller <i abp="1645" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Execution</i>.
He is the co-author of the new book </span></span><a abp="1646" href="https://hbr.org/product/boards-that-lead-when-to-take-charge-when-to-partner-and-when-to-stay-out-of-the-way/an/10817-HBK-ENG"><em abp="1647"><span abp="1648" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span abp="1649" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boards That Lead</span></span></em></a><span abp="1650" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1651" style="color: black;"><span abp="1652" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> with Dennis Carey and Michael Useem. </span></span></span><span abp="1657" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1658" style="color: black;"><span abp="1659" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1660" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p abp="1661"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
</div>
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<div abp="1664" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span abp="1665" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1666" style="color: black;"><span abp="1667" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
his </span></span></span><span abp="1672" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1673" style="color: black;"><span abp="1674" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a abp="1979" href="https://hbr.org/2012/07/why-hr-still-isnt-a-strategic-partner/" target="_blank">article</a>,
<i abp="1675" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why HR Still Isn’t a Strategic Partner,
in Harvard Business Review (July 5, 2012), </i></span></span></span><span abp="1677" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1678" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">J. Craig Mundy</span></span><span abp="1679" style="color: black;"><span abp="1680" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1681" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">, Vice
President, Human Resources and Communications, Climate Solutions Sector,
Ingersoll Rand (his present designation is </span><span abp="1682" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span><span abp="1683" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Vice President, Enterprise Learning and Talent
Management, Ingersoll Rand), </span><span abp="1684" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">wrote, “For two decades we have been hearing that
HR must become a strategic partner to the business. And the fact that we’re
still hearing it suggests that in many organizations it hasn’t happened. The
need to align HR with the business has become more urgent than ever…. Yet, all
too often, business leaders still wonder aloud why their organizations even
have HR departments. For their part, many HR leaders are willing to partner
with the business, but given the unique situation of each individual company,
they have little in the way of concrete guidance about how to fulfil that
role.”</span></span></span></div>
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<div abp="1205">
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<span abp="1689" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1690" style="color: black;"><span abp="1691" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mundy continues, “<span abp="1692" style="color: #222222;">To
truly be partners to the business we must identify those critical points of the
business where the strategy succeeds or fails, and provide relevant talent
solutions. In other words, we must think in terms of what Brian E. Becker, Mark
A. Huselid, and Richard W. Beatty call ‘</span></span></span></span><span abp="1694" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1695" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the
differentiated workforce</span></span><span abp="1696" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1697" style="color: black;"><span abp="1698" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">’<span abp="1699" style="color: #222222;">, in their book of the
same name.”</span></span></span></span></div>
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<div abp="1217">
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<span abp="1707" style="color: black;"><span abp="1708"><span abp="1709" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="2142" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i abp="2143" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Differentiated Workforce</i> </span><a abp="2144" href="http://www.thedifferentiatedworkforce.com/" target="_blank"><span abp="2145" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">states</span></a><span abp="2146" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that “many companies fall into the trap of
spending too much time and money</span></span><span abp="2147" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="2148" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"> on low performers in non-strategic
roles, while high performers in strategic roles aren't getting the necessary
resources, development opportunities, or rewards”. The book recommends that the
workforce should be managed like a portfolio – with disproportionate
investments in the <span abp="2149" style="border: 1pt windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">jobs</span> that create the most wealth.</span><span abp="2150" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p abp="2151"></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span abp="1720" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><b abp="1728" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span abp="1729" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1730" style="color: black;"><span abp="1731" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Marketing opportunities<o:p abp="1732"></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
</div>
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<span abp="1734" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
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<span abp="1742" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1743" style="color: black;"><span abp="1744" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An
analysis of global experts’ assessment and recommendations on the marketing
function too reveals that the corporate communication function could perhaps
look forward to playing a much larger role in marketing, provided corporate communications
professionals are willing to rise to the challenge and retool themselves.<o:p abp="1745"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span abp="1747" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
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<span abp="1755" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1756" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stressing
the importance of marketing function <a abp="469" href="https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-ultimate-marketing-machine" target="_blank">overhaul</a> is the article, <i abp="1757" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Ultimate
Marketing Machine</i> by </span></span><span abp="1759" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1760" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Marc de Swaan
Arons</span></span><span abp="1761" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1762" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, </span></span><span abp="1764" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1765" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Frank van den Driest</span></span><span abp="1766" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1767" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span></span><span abp="1769" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1770" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keith Weed</span></span><span abp="1771" style="color: black;"><span abp="1772" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1773" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> in <i abp="1774" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harvard Business Review</i> (July 2014). </span><span abp="1775" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p abp="1776"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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</div>
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<div abp="1785" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="1276">
<div abp="301">
<div abp="319">
<span abp="1787" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1788" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Marc de Swaan Arons</span></span><span abp="1789" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1790" style="color: black;"><span abp="1791" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and Frank van den Driest are the founders of the global
marketing strategy consultancy EffectiveBrands (now Millward Brown <a abp="2262" href="http://mbvermeer.com/" target="_blank">Vermeer</a>) and the authors of <span abp="1792" class="mediatitle1"><em abp="1793">The Global
Brand CEO</em></span> (Airstream New York, 2010).
Keith <a abp="2318" href="http://www.unilever.com/aboutus/companystructure/unileverexecutive/keith-weed.aspx" target="_blank">Weed</a> is the Chief Marketing and Communication Officer of Unilever and the
Chairman of the Marketing2020 Advisory <a abp="2374" href="http://www.marketing2020.org/advisoryboard.html" target="_blank">Board</a>. <o:p abp="1794"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1795">
<div abp="1290">
<div abp="315">
<div abp="334">
<span abp="1796" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1797" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="1293">
<div abp="319">
<div abp="339">
<span abp="1804" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><span abp="1805" style="color: black;"><span abp="1806" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Marketers
understand that their organizations need an overhaul, and many chief marketing
officers are tearing up their org charts,” the three experts write in their <i abp="1807" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">HBR</i> article. “But in our research and our
work with hundreds of global marketing organizations, we’ve found that those
CMOs are struggling with how to draw the new chart. What does the ideal
structure look like? Our answer is that this is the wrong question. A simple
blueprint does not exist.”<o:p abp="1808"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1809">
<div abp="1300">
<div abp="327">
<div abp="348">
<span abp="1810" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1811" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="1303">
<div abp="331">
<div abp="353">
<span abp="1818" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1819" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Echoing similar views on the marketing function is Bill
Lee, President of the Customer Reference Forum, Executive Director of the
Summit on Customer Engagement, and author of </span></span><i abp="1821"><span abp="1822" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1823" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Hidden Wealth of Customers: Realizing the Untapped Value of Your
Most Important Asset</span></span></i><span abp="1824" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1825" style="color: black;"><span abp="1826" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span abp="1827" style="color: #222222;">(HBR Press, June 2012).
In his article, <i abp="1828" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marketing Is Dead</i> in <i abp="1829" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harvard Business Review </i>(August 9, 2012),
Lee writes, “Traditional marketing -- including advertising, public relations,
branding and corporate communications -- is dead. Many people in traditional
marketing roles and organizations may not realize they’re operating within a
dead paradigm. But they are.” </span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1839">
<div abp="1316">
<div abp="345">
<div abp="368">
<span abp="1840" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1841" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="1319">
<div abp="349">
<div abp="373">
<span abp="1842" style="color: black;"><span abp="1843" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="1844" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The
way forward is clear.<em abp="1323"> In their article, The
Ultimate Marketing Machine, </em>the three experts recommend, “Marketing
organizations traditionally have been populated by generalists, but
particularly with the rise of social and digital marketing, a profusion of new
specialist roles -- such as digital privacy analysts and native-content editors
-- are emerging. We have found it useful to categorize marketing roles not by
title (as the variety seems infinite) but as belonging to one of three broad
types: ‘think’ marketers, who apply analytic capabilities to tasks like data
mining, media-mix modelling, and ROI optimization; ‘do’ marketers, who develop
content and design and lead production; and ‘feel’ marketers, who focus on
consumer interaction and engagement in roles from customer service to social
media and online communities.”</span><span abp="1846" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p abp="1847"></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1848">
<div abp="1327">
<div abp="358">
<div abp="383">
<span abp="1849" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1850" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<div abp="1330">
<div abp="362">
<div abp="388">
<span abp="1857" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span abp="1858" style="color: black;"><span abp="1859" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lee’s prescription focuses on the “new model of
marketing: that is already in place in a number of organizations”. The key
elements of the new model are: community marketing; cultivating customer
influencers; rethinking the customer value proposition of the Most Valuable
Professional (MVP) customers; and involving <span abp="1860" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">customer advocates in the solution provided by the company.</span></span></span></span><span abp="1865" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p abp="1866"><span abp="1867" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="1868">
<div abp="1343">
<div abp="377">
<div abp="401">
<span abp="1869" style="color: black;"><span abp="1870" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span abp="1871" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">PR and corporate
communications professionals, does all this ring a bell?</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-44844033879824928672015-02-02T03:47:00.001-08:002015-02-02T03:47:21.219-08:00Anand Mahindra on importance of marketing and communication<div abp="330">
<span abp="331" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">“Is marketing important?
I would say, it is supremely important after a period when India had vanished
from the radar screen of the world. People had given up on India. They said
India always flatters to deceive. They said India was shining and then
suddenly, for almost a decade, it lost its way.”<o:p abp="332"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="333">
</div>
<div abp="334" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="335" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">That’s </span><span abp="336" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Anand <a abp="338" href="http://www.mahindra.com/Who-We-Are/Our-Leadership/Anand-Mahindra" target="_blank">Mahindra</a></span><span abp="340" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">, Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra
Group, in an </span><span abp="341" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="342" href="http://www.livemint.com/Companies/VDDLpQqbGgv27rdEFD7MOO/Modi-knows-value-of-marketing-and-communication-Anand-Mahin.html" target="_blank">interview</a> with <i abp="343" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mint</i>’s
Amrit <a abp="344" href="http://www.livemint.com/Search/Link/Author/Amrit%20Raj" target="_blank">Raj</a>.<o:p abp="345"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="346">
</div>
<div abp="347" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="352" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">“In my <span abp="353" style="border: 1pt windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">opinion</span>, we have always undervalued marketing and
communication in India,” said Mahindra. “To the Prime Minister’s credit, he
understands the value of both these things. Yes, of course, marketing has to be
followed by delivery. Delivery takes longer, but I believe that he (Modi) is
working (on that) in parallel.” <o:p abp="354"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="355">
</div>
<div abp="356" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="361" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Reading Mahindra’s statement between the lines, one
can decipher the branding strategy of the Mahindra Group. The same has been further
amplified by S P <a abp="434" href="http://www.mahindra.com/Who-We-Are/Our-Leadership/Group-Executive-Board/S.P.-Shukla#" target="_blank">Shukla</a>, President, Group Strategy and Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra Group. <o:p abp="362"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="363">
</div>
<div abp="364" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="369" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Speaking
to Arun Sudhaman of <i abp="370" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Holmes Report </i>at
the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos, Shukla </span><span abp="374" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><a abp="490" href="http://www.holmesreport.com/latest/article/mahindra-chief-brand-officer-'admiration-cannot-be-bought'" target="_blank">said</a>
the Group would like to focus on ‘admiration’ rather than brand building or
growth. "Admiration has to be earned through a combination of approach,
actions, attitude and achievements… Gaining admiration is a far <span abp="375" class="llmb91"><span abp="377" style="color: black;">more</span></span> complex and difficult goal for a brand than earning
either loyalty or liking or even respect." </span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-86355195432964788772015-02-02T03:41:00.000-08:002015-02-02T03:41:02.239-08:00Increase sales through story-telling<div abp="28">
<span abp="614" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="615" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Michael D.
Harris</span><span abp="616" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">, CEO, </span><span abp="617" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="618" href="http://insightdemand.com/#" target="_blank">Insight Demand</a></span><span abp="619" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> and author
of </span><span abp="620" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><em abp="621">Insight Selling</em></span><span abp="622"><em abp="623">, </em>writes in his<i abp="624"> </i></span><span abp="625" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> <a abp="626" href="https://hbr.org/2015/01/when-to-sell-with-facts-and-figures-and-when-to-appeal-to-emotions" target="_blank">article</a>, </span><i abp="627" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span abp="628" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">When
to Sell with Facts and Figures, and When to Appeal to Emotions </span></i><span abp="629" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">in<i abp="630" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
Harvard Business Review (January 26, 2015) <span abp="631" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that, </i>i</span><span abp="632" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">n recent years, psychologists
and behavioural economists have shown that emotional decisions are
neither irrational nor irresponsible. Such decisions are based on a deeply
empirical mental processing system that is capable of
effortlessly processing millions of bits of data without getting
overwhelmed, according to him.<o:p abp="633"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="28">
</div>
<div abp="46" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="50" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">“Harvard Business School Professor
Gerald <a abp="635" href="http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6579" target="_blank">Zaltman</a> says that 95% of our purchase decisions take place unconsciously
– but why, then, are we not able to look back through our decision history, and
find countless examples of emotional decisions?” he said. “Because our
conscious mind will always make up reasons to justify our unconscious
decisions.”<o:p abp="51"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="28">
</div>
<div abp="55" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="56" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Harris recommends that providing an experience that
creates the desired emotion among the customer is the ideal way to influence
him/ her. “One of the best ways for a customer to experience your complex
product is by sharing a vivid customer story.
Research has shown that </span><span abp="58" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">stories can activate</span><span abp="59" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> the
region of the brain that processes sights, sounds, tastes, and movement.”</span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-789410168597859392015-02-02T03:19:00.001-08:002015-02-02T03:34:53.468-08:00Missteps, best practices in content marketing strategy<div abp="59">
<div abp="35">
<div abp="264">
<div abp="19">
<div abp="896">
<div abp="851">
<div abp="632">
<div abp="30">
<span abp="897" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="61" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Linda Pophal</span><span abp="204"><span abp="543"><span abp="62" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">, CEO, Strategic
Communications, LLC, </span><span abp="64"><a abp="65" href="http://cw.iabc.com/2015/01/12/building-content-management-strategy-2015and-beyond/" target="_blank">cautions</a> companies against </span><span abp="67" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">key missteps in shaping their content <span abp="68" class="bqk619791"><span abp="70" style="color: black;">marketing</span></span> strategy. She also outlines some of the best
practices. Below are her suggestions:</span> </span></span></span> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="47">
<div abp="59">
<div abp="50">
<div abp="280">
<div abp="36">
<div abp="915">
<div abp="872">
<div abp="655">
<div abp="52">
<span abp="67" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="212"><span abp="552"><span abp="919" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="213">
</span><span abp="214">Missteps: 1. </span><span abp="215" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="80">Not
tying activities to the organization’s strategic plan; </span></span><span abp="217">2. f</span><span abp="218" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="82">ailing to use, or
repurpose, existing content; 3. </span></span><span abp="220">f</span><span abp="221" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="84">ocusing
on quantity over quality</span></span><span abp="223">;
3. c</span><span abp="224" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="87">onsidering online communication separate from other
communications; 4. </span></span><span abp="226">f</span><span abp="227" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="89">ailing
to leverage opportunities for referrals and backlinks; 5. </span></span><span abp="229">n</span><span abp="230" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="91">ot monitoring and learning from
analytics.</span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div abp="74" style="margin: 2pt 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="75">
<div abp="311">
<div abp="71">
<div abp="945">
<div abp="904">
<div abp="688">
<div abp="85">
<span abp="67" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="575"><span abp="948" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="76">Best practices: 1. create a content calendar, but
don’t be completely tied to it; 2. </span><span abp="77" lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-style: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span abp="235">i<span abp="236" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">f there is more than one
audience one is attempting to connect with, create multiple profiles; 3. listen
to, and learn from, your audiences</span>.</span> </span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-13531666914386318602015-02-02T03:00:00.002-08:002015-02-02T03:02:13.022-08:00India among top three trusted countries<div abp="34">
<div abp="28">
<span abp="55" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The
<span abp="56" class="fei575q41"><span abp="58" style="color: black;">United</span></span> Arab Emirates, India, and Indonesia are the
top three countries on this year’s <span abp="59" class="fei575q41"><span abp="61" style="color: #009900;"><span abp="14" style="color: black;">Edelman</span></span></span>’s <a abp="271" href="http://www.edelman.com/insights/intellectual-property/2014-edelman-trust-barometer/" target="_blank">Trust</a> Barometer, while the three bottom
countries are Turkey, Ireland and Japan.<o:p abp="62"></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="34">
</div>
<div abp="63" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="39">
<span abp="67" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Globally,
however, the public’s trust in businesses, NGOs, media, and government
decreased slightly in 2014 compared with the previous year, according to the Barometer.
Trust in NGOs declined 3% globally to 63%, trust in media dropped 2% to 51%,
and <span abp="109" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">trust</span> in business fell 2% to 57%, <span abp="110" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">compared <span abp="111">with </span></span></span><span abp="112" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span abp="113"><span abp="69" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">last year’s findings</span><span abp="70" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="71" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">, </span></span><span abp="117"><a abp="148" href="http://www.prweek.com/article/1329670/edelman-public-trust-evaporated-2014?HAYILC=RELATED#" target="_blank">reports</a>
Diana Bradley in PR Week</span></span><span abp="83">.<o:p abp="84"></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="34">
</div>
<div abp="85" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="50">
<span abp="89" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">According
to Bradley, an academic or expert remains the most trusted spokesperson (70%)
while a company technical expert is the second-most trusted (67%). A
"person like yourself" came in third (63%). CEOs and government officials
or regulators are the least trusted, coming in at 43% and 38%, respectively.</span></div>
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-24472780099292220102015-02-02T02:54:00.004-08:002015-02-02T02:54:49.110-08:0077% of FTSE 100s hire Communications Directors<div abp="31">
<span abp="25" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Seventy-seven
percent (same as in 2013, 73% in 2012) of the FTSE 100s employed Group
Corporate Communications/ Affairs Director in the year 2014 while 22% (20% in
2013, 27% in 2012) employed professionals in lower levels with the tiles
varying (7% </span><span><span abp="27" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">SVPs, 9% Heads and one officer), according to a survey
done by </span><span abp="34" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"> </span></span><span><span abp="36" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><a abp="189" href="http://www.watsonhelsby.co.uk/" target="_blank">Watson Helsby</a>, a
trusted </span><span abp="38" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">executive search firm. No information was available in
the case of 1% of the FTSE 100s in the year 2014 (3% in 2013).<o:p abp="39"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="31">
</div>
<div abp="43" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="45" class="A7"><span abp="46" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Watson Helsby</span></span><span abp="47" class="A8"><span abp="48" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">
collected data on 99 of the FTSE 100s, making this “the most comprehensive
survey currently available”. </span></span><span abp="49" class="A8"><span abp="50" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p abp="51"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="31">
</div>
<div abp="52" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="57" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="58" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The key team members of the Company
include Nick
<a abp="258" href="http://www.watsonhelsby.co.uk/about-us/the-team/nick-helsby" target="_blank">Helsby</a>, its </span></span><span abp="60" class="Title1"><span abp="62" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Managing
Director, and </span></span><span abp="63" class="MsoHyperlink"><span abp="64" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Dee <a abp="367" href="http://www.watsonhelsby.co.uk/about-us/the-team/dee-cayhill" target="_blank">Cayhill</a>, its </span></span><span><span abp="68" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Director.</span><o:p abp="71"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="31">
</div>
<div abp="83" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="85" class="A8"><span abp="86" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The other key findings
of the survey are:</span></span><span abp="87" class="A8"><span abp="88" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><o:p abp="89"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="31">
</div>
<div abp="94" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="95" class="A8"><span abp="96" style="font-family: Symbol; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span abp="97" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="98" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span abp="100" class="A8"><span abp="101" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Of those companies with a Group Director
of Corporate Affairs/ Communications (or other comparable title), 43% (same as
in 2013) regard it as an Executive Committee level post </span></span><span abp="102" class="A8"><span abp="103" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p abp="104"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="31">
</div>
<div abp="105" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="106" class="A8"><span abp="107" style="font-family: Symbol; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span abp="108" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="109" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span abp="111" class="A8"><span abp="112" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The CEO reporting line predominates
with 75% (up from 70% in 2013) reporting to their CEO </span></span><span abp="113" class="A8"><span abp="114" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p abp="115"></o:p></span></span></div>
<div abp="31">
</div>
<div abp="116" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span abp="117" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span abp="118" style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span abp="119" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span abp="120"><span abp="122" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">56% of Corporate Communications/ Affairs Directors
were male and 44% female</span></span></div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-12895864356030843742015-02-02T02:48:00.003-08:002015-02-02T02:48:39.071-08:00Terri-Helen Gaynor takes over as Burson-Marsteller APAC CEO <div abp="17">
<span abp="10" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications
firm, has </span><span abp="14" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a abp="124" href="http://www.burson-marsteller.com/press-release/burson-marsteller-names-terri-helen-gaynor-asia-pacific-ceo/" target="_blank">announced</a> that Terri-Helen Gaynor has joined the company as President and
Chief Executive Officer, Asia-Pacific. <o:p abp="15"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
<div abp="16" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="20" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">According to a press release, Gaynor succeeds <a abp="227" href="http://www.burson-marsteller.com/leaderships/patrick-ford-worldwide-vice-chair-chief-client-officer-chair-asia-pacific/" target="_blank">Patrick Ford</a>, who had been
Chair of the Asia-Pacific region since October 2012. Ford will continue as Worldwide
Vice Chair and Chief Client Officer and as Chair of the Asia-Pacific region
through the leadership transition, serving as a senior advisor to Gaynor. <o:p abp="21"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
<div abp="25" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="26" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Both Gaynor and Ford will report to Donald A <a abp="283" href="http://www.burson-marsteller.com/leaderships/donald-a-baer-worldwide-chair-and-ceo/" target="_blank">Baer</a>, Worldwide Chair and
Chief Executive Officer, Burson-Marsteller. <o:p abp="27"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
<div abp="31" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="32" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Gaynor’s 30-year career spans the full spectrum of corporate
communications, according to the press release. She has led numerous teams on
initial public offerings, mergers & acquisitions and takeover bids. She
also has deep knowledge of the global health industry and offers vast
experience counseling government officials.<o:p abp="33"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
<div abp="37" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="38" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span abp="39" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Terri-Helen is widely respected
across Asia-Pacific and the global communications sector as an expert
strategist with broad expertise managing complex issues in partnership with
CEOs, boards of directors, financial authorities and government ministers,”
Baer was quoted as saying in the press release. <o:p abp="40"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
<div abp="41" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="45" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“All of us are very grateful to Pat Ford for leading the region during
these past two years,” Baer continued. “Under his strong guidance, we have
grown our business, added exceptional talent and produced award-winning work,
all while leading the region in ideas-driven, evidence-based communications…. We
are very fortunate to have his continued service as a leader and colleague in
his ongoing role as our Worldwide Vice Chair and Chief Client Officer.” <o:p abp="46"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
<div abp="50" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span abp="51" lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Speaking about her new role, Gaynor said, “The firm has built an
outstanding business in its more than 40 years in the region and boasts an
enviable roster of talent and clients. I am eager to build on this most
impressive foundation.” </span></div>
<div abp="17">
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-46861801903777986422015-02-02T02:40:00.002-08:002015-02-02T02:41:51.158-08:00Top three skills needed in PR <div abp="83">
<div abp="18">
<span abp="84" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><a abp="86" href="http://www.prospectresourcing.com/about" target="_blank">Emma Dale</a>, </span><span abp="88" lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">a veteran PR recruiter with a good
network across APAC, </span><span abp="101" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><a abp="198" href="http://www.prweek.com/article/1328736/top-three-skills-need-pr-right" target="_blank">talks</a>
about the top three emerging skill sets a PR professional needs in these
changing times, in addition to the traditional skills. The three skills are: 1.
keeping <span abp="102" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">your cool in a crisis; 2. formulating
a digital strategy; and 3. understanding big data.</span></span><span abp="106" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p abp="107"> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="108">
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-81554622219641327132015-02-02T02:23:00.001-08:002015-02-02T02:33:57.460-08:00PRmoment India’s ‘30 Under 30’ <div abp="16">
</div>
<div abp="54" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="19">
<span abp="56" style="border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; padding: 0cm;"><u abp="21">PRmoment </u></span><span abp="57" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">India will unveil the first ‘30 Under 30’ list of PR professionals on
February 13, 2015. <o:p abp="58"></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="16">
</div>
<div abp="59" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="26">
<span abp="60" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">According to a </span><span abp="62" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="63" href="http://www.prmoment.in/1769/prmoment-indias-30-under-30-to-be-announced-on-13th-february.aspx" target="_blank">report</a> by </span><span abp="66" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Paarul Chand</span><span abp="67" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">, the jury, including eminent PR professionals such as</span><span abp="68" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span abp="69" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="34" href="http://www.perfectrelations.com/about_us_our_management.html" target="_blank">Dilip Cherian</a> of Perfect Relations, met in in the third week of January 2015 to
short-list the winners. In all, 98 entries had been received. <o:p abp="70"></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="16">
</div>
<div abp="71" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="38">
<span abp="75" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The winners will be
invited to PRmoment India’s </span><i abp="77" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span abp="78" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Authentic Storytelling: PR As A
Content Creator</span></i><span abp="79" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> <a abp="301" href="http://www.prmoment.in/blog/prmoment-india-launches-authentic-storytelling-event.aspx" target="_blank">seminar</a> at the India
Habitat Centre in New Delhi on February 19, 2015. The seminar features talks by
top corporate communications professionals including those from <span abp="81" style="border: 1pt windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">Facebook</span>, Google, eBay India, Infosys, PepsiCo, GSK and
the Mahindra Group.</span><span abp="84" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p abp="85"> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div abp="16">
</div>
<div abp="86" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div abp="49">
<span abp="87" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The jury has also
decided to offer mentoring opportunities to the winners, the details of which
will be announced soon, according to the report. </span></div>
</div>
<div abp="16">
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-3808277207619297802015-02-02T02:17:00.000-08:002015-02-02T02:17:03.227-08:00PRAXIS founder interview<div abp="179">
<span abp="180" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Chennai-based </span><span abp="182" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="183" href="http://www.prpoint.com/ksrinivasan.pdf" target="_blank">K Srinivasan</a> of Prime Point has </span><span abp="189" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><a abp="283" href="http://pricons.blogspot.in/2015/01/amitprabhu.html" target="_blank">interviewed</a> </span><span abp="190" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Amith Prabhu (34), a committed
PR and communications professional of India, who has been creating awareness about
PR by bringing young achievers together and honouring them. He has also created
PRAXIS, a knowledge-sharing platform for global PR practitioners. </span><span abp="191" style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> <o:p abp="192"></o:p></span></div>
<div abp="193">
</div>
J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-21814108812992357782013-09-17T20:51:00.001-07:002013-09-17T21:00:25.242-07:00Rare honour for India’s PR guru<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Madan
Bahal will receive the SABRE Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in
Shanghai today.<o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><u1:p></u1:p>“Over
the past 30 years, Madan Bahal has built Adfactors — the firm he founded in
1982 — into India’s largest independent public relations firm and one of the
100 largest in the world (according to the latest <a href="http://worldreport.holmesreport.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Holmes
Report 250</span></a>), an accomplishment that makes him a worthy recipient of our
SABRE Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement,” <a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/news-info/13958/Madan-Bahal-To-Receive-Individual-Achievement-SABRE-Award.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">according</span></a>
to The Holmes Report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Adfactors
Public Relations is today India’s largest public relations consultancy by
revenue.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This
is a proud moment for all those who have been associated with the Adfactors
Group and, particularly those who have worked closely with Madan. Cloaking his
genius in humbleness and humility at all times, Madan’s mesmerising presence
–invariably, on several occasions, mistaken for his absence as he usually
remains silent throughout meetings – has been a game-changer for the Adfactors
Group as he quietly slips in rare insights on perception change with immense
value for corporates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Equally
spell-binding are his long speeches, unleashing rare gems on management,
communications, public policy, economy, etc. His weekly Monday meetings with
senior colleagues at Adfactors PR and his speech at the consultancy’s annual
AGM are worthy of mention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Madan
and his partner Rajesh Chaturvedi, another epitome of humility and humbleness,
have been leading several path-breaking PR campaigns in India. Here is wishing
them all the luck in scaling greater peaks of PR excellence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<u1:p></u1:p></span></span></span><br />J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-22556539269963834812013-04-02T07:39:00.000-07:002013-04-02T07:39:36.017-07:00Adfactors PR closes FY13 with a string of strategic wins<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Adfactors
PR, considered India’s largest PR agency, closed FY13 with a string of
strategic wins from diverse sectors such as telecom & IT, energy, infrastructure,
healthcare, travel & hospitality, automobiles, consulting and financial services,
according to a press release available on the Company’s website. <br />
<br />
The firm won over 15 strategic accounts including Bank of America, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Cairn India, Citibank, Essar Oil, GIFT City, Goa Tourism, Gujarat Gas, iGate,
Lamborghini India, Merrill Lynch, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rail Europe, S&P Dow Jones Indices, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UAE Exchange, Yamaha Motors and Vodafone
India,. <br />
<br />
Adfactors PR also supported some of the largest transactions in the capital
markets last financial year including the initial public offerings of Bharti
Infratel, CARE and PC Jeweller, the open offer of GlaxoSmithKline, and the
rights offer of Network 18 Media. It also managed several other strategic
projects in Public Affairs and Crisis 24x7 practices. <br />
<br />
“Last year was a significant milestone in diversifying our practice and
sectoral portfolio,” said Madan Bahal, Managing Director, Adfactors PR. “From a
largely corporate and financial communications firm, Adfactors PR evolved into
a multi-specialty firm. We now have market leading practices in six key
sectors.”<br />
<br />
These wins have enabled Adfactors PR to register a 20 per cent growth
year-on-year in an otherwise challenging economic environment, according to the
press release. <br />
<br />
“This is a reflection of the growing confidence of large Indian and
multi-national corporations in the firm’s ability to conceptualize and execute
PR campaigns that deliver a strategic advantage in the marketplace,” said Bahal.
<br />
<br />
In FY14, the firm plans to strengthen new practice areas like Consumer, Public
Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility. <br />
<br />
Adfactors PR serves over 260 retained clients and has an employee strength of
320 consultants. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
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J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22538071.post-56058441427382478222013-02-20T03:30:00.001-08:002013-02-20T03:38:10.214-08:00Mega CSR opportunity: Are PR agencies ready?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eminent
lyricist-script-writer Javed Akhtar had presented the right perspective in
which Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should be viewed as fatigue often
sets with philanthropy. He was speaking at a recent CNBC-TV18 awards function.<o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Do you
know what percentage of Indian population had watched Aamir Khan’s hit film 3
Idiots?” he had asked the audience, answering the question himself. “Only 2 per
cent of the Indian population. Yet the film was the biggest hit grossing Rs 200
crore. Imagine what the revenue would have been if a higher percentage of the
population had watched the film?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Akhtar had
implied that the CSR should be considered an investment, not cost. CSR would
eventually bring in profits for corporates as inclusive programmes tend to grow
the market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Such a
realization has been sweeping across the US which, decades back, had witnessed
radical anti-CSR views. <span style="color: black;">"The social
responsibility of business is to increase its profits," wrote Milton
Friedman, economist and Nobel laureate, in his article in <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The New York Times Magazine</span></em>in
1970. He had considered CSR a "hypocritical window-dressing", and had
seen "a suicidal impulse" in business leaders who had pursued such
programmes. Four decades later today, the US has come a full circle with CSR
budgets increasing and concepts like cause marketing gaining increasing
acceptance.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Maybe
Akhtar’s thoughts on inclusive growth should set the agenda as to how the
mandatory CSR budgets should be spent in India, as and when they are available
in the near future, thanks to a new law. As it is well known, the new Companies
Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2012 and which is likely to be tabled
in the Rajya Sabha in the Budget Session beginning on February 21, 2013, makes
it mandatory for companies to spend 2 per cent of their net profit on CSR.
Perhaps India is the first country in the world to make CSR mandatory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">According
to clause 135 of the Bill, “Every company having net worth of rupees five
hundred crore or more, or turnover of rupees one thousand crore or more or a
net profit of rupees five crore or more during any financial year shall make
every endeavour to ensure that the company spends, in every financial year, at
least two % of the average net profits of the company made during the three
immediately preceding financial years, in pursuance of its Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) Policy.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“A
Business Standard analysis of balance sheets of BSE 500 companies showed that
some 457 companies will have to make provisions for spending,” according to a <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ongc-ril-top-list-of-potential-csr-leaders-113010200201_1.html"><span style="color: blue;">report</span></a>
by Sundaresha Subramanian and Sameer Mulgaonkar in Business Standard. “Based on
the average profits of the preceding three financial years, these firms will
have to spend a whopping Rs 6,751 crore in the first year after the Act comes
into force. Over half of this amount has to be spent by the top 30 firms alone.
Fifteen of these firms will have to allocate spends of at least Rs 100 crore.
State-owned explorer ONGC has to allocate Rs 405 crore, while Reliance Industries
has to spend Rs 377 crore, followed by State Bank of India (Rs 194.25 crore),
NTPC (Rs 180.36 crore) and TCS (Rs 161.1 crore).” According to the media
report, Business Standard Research Bureau arrived at these numbers based on the
average net profit of these firms for the financial years 2009-10, 2010-11 and
2011-12 on a stand-alone basis.<br />
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The Bill specifies activities which may be covered under a company’s CSR
programme. These <a href="http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/The_Companies_Bill_2012.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">include</span></a>:
(<i>i</i>) eradicating extreme hunger and poverty; (<i>ii</i>) promotion of
education; (<i>iii</i>) promoting gender equality and empowering women; (<i>iv</i>)
reducing child mortality and improving maternal health; (<i>v</i>) combating
human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, malaria and
other diseases; (<i>vi</i>) ensuring environmental sustainability; (<i>vii</i>)
employment enhancing vocational skills; (<i>viii</i>) social business projects;
and (<i>ix</i>) contribution to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund or
any other fund set up by the Central Government or the State Governments for
socio-economic development and relief and funds for the welfare of the
Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes, minorities and
women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sachin
Pilot, Union Minister for Corporate Affairs, has <a href="http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/MInisters_Interaction.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">told</span></a>
the corporate world that he was open to the idea of corporate houses being
incentivised by means of suitable tax provisions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However,
the corporate world would require a lot of assistance in scaling up their CSR
activities. Business Standard had quoted a senior official of Indian Institute
of Corporate Affairs in the above-mentioned report as saying, “At present the
corporate sector is spending about 0.2% of their profits on CSR activities,
even substantial portion of these spends may not fit in to the specific sphere
of activities that are prescribed in the Bill.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">According
to the World Bank’s May 2012 <a href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOUTHASIAEXT/Resources/223546-1193262884161/wb-newsletter-may2012.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">Newsletter</span></a>,<span style="color: black;">a symposium had been organized to launch a long-term
engagement among the Government of India, the World Bank and Harvard Business
School to spread the message of CSR across Indian industry. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Speaking
at the symposium, Praful Patel, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, said that
the public and private sectors needed to pool their resources and undertake
larger projects to make a visible impact on the community they are working
with. Ashok Kumar Pavadia, Joint Secretary, Public Sector Enterprises,
Government of India, hoped “our partnership with the World Bank and HBS will
help us share knowledge and learn from what's happening in the field of
CSR".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Prof V
Kasturi Rangan, the Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, Harvard Business
School, told the symposium, "We can take good CSR models that are working
in the country today and create a forum where they can be shared. Between HBS
and the World Bank, we can create best practices, share through education
forums, and probe in a much deeper way. This cross-pollination will work very
well under a partnership of HBS and the Bank," he had suggested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bhaskar
Chatterjee, Director General, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, felt that
failure too should be looked at. "If people spoke of those failures, we'd
learn far more," he had said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Anu Agha,
Chairperson, Thermax Limited, had raised a pertinent question at the symposium,
"The past two decades has seen great economic growth, but India is among
the three countries where the hunger index has gone up... Today public and
private sectors may be working on the same issues, but separately. How can we
converge and partner?" <br />
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Tata Group veteran Kishor Chaukar, who is presently Chairman, <span style="color: #3b3b3b;">Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, had </span>urged
companies to make CSR a strategic business exercise rather than mere
philanthropy. "We need to stay there for the long run and can't be
fly-by-night operators," he had said.<br />
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<span style="color: black;">In her article, </span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Why
CSR's Future Matters to Your Company,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> in Harvard Business Review, </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Susan
McPherson, Senior Vice President, Fenton, a London-based global network
focusing on </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">issue campaigns, had <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/01/why_csrs_future_matters_to_you.html"><span style="color: blue;">stated</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, “More and more companies are building long-term commitments to Corporate
Social Responsibility.” </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">McPherson felt that the rise in consumer
activism and mobility, the Occupy movement, 24-hour accountability (thanks to
social media), and global resource depletion will force every enterprise, large
and small, to make CSR a focal point. Four particular areas stand out among
many, according to her. They are:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Employee engagement:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> According to
Gallup, 86% of engaged employees say they very often feel happy at work,
compared to 11% of the disengaged. Engaged organizations also grew profits as
much as three times faster than their competitors. The Corporate Leadership
Council reports that highly engaged organizations have the potential to reduce
staff turnover by 87% and improve performance by 20%.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Cause marketing:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> According to a
PRWeek/ Barkely PR Cause Survey in 2010, two-thirds of brands now engage in
cause marketing, up from 58% in 2009. The same survey found that 97% of
marketing executives believe this to be a valid business strategy. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The sceptical consumer:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> As social media
platforms continue to grow beyond their pre-teen years, consumers will demand
more transparency from corporations and non-profits. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Board-level involvement:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> In 2011, The
National Association of Corporate Directors Public Company Governance Survey
asked about the highest priorities for the Board. The highest priority at 72%
was strategic planning and oversight and amongst the lowest was CSR at 2%. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In an
article, ‘From Fringe to Mainstream: Companies Integrate CSR Initiatives into
Everyday Business<b>’, </b>Knowledge@Wharton had <a href="http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=3004"><span style="color: blue;">stated</span></a>,
“Ten years ago, for instance, only about a dozen Fortune 500 companies issued a
CSR or sustainability report. Now the majority does. More than 8,000 businesses
around the world have signed the UN Global Compact pledging to show good global
citizenship in the areas of human rights, labour standards and environmental
protection.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
Wharton article had also stated, “Today, amid a lingering recession that has
dented corporate profits and intensified pressure from shareholders, companies
are devising new CSR models. Rather than staffing a modest CSR department --
and slapping it on the org chart as a small offshoot of the public relations
(PR) or philanthropy division -- many companies are instead trying to embed CSR
into their operations. Some blue-chip companies, such as Visa, are creating new
markets in the developing world by closely aligning social causes with their
overarching corporate strategies.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jerry
Wind, the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Lauder
Professor and Professor of Marketing, Wharton School, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">had said CSR is "socially
responsible capitalism.... At the company level, the business objectives need
to be to both maximize shareholder value in the long term and to address
society's biggest problems. This requires having any CSR initiative be an integral
part of the business strategy and not a separate department."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
Wharton article had also quoted Marcus Chung, Vice President, CSR and
Sustainability Practice, Fleishman-Hillard, as saying, "There are more CSR
practitioners today whose main job is to find ways to support business strategy
and save the company money."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Leading PR
consultancies <a href="http://www.prnewsonline.com/Assets/File/20223_PRN_CSR_Special_Issue_2012.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">featured</span></a>
in the CSR A list of PR News are: APCO Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller, Carmichael
Lynch Spong, Cone Communications, Edelman, Euro RSCG Worldwide, MWW Group, RF|Binder,
Strategic Objectives, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide and Weber Shandwick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In India,
a couple of consultancies claim they have built CSR practices, but whether any
agency has initiated the required steps to equip itself to tap the emerging
opportunity is the million dollar question. Stakes are high, and fast-tracking
plans is the key to success.</span></div>
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J S Saihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12469220408063093755noreply@blogger.com16