“Around eight years ago, there was a lot of talk about the demise of the traditional PR firm,” says Nitin Mantri, executive managing director, Asia Pacific, at WE Communications and group CEO of Avian WE. But PR has been reborn in that time, as reflected in things like Gorin's work at Specsavers winning the PR Grand Prix at the recently concluded Cannes Lions festival, the first time in the sector's history that a pure-play PR firm has won the top prize.
When asked how he felt about winning, Mantri, an industry veteran and this year's PR Lions judge, said, “The Grand Prize winner is an outstanding example of creativity tackling a serious issue. Using an oft-misheard song to raise awareness about hearing loss has sparked a national conversation in a fascinating and memorable way. It shows how humour and ingenuity can raise awareness and create change. This year has been better than usual with pure PR firms doing well. We hope this trend continues and we can see young independents as well as larger groups thrive.”
Mantri and his team also have a more personal reason to celebrate: Avian WE acted as PR partner for the Harpic Loocator #BeFreeToPee campaign, which won Silver in Glass: the Lion for Change at Cannes. The campaign highlights the urgent need for public toilets for women in India.
Cannes PR Lions Jury
What Cannes Lions Entries Say About the Evolution of PR
This trend did not come about in a vacuum, but reflects the importance of PR in business and brand strategies. PR's remit has expanded to design and production, data analytics and insights, sustainability and public policy. On how the Cannes Lions entries reflect the transformation of PR, Mantri said: “We saw a blend of creativity and strategic thinking on display. AI, data analytics and digital platforms were used in many entries. Measurability of campaigns provides a better indicator of success – tangible outcomes, audience engagement and more importantly business impact. Additionally, the entries featured a compelling blend of humour and social causes, highlighting the correlation between commercial imperatives and purpose.” Mantri also noticed an increased cultural sensitivity, with campaigns designed to resonate with diverse audiences across different markets.
AI abuse and prevention
As the PR sphere expands, AI presents both an opportunity and a challenge. PR firms are already adopting AI, but they also need to protect their brands from operational risks, from careless use of copyrighted material to inaccurate or inappropriate messaging. Citing research with USC Annenberg, Mantri says: “When it comes to implementing AI in PR, communicators' main concern is factual errors and misinformation, at 60%, with disinformation at roughly the same level. But more than two-thirds say AI will be extremely or very important to the future of PR. The advantage goes to the early adopters; we should welcome its use and flag it when it's not being implemented ethically.”
Thus, AI will play a key role in PR’s continuing relevance. Many industry observers believe that chief marketing officers will need to embrace the role of chief technology officer or chief financial officer to keep up with the times. PR needs to pivot in a similar way. “PR pros and CMOs need to hone their AI skills, or at the very least, become better prompt engineers,” Mantri says. But even as AI becomes ubiquitous, he also wants to argue that human skills will take precedence. “Human intelligence will still be important: the ability to judge ideas, the ability to read body language, the ability to recognize that strong instincts and intuition should take precedence over algorithms. We don’t know when AI will get there, but we’re not there yet. Those who can demonstrate the power of human-AI partnerships will be successful,” he explains.
Understanding more complex PR obligations
Amid these new obligations, PR agencies must continue to meet traditional responsibilities such as protecting their clients' reputations and reinforcing their role as good corporate citizens.Adding to the complexity of these obligations is the potential for any criticism to be broadcast.
The principles remain the same when dealing with backlash. Mantri recommends, “Be transparent, open and practical. Doing nothing is not an option. People want companies to reset their priorities and show that they are listening and responding. You don't have to answer every troll, but you need to communicate your perspective.” In these situations, it helps to have buy-in at the highest level. In a recent crisis that WE Communications handled, the client's board of directors got involved, discovered financial irregularities and acted quickly. Mantri says, “Our advice to the board was to highlight the steps we had taken to counter the injustice. We reached out multiple times and told the media their side of the story.”
In a world where consumer skepticism is on the rise, this openness is key. Mantri is clear about the important role PR firms have to play in this area: “Despite rising skepticism, consumers are turning to brands they trust to take bold action on social issues. The terms 'brand purpose' and 'purpose-driven communications' are overused, but the need for companies to demonstrate how they can have a positive impact on the ecosystem remains. A company's reputation and brand purpose remain key factors. For companies that make a real promise and work towards it, communications experts can help navigate these complexities.”
Create unconventional work
Specifically, with regards to sustainability, Mantri saw his company playing two roles: the traditional role of scaling up work with clients; and the second, more advisory role of coming up with programs and securing the right partners. One of these assignments led to a job that Mantri is justifiably proud of: Reckitt Benckiser's Dettol Hygiene Olympics. In its second season last year, the Hygiene Olympics was supported by over 100 partners, including leading trade associations, NGOs and healthcare providers in India. The program reached 30 million children with its hygiene message. “It's not every day that a client wants to create a curriculum to spread awareness of cleanliness among children. It's not every day that a PR firm, and not an advertising or marketing firm, comes up with that idea,” Mantri said.
He's also proud of the work he's done for the Forest Stewardship Council on the theme of reforestation: “The amount of branding and creative work we've done for them has been absolutely amazing and totally different to traditional work,” Mantri says.
Mantri believes PR will play an even more important role going forward: “It’s not just about amplifying what’s already been done, it’s about advising, mentoring and building partnerships.”
