Embrace the winds of change

Change is not about revolution, as much as it is about evolution. In recent times, technology, gadgetry and internet have taken over our world by storm. Gone are the days when your publicist could make friends with a couple of journalists from select publications and channels and run his business. Now, PR is about a mass communication network. Change is writ all over the place.

Networking is a daily commitment…

For a PR specialist, networking is a daily commitment, not a monthly ritual. There are loads of newspapers, channels, websites and radio stations to cater to. I have a total mailing list of 2,500 journalists across India and abroad, and though it’s probably the largest mailing list amongst my fraternity, I still feel, I will double it soon.

It’s all about control

I’m often asked how much control a publicist exercises in what the journalists and public hear. Let me tell you point blank, if you are co-operative with your PR, it’s almost ninety percent control. Today, PRs decide where to break exclusive stories, what angles and news pegs to highlight, what pictures to give out and who they want to patronise for exclusive news breaks.

A PR trick

On so many occasions, I have broken huge stories on foreign websites catering to NRIs and created extensive impact by spreading the web links, and also through newswire services on the net. Then, I have got the same story picked up by our national television channels, who have given it more importance, just because of its international web presence. This is only one little PR trick. But three years ago, this strategy would have been considered professional harakiri, as then, not many valued the impact of the internet, or trusted its content’s credibility.

Understanding the ‘person’ behind the ‘actor’

As Bollywood goes global, I foresee the ascent of international PR firms in our market. But like that of star secretaries (Rikku Rakesh Nath continues to be a success, inspite of several so-called ‘celeb-management’ firms having cropped up); PR too is a personalised job. A ‘client servicing’ rep from a corporate agency cannot understand the moods, ambitions, insecurities and temperaments of our Bollywood stars. But a personal and dedicated independent PR or agency can. So the independent (read indigenous) PRs and the relatively smaller agencies are going to have a better grip on the industry’s propaganda needs, as they also bring in the element of trust, faith and secrecy in their dealings and day to day workings. Any celebrity definitely needs this kind of security and discretion, which the big agencies mostly lack in.

Ram Gopal Varma is a wise man

Talking about changing times, one can’t ignore the trend of blogging. I feel, blogging is a good and creative habit for many, BUT NOT FOR BIG STARS. For them, it could turn a PR blunder in the long run. See, in today’s times, there is already an overflow of information and news from all quarters. If you are not a celebrity, not many are interested to read what you update on a daily basis. If you are Amitabh Bachchan, you end up making your daily comments and feelings ‘commonplace’, and can even face the risk of diluting the all-important ‘aura’ because of it. Celebrity blogging will be the in thing for a few more years, and then its shine will begin to diminish. Though, it will continue to have a lot of scope for film promotion, for consolidating the branding of film-makers (Ram Gopal Varma is a wise man to have understood this soon), product or company promotion, and for teaching. As of now, these areas haven’t been properly explored by bloggers.

‘Brand SRK’ just got bigger! (in case, you haven’t noticed!!)

Shah Rukh Khan has always maintained that he has never faced discrimination for being a Muslim. In fact, about two weeks ago, when Emran Hashmi went public with a complaint (which he strangely retracted a few days later) about discrimination by a housing society, citing communal reasons, Shah Rukh gave a statement to the media, saying that in the past 44 years, he had never felt any such discrimination. He also said that the Emran Hashmi case was a one-off incident and should not be seen with communal eyes.

Khant do that!

When SRK was frisked and detained for more than an hour by airport officials in US this week, every media carried his story. “They (the officials) said my name was common to some name that popped up on the computer," SRK stated, apparently referring to his Muslim name.

Following this, there have been debates over the possibility of him trying to milk this episode for the promotion of his forthcoming film ‘My Name Is Khan’ directed by his buddy Karan Johar and reportedly based on a similar subject of community discrimination.

‘OSO’ revisited !?!

Even as SRK vehemently denies the charge, there has been widespread speculation, especially among the youth on the internet that the Badshah of Bollywood is leaving no stone unturned to play up this episode for the sake of free international mileage worth crores that his film is receiving. People all over Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, as well as a lot of bloggers and websites, have been wondering aloud whether King Khan is flashing the community card to boost the pre-release hype for his movie.

PR is an intriguing mind game in a media minefield

I remember, when Shilpa Shetty faced racial discrimination in Celebrity Big Brother, the whole of UK rallied behind her.

I was her publicist then and was overwhelmed with UK journalists calling me in Mumbai just to ascertain facts, while Shilpa faced Jade Goody’s onslaughts in the CBB House. But when SRK has alleged community discrimination, even many Indians are calling it a ‘publicity stunt’. Not fair.

There is no such thing as bad publicity!

Let’s not forget that we are living in a market-driven world obsessed with spice and sensationalism and ruled by TRPs and tabloid journalism. If the public can lap up all the daily gossip with a mischievous smile, why are they questioning Shah Rukh’s genuine case so much?

SRK does not need gimmicks

The episode angered and troubled him, so he spoke to the media. Big deal! He’s a public figure, and a huge one at that. He has all the right to voice his opinion. What’s more! Shah Rukh Khan does not need gimmicks. Yes, I agree that with this community discrimination controversy, ‘Brand SRK’ has just got bigger the world over, but that’s by default. Though this event would undoubtedly prop up the hype for ‘My Name Is Khan’, it couldn’t be intentional. And even if it is, what’s the harm? At least, the incident exposes the continuous discrimination towards the Muslim community in America and gives hope to so many people around the world, seeking a life of respect. If people are hell bent on terming it a stunt; then they should call it a stunt with a cause!

PR is a perception game

Shah Rukh has raised a voice which so many throughout the world are identifying with. It’s only a matter of time (or maybe, with the right kind of PR) when his voice will be heard in the right perspective.

It’s never too late to be great

I remember each and every word of the opening sequence in the movie ‘Troy’ (it inspired me a lot). It goes – “Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity and so we ask ourselves, will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we're gone and wonder who we were? How bravely we fought, how fiercely we loved…” So true! Just like the great Napoléon Bonaparte once stated, “Immortality is the recollection one leaves.” Last but not the least, a quote by Daniel J. Boorstin – “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.”

Turn down the downturn

I’m often asked if good PR can really help in times of downturn. My answer is… when trading is difficult, advertising and marketing budgets are the first to be slashed. PR is the cheaper option to advertising. Moreover, getting attention is getting money. As they say, ‘Jo dikhta hai, woh bikta hai’. The clever ones could enhance visibility to tide over the recession.

Secure return on investment

So what kind of PR could actors and makers do that would add to their image and brand? The number one objective for your publicist is to plan and position you as a stronger brand than before. Whether you are big or on the verge of making it to the top – whether you are looking at a personal PR exercise or film branding – the right kind of planned media coverage is going to help. This, in turn, will be helpful in securing return on investment, which is invaluable.

PR is cost-effective

Many argue that advertising achieves similar results to a PR exercise. Yes, somewhat. But don’t forget that consumers have always relied and believed more in the written word, like articles and snippets, than on advertising. Also, advertising campaigns cost a lot more than PR campaigns.

Smart PR is the cost-effective way to get your message across to the relevant audience. And everyone needs to manage their reputation in front of their target audience. Realising all this, a lot of advertising and marketing agencies have now launched PR divisions. Yes, PR, advertising and marketing combined, do make a better impact, but for obvious monetary reasons, PR is taking the lead now.

And Bollywood is already taking the PR route to get their message across. We know of so many prominent actors who are strategizing to ‘consolidate’ their position in the industry, while their competitors are thinking of ‘survival’ during recession.

Consolidate your brand

The question is, does it make sense to wait for things to get better, or the market to improve? If you ask me, I’d say, it never makes sense to wait for anything. It’s better to get going, pump up your PR and actively market yourself. For those who do, the field will be relatively open at such a crucial time. I would say, this is ‘the’ time for some neat brand consolidation. So don’t wait for recession to end. Start stamping your brand.

‘Amitabh Bachchan ran away with Rekha!…’

Media has always been about great and shocking headlines. ‘Amitabh Bachchan ran away with Rekha!’ will always make a better headline than ‘Laloo Prasad ran away with a train!’

Let me tell you a PR secret of mine. When chalking out news angles, story ideas and planning gossip pegs for my clients, I always think in headlines. Then, the text just follows and fits into place. It’s simple logic. If the headline catches your reader’s attention (like this one caught yours), more than half your battle is won. The rest of it depends on how gripping the content and adjoining picture is.

Photographs speak for themselves. A good picture will get better placements, while an ordinary one could get the best of story ideas dropped. If your publicist gets this combo right, national mileage can be cakewalk for you or your movie. A good PR will always brainstorm and then guide you with smart headlines.

PRs are often labelled ‘spin doctors’ because of their ability to turn, twist, tweak and spin write-ups in a way which suits and benefits their clients. I do this all the time. Though, since I have a journalistic background (I was a scribe for eight years before I turned PR 12 years ago), my conscience makes sure I draw a line of correctness and ethics even while I deal with gossip, spice and sensationalism; elements that today’s market-driven media seeks in abundance.

I have handled PR for Priyanka Chopra in her initial days, when she was surrounded by controversies. Later, I took care of Shilpa Shetty’s publicity and endeavoured to brand her as ‘the diva in news 24/7’ during the most spectacular five years of her career. This was through the thick and thin of the Celebrity Big Brother controversy, followed by the Richard Gere pecks controversy and many many many more. I used media help to build and propel newbie Sherlyn Chopra into the bold, shocking and outrageous brand that she is now known to be. Some time ago, I was hired by The Man magazine to put out all the gossip about the now-famous Neetu Chandra male-fantasy photo-shoot. The news-hammering probably got Neetu more national media mileage than the pre-release hype of her films. Please note that I am not bragging here, but trying to make a point that I achieved all this, simply by making some striking and hard-hitting headlines for the press releases and articles about my clients.

Some time ago a popular website termed me the “King of Spin”. Around the same time, the Live India television channel alleged that I create Controversy Queens out of my actress clients. To tell you the truth, I am no king – I’m just a PR who has mastered the art of playing with headlines. And if that makes me a Controversy Queen-maker, I don’t really mind the tag. Cause I am just doing my job.

If you have your publicist think in headlines too, you can be bang-on with our gossip-hungry media. You too can achieve national headlines and Breaking News for yourself and your products.

Making dreams come true!

This week, there was an unusual mail I received. A reader asked me a strange question – ‘Why PR? Why is there a need for a thing like this and why do we need to know about it?’ Today’s piece explains just that. Why do you need to read up on PR, imaging, branding or crisis management? That might just be the question popping in your minds too.

We are living in a world where perception is reality. For better or for worse, not many are bothered about what the reality is. Most people believe in all the news and gossip they read in the papers or see on television. They CHOOSE to believe all of the written word. Though reality might be different. But most readers, viewers, surfers and listeners (and you are well aware that this figure runs into lakhs and crores) are not interested in reality as much as they are in glamour and spice.

Who is it that forms these perceptions and helps make opinions. Obviously, the papers, the TV channels, the various websites, social media and the FM stations. And who is it that influences the journalists, TV hosts and anchors, RJ’s and web writers the best? It is the publicists. It’s the daily job of a publicist to reach out, convince the media to cover his clients in a certain way and influence the perceptions of the fourth estate. He does this, so that the write-ups and reports reflect his client’s sentiments, requirements and needs.

For a good publicist, communication is a daily commitment, not a monthly ritual. He dedicates his life and times to communication and his clients. He helps make dreams come true. That’s why, I often say, from what a PR gets, he might make a living. But from what a PR gives, he might make a life.

Use Facebook as a powerful business tool

Though I am a very net-savvy person, I’ve been a latecomer on Facebook (FB). I’ve been neck-deep into Blogs, Wikipedia, IMDB, Google Videos, YouTube, G-chat and even into SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for my clients. But I joined Facebook only four months ago, after my close friend and journalist Noyon Jyoti Parasara coaxed me into it.

After padding my account by inviting hundreds of ‘friends’ to join me, I realised that Facebook could be used as a powerful business tool, simply because almost 25-30 percent of Bollywood is on it… many hooked to it.

And then the magic happened for me. I casually chatted with an actress on the site, exchanged numbers, met her and turned her into a client within four days of the chat.

This meant EXTRA income for me… income which was added purely because of Facebook. From that day, I began taking the site seriously, updating regular posts and links, pics and videos, chatting and adding more and more ‘friends’ to my list.

Meanwhile, another of my closest journalist friends Pavithra Selvam put me on to a guy called Kiran Pillai who also specialised in Social Media. Kiran looked like a shy simpleton when he met me. He took a briefing from me, bounced off a couple of ideas to improve the look of my FB account and met me for a second meeting loaded with more ideas to improve my overall social media standing.

To my surprise, Kiran began discussing what he termed “Brand Dale”. Ah… now now!! I specialise in creating and building brands and influencing media and public opinion. And this guy was talking about building ‘my’ brand. He caught my interest. Since I felt he made a lot of sense, I took him on as my ‘Social Media Publicist’. My friends haven’t stopped pulling my leg since then. “A publicist for a publicist, eh?”, they joke.

Within no time, Kiran completely transformed my FB account into one of the well-packaged ones in media. Today, after just four months of being on Facebook, I have many nice people from Bollywood on my ‘friend list’ and I’m talking serious business with a few (some of them might be reading this too and smiling). My new-found ‘publicist’ (wink) even helped me design a section where he incorporated my entire PR Agency Blog on my Facebook account. So now, every time I update my PR clients’ Press Releases and images on the Blog, the additions automatically get updated on Facebook. Isn’t that cool?

My Facebook account has now turned into a full-fledged business tool for my PR agency Dale Bhagwagar Media Group and on an average, I receive 2-3 extra offers for work every day. Being ‘selective’ has a whole new meaning for me now. And the same could be for you too. Check me out on www.facebook.com/dalebhagwagar and let me know what you think of my account.

Media is being unfair to Yash Raj… but the fault lies within

Yash Raj Films (YRF) is no longer a banner – it’s an empire. Mentioning some of its films here would almost be belittling the force that YRF has been since 1970. So it pains me to see the media play games with a super-reputed brand like this. Sorry to say, Yash Raj doesn’t play the media anymore, at least not like it used to. Now, YRF is being ‘viewed’ to try too hard to sustain its reputation.

So review after review, write-up after write-up, why is the media being ruthless to a brand which has given us mega-hits since four decades? Isn’t this critical onslaught unfair to a success story that has been legendary? Let’s go right to the roots.

From my little 23 years of experience in media, first as a journalist for 11 years (since my school days) and later as a PR for 12 years, as I see it, there are various factors. But I’ll tackle the most noteworthy ones here. To start with, I should mention a line which a prominent journalist wrote in Mumbai Mirror the other day… “Success breeds respect, success breeds love.”

These words hold true for almost every product, organisation and celebrity today, when brands are being stamped with ‘success’ and ‘failure’ by the over-enthusiastic media, waiting to pronounce ‘judgement’ all the time. And we all know that YRF’s hit-parade has slowed down off late.

There’s another side to it, which Yash Raj doesn’t seem to have realised yet. And that is the PR side of things. We are living in a world where perception is reality. Smart PRs are great perception builders. They mould, make, break and remake images. They play with minds in the fourth estate, shape opinions, influence write-ups… with focus and an octopus approach… things that ultimately result in changing the outlook of society. Today, YRF needs that kind of PR.

As much as the empire needs to strike back with hits, it needs that ‘correct’ PR push and re-imaging… which many in my profession term a ‘makeover’. And all this with subtle manipulation… cause no man ever likes to be manipulated when it is obvious.

What I’m going to say next might sound a bit bitter, but the fact is, that the empire has mismanaged its PR in the last 4 years. Apparently, some of the people who worked in their internal PR department are said to have given so much attitude to the media in the last few years, that even after they have left the company, the ‘attitude’ tag is unshakeable. One simple way to break this impression and break it hard, would be to shift the control and outsource PR for some time, before reverting to an internal PR department again.

Yash Raj is Yash Raj, a pioneer among pioneers in Bollywood. I guess, we all know from within, that this is just a temporary low, till the empire strikes back with a huge hit, and success starts breeding love and respect once again. But yes, this time round, it will matter more than any other time, how YRF handles the media; the PR side of things. At the cost of repetition, I reiterate one of my favourite lines… we are living in a world where perception is reality.

Conscience talks

GUNJAN KAPUR, MA PUBLIC RELATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINISTER, LONDON: You openly admit that you twist, turn and spin stories. Can PR ever be ethical? What’s your take?

DALE: I come from a journalistic background, a place where ethics have ruled over the decades. So while I manipulate as a PR, I also let my conscience do the talking. It keeps me far away from attempting the unethical. I do exaggerate a bit to provide the required spice, but I don’t really lie.

Follow your heart

ASHOK K SHARMA, ENTREPRENEUR, AUTHOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR (INFORMATION), U.P. GOVERNMENT: What made you choose the PR line?

DALE: I was first attracted to the glamour and glitz, so I ventured into entertainment journalism. Then, after eight years as a journalist, I realised I was getting stagnated. I started looking for an alternate profession, when I realised PR is one that is very close to journalism, as I would be practically dealing with the same media people who were my colleagues as a journalist. But to be honest, it was the monies that PR offered that attracted me more and more towards it. I felt, while journalism was a profession, PR was a business. I wasn’t wrong.

ASHOK K SHARMA: So how did you kickstart your career in PR?

DALE: In 1997, there was this big Naval awards event on the decommissioned ship; the historical INS Vikrant. This event was to have participation from a lot of film celebrities. But the event management agency handling it, were not able to take care of the PR side of it. There were just 3-4 days left, when they asked me if I could take over and offered me good monies. I told them, I was a journalist and knew all the people of my fraternity in mainstream media; so I could try to get my friends to attend. They agreed and I slogged for the next three days and did my best. The event finally received a huge media turnout and front page coverage in most of the top line papers the next day. That’s the time I realised I could do PR too and quite effectively. Same week, I decided to shift gears from journalism to public relations and started the process. I have a particular style of working which only works for me. And that gives a niche.

ASHOK K SHARMA: What is your average day like?

DALE: Actually, there is no rule. It completely depends on my schedule, which varies from day to day, mostly depending on the assignments I’m working on. 

ASHOK K SHARMA: You look smart, fit, pleasant and happy. Do you gym? Or are you into yoga? What is your fitness mantra?

DALE: Thanks for the compliment. But I rarely exercise. Though, I’m a lot into right eating habits… greens, naturopathy and stuff. Lots of raw veggies, fruits and dry fruits keeps me going at my maddening pace. And I love to take on more and more work all the time. But at the same time I’m a big foodie. I love Biryani, Dum Aloo Amritsari and vegetables like Dill and Spinach. At times, I indulge myself with gourmet pizzas, pastas, rolls and cheesy dips. Basically, I love good food. 

ASHOK K SHARMA: Can you briefly explain the way you spend your time every day?

DALE: When I’m not on my comp, I’m out doing appointments or watching movies at trial shows or on DVD. And if I get time in between, I hang out at Indian or Italian eateries with my friends. Most of my friends have crazier are busier schedules than mine, so many a times, I just land up at their offices and pull them out with me. They hate me for doing that, but by the end of the evening they thank me for the same. I am pretty unstoppable if I really want to do something madly. My best friends have always known me like that so they don’t mind much.

 ASHOK K SHARMA: Have you thought about doing PR for politicians? Has anybody approached you so far? What would be your prescription, if any infamous politician wants you to handle or guide his PR operations?

DALE: Nowadays most politicians are infamous for something or the other. But I’d like to handle Narendra Modi because I feel I can do wonders for him to increase his popularity with the youth. He is immensely popular in Gujarat, but the time has come when he has to go national. The wave of passion (the kind that people of his state show for him) has to spread all over the country, if he has to outdo his competitors at a national level. I also feel Raj Thackeray has achieved what he wanted to achieve with the entire hullabaloo we saw last year. He got free media mileage worth crores of rupees but failed to translate it into something constructive. I really feel, he desperately needs a media manipulator like me. Yes, you heard it right! I AM a manipulator and I have no qualms in admitting that. Because manipulating, creating and moulding perceptions, is my JOB.

ASHOK K SHARMA: Has any PR expert inspired you?

DALE: Yes, I do keep a track of international entertainment PRs like the notorious Max Clifford, Madonna’s gossip-churning publicist Liz Rosenberg, subtle self-branding maestro Glenn Selig, Jackie Cooper of JCPR, Lee Solters, Matthew Freud, Roland Rudd, the flamboyant Lizzie Grubman, the sharp and smart Marcus Brewster, the fearful iron-lady Pat Kingsley, the ‘News of the World’ editor-turned-PR Andy Coulson and ‘media futurist’ Gerd Leonhard. 

ASHOK K SHARMA: Any message for the youngsters aspiring to follow your footsteps?

DALE: Certainly, I’d like to tell them all, not to follow me but to follow their hearts. This little quality could take them places; even ahead of me.

PR is a very complicated and conniving world today!

INDRANI RAJKHOWA, TIMES LIFE, THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI: How would you define contemporary Bollywood PR?

DALE: We are super schemers and master manipulators in the garb of publicists. We play mind-games with media, over story ideas, news and gossip pegs, in order to promote and image our clients in the way we want. We turn, twist, spin, plant and plug stories to suit our strategies and media plans for our clients. I’ve never revealed this before, so you might be surprised that today my job is equally about concealment of stories, protection and crisis management, than imaging and branding. There are times, when I am specifically hired to divert media attention from certain facets of an actor’s life, than to build images. I’m even working in secrecy, for this extremely famous actress, while no one, except my small staff and media reps, is aware of what I’m plugging where, and in what name. PR is a very complicated and conniving world today. And not many in the profession itself; have fully understood its tentacles.

Images of politicians are at higher risk!

SHALINI SINGH, GLITTERING INDIA, MUMBAI: There is an increase in shoe-throwing incidents across the country. Do you think this is the right way of showing anger towards the politicians?

DALE: Unlike an actor or a businessman; whose images and reputations can be rectified with crisis management, the scene with a politician is different. Once the image of a politician is marred, it’s very difficult to bring it back to original state. Maybe, a lot of aam junta has realised this delicate situation. That is why they want to hurt the politicians (for their misdoings) where it actually hurts, i.e. their 'brand' and 'image'. Considering the politicos are ruthless in the way they sway public opinion and often misuse public sentiments to their advantage, hurling shoes at them by the public, is just replying in a similar language; the one people feel, the politicos understand. From that point of view, its justified. But I should add that its unfortunate, that we don’t have many politicians in our country who we can look up to.