Veena Gidwani

Public Relations ,  the communication discipline that Builds and Manages Reputations,  is integral to any activity or business that engages with external audiences and will always be much  needed  and sought after. It  has seen  considerable change and is expected to evolve  further In today’s fast moving and changing world.  Social media, digital communication and the  use of influencers already  play and will continue to play a Big role . Today , influencers are not only people like Bollywood and Sports icons and  other celebrities , but can even  be little known people , who through  their talent  in any field and interesting persona acquire a huge  fan following . A housewife, a college student , a fitness expert , a nutritionist and many others are able to lend credibility to brand communication.  Using the right influencer in the right context , touches a chord with consumers and helps to build brand loyalty.

Artificial  Intelligence (AI) which is transforming many  industries, will also be useful in PR , making data and perception analysis more accurate.  Other areas that will need addressing will  be Crisis Management , requiring proactive, speedy responses and action   ( since news both positive and negative today reaches millions in minutes) and Employee  Engagement and Advocacy as employees are the best brand ambassadors for any organisation. Keeping employees abreast of all developments, motivated and involved will need to be an area of focus.