Public Relations has entered a bold new era. No longer just a back-office function, it has transformed into a strategic powerhouse shaping brand reputation and influence. Companies and leaders now see PR not as an afterthought, but as an essential force driving credibility, trust, and long-term success.
The industry has undergone a radical shift with the rise of social media, fundamentally transforming PR strategies. Influencers now play a crucial role in shaping consumer perceptions and engagement. PR is no longer confined to securing media visibility; it has expanded into a dynamic, results-driven discipline focused on meaningful interactions and measurable outcomes.
With a younger, more digitally savvy audience emerging, PR professionals face new challenges. Brands and practitioners must be more agile, data-driven, and proactive in crafting business solutions that resonate with their audience. The future of PR lies in adaptability, authenticity, and strategic storytelling that build lasting trust and impact.
In our exclusive weekly column, PR Conversation, Adgully interacts with leading business leaders to gain their exclusive views and insights on various trends in the PR and communications industry.
In conversation with Adgully, Pranav Patil, Head of Communications Zone India at Siemens Healthineers, breaks down how clear, empathetic communication can shape a patient’s entire healthcare experience. What could easily remain a technical, medtech heavy domain has, under his lens, become a space where information carries both precision and comfort.
From simplifying dense scientific concepts to addressing real anxieties around diagnostics, Patil focuses on building trust through clarity, credibility, and human understanding. His approach mirrors the company’s larger belief that technology should not just advance care but make patients feel more supported and secure at every step.
Patil reflects on how patient insights drive their messaging, why cultural and linguistic nuance matters in a country as layered as India, and how Siemens Healthineers is shaping healthcare communication that is transparent, inclusive, and deeply human.
How does Siemens Healthineers approach communication in healthcare to help patients feel informed and reassured throughout their care journey?
At Siemens Healthineers, we view communication in healthcare as both a responsibility and an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. We believe that every communication should go beyond simply sharing information. It should build trust, provide clarity, and offer comfort.
We understand that medical journeys can often feel complex and overwhelming, and that’s why we strive to make every healthcare conversation more humane and reassuring. By simplifying complex information and delivering it with empathy, we aim to help every patient feel supported, confident, and cared for throughout their entire healthcare journey.
The ‘Knowing is Comforting’ initiative reflects a strong patient-centric narrative. How do you ensure that communication remains empathetic while staying scientifically accurate?
Over the years, we have seen how technology can truly make a difference in people’s health, helping improve outcomes and making the care experience more reassuring and connected. At Siemens Healthineers, we innovate with purpose, driven by a simple belief: every technological breakthrough should make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives and experiences.
Our campaign, “Knowing is Comforting”, was born from a simple yet profound human truth: knowledge has the power to ease fear. In every message we share, we aim to combine empathy with accuracy, making sure the information is not only medically sound but also emotionally supportive and easy to relate to. We always encourage people to speak with their healthcare professionals for personalized guidance, because we believe that real comfort comes from both credible information and a caring connection.
In a technical space like medical imaging, what are the biggest challenges in simplifying complex information without losing credibility or depth?
One of the greatest challenges in medical imaging communications is humanizing complex technology. The field is rich in technical depth, but the key lies in translating that complexity into meaning that patients can understand and connect with. The goal isn’t to oversimplify but to contextualise.
We do this by shifting the focus from technical jargon to real patient benefits, how innovation enhances lives, not just outcomes. By framing technology through the lens of its impact on people, we make science more approachable without compromising its accuracy or credibility. This balance allows us to preserve the integrity of science while making it resonate on a deep human level.
How did patient and caregiver insights specifically shape your messaging approach for addressing healthcare anxiety, often referred to as “scanxiety”?
Patient and caregiver insights were at the very heart of our messaging strategy, ensuring that every element of communication reflected genuine understanding and empathy. By actively listening to their stories, we gained a deeper appreciation of the emotions surrounding “scanxiety”, from fear and uncertainty to hope and resilience.
These perspectives guided us to develop messages that demystify the scan process through clear, relatable language while offering authentic reassurance and practical coping support. The result is communication that helps patients and families feel understood, comforted, and empowered during one of the most anxious stages of their healthcare journey.
With multilingual content being a part of this effort, how important is regional and cultural adaptation in building trust and connection with diverse audiences in India?
In a country as linguistically and culturally diverse as India, regional and cultural adaptation is not just important but is crucial to building trust and a genuine connection. Multilingual communication ensures that people engage with information in the language that feels most natural and emotionally resonant to them. While English remains prevalent in healthcare and urban contexts, regional languages continue to be the most trusted medium of understanding across tier 2 and 3 towns, as well as rural communities.
‘Knowing is Comforting’ is an awareness initiative by Siemens Healthineers that reflects this belief. By developing awareness materials in ten major Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Assamese, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi, the initiative brings advanced healthcare information closer to people’s everyday realities. This inclusive approach not only enhances comprehension but also nurtures a sense of respect, familiarity, and belonging.
With this approach, we are trying to bridge informational gaps, making modern medical technology more approachable, trustworthy, and comforting for every family, no matter where they live.
How do you measure the impact of such awareness initiatives beyond metrics like reach or visibility, specifically in terms of building trust, improving understanding, or enhancing patient engagement?
Our goal is to help people understand that today’s diagnostic imaging is not only highly advanced but also signi?cantly more patient-friendly than ever before.
This initiative enables us to reach millions of people across the nation, raising awareness about how technology is transforming the ‘patient experience’ and how early diagnosis leads to earlier treatment and improved outcomes.
We believe that the impact of awareness initiatives beyond reach, or visibility, is measured by focusing on feedback that reveals genuine shifts in trust, understanding, and patient engagement. The feedback we have been receiving from customers, critics, and colleagues is very encouraging and has been a major differentiator.
More importantly, it reflects our commitment to compassion and empathy, showcasing that we are an organization that thinks beyond business and truly cares about the well-being of patients.
Looking ahead, how is Siemens Healthineers evolving its communication strategy to make healthcare conversations more inclusive, transparent, and empowering for patients?
At Siemens Healthineers, customer and patient centricity are at the core of everything we do. In an era of information overload, we recognize our profound responsibility to provide clear, trustworthy, and compassionate communication that both empowers and reassures patients.
Our approach is guided by the belief that healthcare communication should humanise technology, inform without overwhelming, inspire confidence without sensationalism, and always reflect empathy and understanding.
We are committed to ensuring that every message we share is inclusive, transparent, and patient-focused, designed to be accessible, culturally sensitive, and relevant. By speaking with authenticity, we aim to foster stronger connections and lasting trust throughout every stage of the healthcare journey.
We will continue this intentional shift to move healthcare communication beyond marketing jargons toward authentic, relatable storytelling.
This will help us create meaningful value and make a positive difference in the lives of millions of patients.
