Avian WE’s Managing Director and PRCAI Vice President, Neha Mehrotra, has been elected Vice President of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO). The announcement marks a proud milestone for both Neha and the Avian WE team, reflecting her long-standing contribution to the communications industry in India and beyond.In a post on LinkedIn, Neha expressed gratitude to her colleagues, mentors, and friends at Avian WE, PRCAI, and now ICCO, acknowledging their role in shaping her journey. “This isn’t mine alone — it belongs to the incredible colleagues, mentors, and friends who have shaped me along the way,” she wrote, adding that she’s excited for what lies ahead with the global communications community.Avian WE shared the news with pride, calling it a recognition of Neha’s commitment to “shaping the future of our profession.” The agency noted that her appointment aligns with its belief in raising the bar for communications in India and beyond, and celebrated the achievement as a moment of collective pride.With over two decades at Avian WE, Neha has played a key role in leading strategy and planning for major clients, ensuring quality standards, and driving operations in the northern region. Her journey from regional leadership to global representation highlights her deep expertise and consistent impact across the communications landscape.Neha’s new role at ICCO further strengthens India’s representation in the global PR community — a testament to her leadership and the growing influence of Indian communications professionals on the world stage.

The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), a prominent organization representing PR and communication professionals across the nation, has introduced its new Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter. These guidelines are designed to boost collaboration and operational effectiveness within the industry, reflecting PRCAI?ÇÖs dedication to cultivating an ethical, professional, and forward-thinking sector.The PR industry is expected to continue its upward trajectory, as preliminary findings from the PRCAI SPRINT 2024* survey, conducted in collaboration with IPSOS, indicate a 19.6 percent growth in FY 2022-2023, increasing the market size to ?2,500 crore from ?2,100 crore in FY 2021-2022. Building on this momentum, PRCAI has concentrated on three crucial areas: the Request for Proposal process, fostering a collaborative work environment, and establishing guidelines for the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence, all aimed at further reinforcing the industry."The Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter reflects our dedication to innovation and the pursuit of excellence as the PR sector continues to expand and mature," stated Deeptie Sethi, CEO of PRCAI. "These guidelines are intended to align client and consultancy efforts and serve as a potent tool for achieving mutual objectives and establishing a gold standard for behavior that everyone can adopt."PRCAI?ÇÖs newly launched guidelines arrive at a critical juncture as the PR industry experiences rapid transformation. Despite strong growth, the sector in India faces several challenges, including budgetary constraints, discrepancies in client-consultancy expectations, a lack of skilled talent, and operational inefficiencies. The Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter directly addresses these challenges by offering a comprehensive framework to streamline operations, enhance transparency, uphold ethical practices, and strengthen client-agency relationships.Neha Mehrotra, National Chair for Standardisation & Growth at PRCAI, remarked, "The standardisation guidelines are crafted to tackle the modern challenges within the PR industry and will create a more cohesive and efficient working environment. By promoting transparent communication, respecting commercial priorities, and integrating emerging technologies ethically, these guidelines empower PR professionals to deliver outstanding results with significant impact and value."The development of these guidelines involved significant collaboration, with PRCAI assembling 35 industry experts representing PR firms of various sizes and seasoned corporate communication specialists through closed-door workshops. These professionals, bringing together a combined experience of 1,000 years, dedicated 400 hours over 100 days to meticulously craft the standardisation guidelines. This collaborative effort exemplifies the industry's collective passion for raising standards and driving positive change.Minari Shah, a PRCAI member and director of International (APAC, EU, LATAM) Owned Content & Channels at Amazon, stated, "This initiative by PRCAI is a step in the right direction towards professionalizing our industry and ensuring harmonious collaboration among all parties. The guidelines are a starting point for bringing much-needed clarity and structure to client-agency partnerships. By clearly defining expectations and focusing on transparency and accountability, they can help foster stronger and more productive relationships between clients and consultancies."The three key guidelines within the Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter and AI Code of Conduct include:1. *Standardizing the Request for Proposal (RFP) Process:* This guideline emphasizes transparency and efficiency, highlighting the need to pre-qualify consultancies and shortlist three to four based on their credentials. It underscores the importance of clear communication briefs, defined stages in the selection process, and transparent compensation practices, ensuring fair treatment of non-shortlisted consultancies. Additionally, a structured induction training program for onboarding new consultancies is outlined to ensure alignment and excellence.2. *Creating a Collaborative Work Environment:* These guidelines encourage a 'One Team' mentality, fostering mutual respect and collaboration. Best practices for onboarding consultancy partners include clear norms for briefs, access to information, and leadership engagement. The guidelines advocate for defining mutual goals, mechanisms for productive feedback, and maintaining realistic timelines and work expectations, ensuring continuous business efficiency and supporting ongoing learning and development.3. *AI Guidelines for PR Consultancies:* These guidelines ensure transparency and accountability in AI usage, ethical data use, bias mitigation, and human oversight in AI-driven processes. They empower users by providing details on AI usage and allowing data control. The guidelines also emphasize the need for robust security measures to protect AI systems and data, along with compliance with AI regulations."This initiative by PRCAI aims to create a level playing field for strong client-consultancy partnerships in this new digital era. The AI guidelines are crucial for every PR professional, not only for ensuring the ethical and responsible use of technology but also for building trust with key stakeholders through the fair and accurate use of data, insights, and information," commented Seema Siddiqui, former Director of Communications at Microsoft India.PRCAI encourages its members, including 50 PR firms and several practitioners, to adopt the new code of conduct guidelines, which serve as a guiding framework rather than binding regulations. This initiative reinforces PRCAI?ÇÖs commitment to fostering true partnerships between PR firms and their clients, setting clear communication standards, and adhering to the highest levels of professionalism.

There is a significant opportunity for business leaders to turn their AI vision into action by communicating it to both internal and external stakeholders, according to the India-specific findings from WE Communications?ÇÖ (WE) latest ?ÇÿBrands in Motion?ÇÖ (BIM) global study, ?Ç£Bridging the AI Expectation Gap.?Ç¥ This new research, released in Bengaluru, reveals data and insights from the Indian market. The BIM study surveyed over 2,900 business executives across the globe - including India, Australia, Singapore, China, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the USA - to gain insight into how AI is impacting organisational culture, trust, and business communications. Of the 2900 executives surveyed 500 were from India.Neha Mehrotra, Managing Director Avian WE, stated: ?Ç£AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a transformative force reshaping business operations and customer engagement. For businesses, the crucial question is not whether to adopt AI, but how swiftly and effectively they can leverage this transformative power. While enthusiasm for AI is high, the implementation gap is concerning. This report highlights the critical need for strategic communication to bridge the AI expectation gap and provides a comprehensive roadmap for organizations to harness AI's full potential.?Ç¥There was broad recognition of the opportunity for AI to drive impact across business functions. The leaders polled identified product development, customer service, and marketing and communications as the top three areas that would benefit most from greater adoption of AI.The study recommended four strategies to turn AI vision into action:  1. Build an AI Employee Engagement Strategy: Audit employee sentiment and optimize to address gaps and areas of interest in the build-out and implementation of the organization?ÇÖs AI content and engagement strategy. 2. Link to the Company?ÇÖs Transformation Journey: Modernize the company narrative and messaging to show how AI is advancing the overall transformational journey, demonstrating its potential to drive growth, change, and innovation. 3. Employ Executive Communications and Thought Leadership: C-level and company leadership messaging need to spotlight consistent AI progress updates and the specific behaviors and change management needed to fully harness AI. 4. Update Crisis and Issues Preparedness Plans: Conduct risk assessments and scenario planning on potential AI-related issues, incorporating these into overall preparedness plans.To achieve these goals, the study recommended greater transparency across stakeholders as a cornerstone for AI efforts: 84% of the study?ÇÖs Indian participants believed their organization should be more or equally transparent about its use of AI compared with their vendors, partner businesses, and customers.?Ç£Although transparency is crucial for AI integration, our study showed only 39% of Indian organizations practiced it, and just 31% prioritized employee feedback. Leaders must commit to open communication to bridge the gap between AI vision and implementation. We hope the recommended strategies help businesses navigate tech transformations and leverage innovation for growth,?Ç¥ Mehrotra concluded.(Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay)

LG Electronics, one of the leading consumer durable brands in India, has selected Avian WE as its external communications partner in India. Avian WE will spearhead comprehensive communication strategies aimed at elevating awareness of LG's corporate initiatives, including its technological prowess, corporate social responsibility (CSR) endeavors, and employer branding efforts. Through multi-channel communication, Avian WE will showcase LG's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community engagement, further solidifying its position as a leader in the market.Commenting on the appointment, Jae Hyung Jun, Head Corporate Marketing at LG Electronics India, emphasized the brand's enduring commitment and vision for the Indian market. He stated, ?Ç£At LG, our presence in India goes beyond delivering exceptional technology products; we believe in communicating and demonstrating the power of optimism as a way to make life better for our customers around the world. We are excited to collaborate with Avian WE to amplify our narrative reflecting our steadfast dedication to innovation and customer-centricity and also conveying the message Life?ÇÖs Good to customers, inspiring and encouraging them to approach life with an optimistic attitude.?Ç¥Talking about the selection process, he added, ?Ç£The competition among the chosen agencies was fierce, but Avian WE's alignment with LG's core values and vision ultimately tipped the scales in their favour. We look forward to partnering with Avian WE to craft a tailored strategy that will resonate with our target audience and propel us towards achieving our objectives in India.?Ç¥Commenting on the partnership, Neha Mehrotra, Managing Director of Avian WE, said, ?Ç£We are excited to partner with LG and expand Avian WE's technology portfolio through creative thinking and inventive collaboration. LG, a global leader in consumer technology products, is dedicated to enhancing lives through innovation. We're committed to leveraging our expertise for impactful storytelling, ensuring LG's message resonates across all platforms.?Ç¥Avian WE?ÇÖs appointment is the result of a rigorous selection process, which included evaluating various capabilities and expertise of leading PR firms in India.