We are in a new era of Public Relations. In the last few years, the importance of reputation management has undergone a sea change. More brands and clients, especially from the leadership teams, are viewing Public Relations from a close range. The industry has undergone a radical change with the advent of social media, which has to a large extent changed the approach to Public Relations. We have a relatively new and young audience that we need to face in the coming years so there are bigger challenges for brands and PR practitioners, who have to be more agile and proactive in their thinking to draw up business solutions for clients.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 an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Dolly Tayal, Managing Director, Burson Genesis, delves into the PR industry and the Indian economy as a whole. She discusses the trends and developments that shaped the industry during the year, along with Burson Genesis?ÇÖ performance in 2024. Tayal also sheds light on the trends, innovations, and developments expected to dominate the PR industry in the coming year, as well as the headwinds and tailwinds she foresees.PR industry and Indian economy as a wholeThe year 2024 was a critical one for us as India emerged as a significant economic and geopolitical power and the fastest-growing major economy in the world. Currently, our country?ÇÖs economy is at the convergence of strong growth and moderating inflation. The General Elections have also resulted in a third consecutive term for the government, making it one of the most stable periods for governance for the country. All this has had a cascading effect on India?ÇÖs economy.Offering a glimpse into India?ÇÖs promising future, the World Bank mentioned that the economy is growing at a healthy pace while navigating seamlessly through global crises. I think the word ?Çÿresilient?ÇÖ aptly defines India?ÇÖs economic growth trajectory, and 2025 will be a testament to the same. Smoothly overcoming the pitfalls, India is poised for growth and prosperity in the coming year and beyond. PR Industry?ÇÖs performanceNever has there been a more critical need for the PR and communications sector than now. Given the growth opportunities for businesses in India and the evolving landscape of multiple stakeholders, we are in the right industry at the right time. With so much influx around the world, there is a lot of pressure on companies to build and protect their reputation capital. Gone are the days when you could take a linear approach to communications. You have to operate with a multi-stakeholder approach. And the sector in India is continuously building capabilities and capacities to do that, in terms of messaging as well as channels.Key trends and developments that dominated 2024Among the many trends shaping the PR and communications landscape in 2024, three remarkable developments that stand out are: an increased influence of technology, the evolution of storytelling to engage target audiences and crisis management.AI has fundamentally changed the way we work in the industry. One aspect of it is generative AI, which has opened new opportunities for creating content in various formats. The other, bigger aspect comes from AI-driven data analytics. By enabling data-driven decision-making, leveraging algorithm-driven insights, seeking content suggestions, ensuring personalisation of campaign strategies and more, AI is helping reinvent PR and communications. And this year showed us that it is here to stay.Today, PR is more than just telling stories; it is about creating engaging experiences that audiences will want to return to frequently. It?ÇÖs about participating in or experiencing the story.We have also seen reputation management emerging as a key element of PR this year. Today, when information travels at lightning speed, fake news and rumours can spread rapidly and threaten to bring down carefully built brands. This is where the role of effective crisis management comes into play. It is not an ?Çÿif?ÇÖ but a ?Çÿwhen?ÇÖ and AI is proving to be a powerful ally in navigating these complexities.Burson Genesis performance in 20242024 was truly a landmark year for us marked by two significant milestones: the formation of Burson and celebrating our 32-year-old journey in India.The transition to Burson has been a truly remarkable experience because it has infused new energy into our people. It stands as the global leader in communications, purpose-built to help clients create value through reputation. We have a truly global company which is not just a company with offices across the globe. The level of global collaboration we have here is unprecedented. We combine exceptional communications expertise, AI-first technologies and creative firepower to build reputation and continually reinvent how it?ÇÖs done.Our 32nd Founder?ÇÖs Day was all about commemorating our legacy and seasoned expertise. Moreover, with our teams?ÇÖ bold, bright and cut-through creative work, we won 80 awards this year across PR, marketing and digital platforms in India and APAC. We also had some big business wins and became the strategic communications partner for some of the prominent industry players. All in all, it was a truly momentous year, and we are hoping 2025 will be even better and brighter.PR trends, developments, innovations in 2025The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that India will become the fourth-largest economy in the world in 2025, surpassing Japan. That, combined with key bilateral and multilateral alignments, reforms in the trade policy and global emphasis on diversification, including a China+1 strategy, place India in an advantageous position in the global landscape. India?ÇÖs continued focus on infrastructure investments, growing domestic consumption and rising soft power only add to this position. The vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047 brings all this into perspective and sets the country on a path where it uses its growing economic strength, geopolitical equity and cultural heritage to help India shed its ?Çÿdeveloping?ÇÖ tag.The public relations sector in the country has to both support as well as facilitate this forward movement. The multiple stakeholders who will bring alive this growth story will need to be engaged with bold and persuasive integrated communications with public affairs, ESG communications, employee communications, creative content and of course, AI-driven data analytics and intelligence.Expectations from 2025As Burson, we are committed to building and protecting reputation. Our focus this year will be on building a unique proposition for our three brands ?Çô Burson Genesis, Hill & Knowlton and GCI Health India. With our expert team and focus on innovation and creativity, we are confident we will develop strategies that create reputational capital for our clients with unrivalled intelligence, innovation and impact.Burson is investing heavily in learning and development initiatives so that our people are not just equipped for today but become future-ready as well. Its growth mindset ensures the team has access to an environment that thrives on constant learning. Our one-of-its-kind initiative, Burson India School of Learning, has been pivotal in nurturing talent for two decades now. What started as an initiative to support the people within the organisation is now making significant strides in contributing to the industry?ÇÖs growth as well.Headwinds and tailwinds expected in 2025In 2025, the public relations landscape in India will see increased competition and the challenge of maintaining authenticity amid continued technological changes, particularly with AI integration. There will be increased scrutiny on businesses to deliver on ESG mandates while ensuring growth. The communications will need to deliver both counsel and content to help businesses with that.Conversely, tailwinds will arise from the rise of hyper-personalisation in campaigns and the growing importance of purpose-driven communication, which aligns with consumer values.At Burson, we view these challenges as learning opportunities. We are confident we will be able to navigate all the complexities and capitalise on emerging opportunities for growth, just like we have been doing over the years.
