In an era where reputation can shape business outcomes as much as financial performance, strategic communications is emerging as a vital pillar of corporate leadership. As organisations grapple with AI-driven disruption, misinformation and increasingly complex stakeholder expectations, public relations is being called upon to provide not just visibility, but strategic counsel. Reflecting on this year's World PR Day theme, "The Golden Age of Strategic PR", Roshan Mohan, Founder of Tharaa Labs and Group Managing Director of Pepper Communications Group, discusses the growing influence of communications in executive decision-making, the need to measure reputation capital, and why human judgement will remain indispensable in an AI-powered future.This year's World PR Day theme is "The Golden Age of Strategic PR". Do you believe public relations has finally earned a seat at the executive decision-making table, or do communications leaders still have to prove their strategic value?I believe PR has undoubtedly moved closer to the executive decision-making table. However, it is only a matter of time when more and more business decisions will be driven by PR advisory. The organisations that see communications as a business function, that understand the importance and value of building trust are involving communications leaders much earlier in decision-making, whether it's navigating reputation risks, managing stakeholder trust, driving transformation, or supporting business growth. In those environments, PR is no longer reacting to decisions; it is helping shape them.That said, the industry as a whole still has work to do. Communications professionals need to move beyond reporting media coverage and start demonstrating how their work influences business outcomes. Today's communications landscape is driven by data, technology, audience intelligence, and integrated storytelling. The value we bring lies in connecting these disciplines to business strategy.The theme of this year's World PR Day, 'The Golden Age of Strategic PR', is particularly relevant because the role of PR has expanded far beyond earned media. We are increasingly expected to advise leadership on reputation, stakeholder sentiment, crisis preparedness, policy shifts, and the broader narrative surrounding an organisation.Strategic PR is no longer about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about ensuring the organisation is communicating the right story, to the right stakeholders, at the right time, with measurable business impact. Those who consistently deliver that value have already earned their place in the boardroom. The rest of the industry is steadily moving in that direction.In an era marked by AI, misinformation, geopolitical uncertainty and heightened stakeholder expectations, how should PR professionals balance speed with accuracy while maintaining public trust?In today's communications environment, the challenge isn't just responding quickly; it's responding responsibly. AI, misinformation, and an increasingly complex stakeholder landscape have made trust more valuable than ever.While speed is important, accuracy and credibility cannot be compromised. A delayed response can be explained; an inaccurate one can damage reputation and erode stakeholder confidence. AI can certainly enhance efficiency, but all AI platforms say “AI can make mistakes.” Human judgement, context, and ethical decision-making remain indispensable.The role of strategic PR is to help organisations communicate with clarity, consistency, and credibility. In an era of constant information flow, trust will continue to be the defining measure of effective communication.Trust has become one of the most valuable assets for organisations. What role do you see strategic PR playing in helping businesses navigate crises, regulatory changes and increasingly complex stakeholder relationships?Trust is built over time but could be eroded in an instant, which is why strategic PR has become a critical business function rather than just a communications function. We at PCG have worked out a particular formula to calculate Reputation Capital and Reputation Efficiency. It allows us to assess how communication contributes to stakeholder trust, reputation and business performance, demonstrating that while reputation is an intangible asset, it can be measured, managed and strengthened through a strategic communications approach. PR earns trust. PR helps navigate the landscape of communicating with various stakeholders, providing leadership with clear, timely, and credible counsel. PR helps anticipate risks, aligning communication with business strategy, and ensuring transparency across every stakeholder touchpoint.However, we also need a way to measure this beyond just human instinct. Despite all the PR done over decades, for instance, how long can a brand withstand a crisis? At what point does the trust start to erode? As gatekeepers, we also need to have a measure of these, hence the RC and RE scores. Having a tangible score helps us understand what’s the distance to be covered and the most effective way of doing it.As the communications industry enters what World PR Day describes as the "Golden Age of Strategic PR", what skills and mindset do you believe the next generation of PR professionals must develop to remain relevant and influential over the next decade?The professionals who'll matter most in the next decade are the ones who can combine the power of AI with sound judgment. AI is a powerful tool, but it doesn't alter the fundamentals of public relations. The communications professionals who will create the greatest impact in the next decade are those who can combine the power of AI with sound judgment. Familiarity with AI tools is becoming a baseline capability, but what will truly differentiate professionals is their ability to think critically by understanding the business context, evaluating stakeholder perspectives, anticipating reputational impact and knowing which stories deserve attention, which conversations matter most for a client, and when human insight should take precedence over automation.I'd also encourage young professionals to develop a deeper understanding of business, not just communications. The best communication strategies are rooted in an understanding of industry dynamics, competitive challenges, and business objectives. Creativity is important, but it delivers far greater value when it's backed by commercial context. Technologies will continue to evolve, and audiences will change, but authenticity, strategic thinking, and credibility will always remain the foundations of meaningful communication.

Authored by Roshan Mohan, Group MD - PCGIn an era where misinformation spreads quicker than truth, trust - once a societal cornerstone - has become a fragile, even rare, commodity. Over the years, articlesdissecting this predicament have spotlighted institutional failures, rampant polarisation, and the amplifying role of technology. Yet, most discussions often fall short, offering broad diagnoses or top-down fixes while neglecting practical, scalable solutions, cultural nuances, technological opportunities, long-term perspectives, and the emotional undercurrents of trust.Here, I attempt to bridge those gaps, proposing actionable strategies & solutions grounded in a deeper analysis of trust?ÇÖs erosion and restoration.Rebuilding Trust: A Path ForwardThe Grassroots Gap: Empowering IndividualsMuch of the discourse fixates on systemic woes?Çödistrust in media, governments, and tech giants?Çöbut stops short of equipping individuals to act. One practicable and empowering solution is a simple, adaptable framework for everyday use that empowers truth-seeking.Step 01: Cross-verify information using accessible tools, which crowdsource credibility signals.Step 02: Conduct "source mapping": tracing a claim's origin by checking primary source documents and reputable archives, such as the Wayback Machine and the Internet Archive.Step 03: Foster micro-dialogues?Çösmall, intentional conversations to unpack divisive issues without judgement.People trust personal networks more than institutions; leveraging this can organically rebuild confidence. Unlike vague calls for "media literacy," this framework offers clear, repeatable actions anyone can take, turning passive audiences into active truth-seekers. Cultural Blind Spots: Region-Specific TrustTrust isn?ÇÖt universal?Çöit?ÇÖs shaped by culture and context. News articles in India often skew toward Western lenses, ignoring how misinformation frays trust differently elsewhere. In rural India, for instance, WhatsApp rumours have sparked violence, yet local leaders?Çösarpanches?Çöretain outsized influence.A solution here is "community anchoring": Train trusted community figures to counter misinformation with localised, culturally resonant messaging. One-size-fits-all fixes?Çöthink fact-checking sites?Çöflounder where literacy or internet access is limited. Tailoring trust-building to regional realities, rather than exporting generic policies, ensures relevance and uptake.Tech as Ally, Not FoeEmerging tech, especially generative AI, is often portrayed as the villain of misinformation?Çöthink deepfakes or bot-driven content. Yet its potential to rebuild trust isunderexplored. Imagine "Trust AI": transparent algorithms that rank sources by credibility (e.g., peer-reviewed studies over random blogs) and explain their reasoning in plain language. Social platforms could integrate this, letting users see why a post is flagged or boosted.Pair this with "digital watermarks" for verified content?Çöalready piloted by Adobe?ÇÖs Content Authenticity Initiative?Çöand you?ÇÖve got a proactive counter to fakery. Unlike reactive moderation, this harnesses tech to empower users, not just police them, addressing the gap between AI?ÇÖs risks and its untapped promise. We have to work towards a standardised global framework using appropriate metrics to assess the success of such initiatives, and we have to evaluate and course-correct continually as the challenges evolve.Time?ÇÖs Missing DimensionShort-term analyses dominate?Çötrust during an election, a pandemic?Çöbut how does it evolve? A longitudinal approach reveals more. Tracking online sentiment over two years shows distrust spikes with scandals but wanes with consistent transparency from credible voices. Invest in Trust-Continuity programs. Communities or platforms could appoint 'trust stewards'?Çörotating, respected locals or moderators?Çöwho provide steady, reliable updates over months, not just during crises.These trust stewards would maintain a consistent flow of reliable information, address community concerns, and foster open dialogue. Data from Europe?ÇÖs 2023 disinformation studies suggests sustained engagement cuts belief in conspiracies by 15%. This beats one-off fact-checks, filling the gap in long-term trust metrics.The Emotional CoreFinally, trust isn?ÇÖt just rational?Çöit?ÇÖs emotional. Fear and betrayal fuel scepticism, yet articles rarely probe this. A solution: "emotional bridging". Encourage story-sharing?Çövia town halls or X threads?Çöwhere people voice how misinformation has hurt them, paired with collaborative problem-solving.Psychologists note that shared vulnerability fosters empathy?Çöa trust bedrock. Unlike cold statistics, this approach humanises the issue, addressing the psychological gap head-on and underlining its crucial role in trust-building.Communicators must better understand the psychological underpinnings of misinformation susceptibility. Few articles delve into the cognitive and psychological reasons individuals fall prey to misinformation, which could inform effective countermeasures.SummationBuilding trust amid misinformation demands more than diagnosing systemic decay. It requires empowering individuals with tools, customising for cultural contexts, proactively leveraging tech, tracking progress over time, and healing emotional wounds. These solutions could shift us from lamenting lost trust to rebuilding it, step by step. In a fragmented age, trust starts small, human, and local and then scales up. The mainstay is to build proactive measures rather than use band-aid solutions as reactive responses.

Authored by Roshan Mohan, Group MD, PCG.With the unprecedented surge in data and multiple communication channels, it is crucial today for companies to understand the nuances of listening and establish clear parameters for goal achievement. As information moves at lightning speed and consumer preferences shift quickly, traditional methods of communication need to be updated. Nowadays, news emerges from ongoing conversations, influencing the news itself.So, when it comes to PR, how do you know what you set out to achieve and what has been achieved? And how do we measure if what?ÇÖs been achieved is good or bad?Changing ApproachesToday, communication has to be tailored to suit each audience group. Brands must also ?Çÿlisten?ÇÖ to what is being said about them across multiple platforms and align a campaign to address these perceptions and misconceptions.The one-size-fits-all approach no longer works ?Çô at least not effectively. To be heard through the noise, we need to tailor messages that resonate with the reader (or the audience). For instance, a message for millennials might be more visual and casual, while a message for baby boomers might be more formal and text-based.To do this more effectively, it is essential to harness the power of data analytics. AI-enabled tools, such as sentiment analysis and social listening platforms, offer a wealth of information regarding reactions to ongoing campaigns, sentiments related to a brand, what the competition is doing, and more.These insights allow us to design highly targeted campaigns that yield more impactful results and establish us as pivotal contributors to the industry?ÇÖs evolution and expansion. Additionally, this personalised approach helps companies broaden their reach and connect more deeply with their target audiences.PR professionals play a crucial role in crafting compelling pitches for journalists. By monitoring and understanding real-time trends and data, they can curate the right time to pitch a particular topic, ensuring maximum impact. This proactive approach increases the chances of publishing the story and enhances the brand's visibility and credibility.Establishing KPIsKPIs (Key performance indicators) are crucial in any industry and job. They provide valuable insights into what?ÇÖs working and what needs adjustment. They help optimise strategies, allocate resources effectively, and demonstrate the tangible value of PR activities to stakeholders. In a field where outcomes can be elusive, KPIs offer a concrete way to measure success and guide future efforts.For the PR sector in India, the quantitative number of coverages has been a standard KPI and often the only one.When you think of curated campaigns and truly listen to what the data tells you ?Çô these ?Çÿcoverage numbers?ÇÖ are meaningless. Any good PR professional can amass a set of coverages quickly. But is this truly an indicator of the success of the campaign? Instead of just focusing on the number of coverages, consider KPIs like the audience reading these publications, the alignment of the article with the brand's key messages, the tonality of these coverages, and whether the client stood out in these mentions.What is the audience profile reading these publications? Did the article have the right key messages of the brand? What was the tonality of these coverages? Did the company stand out in these mentions?If the total volume of mentions is a critical requirement, that can be a KPI. However, narrowing it down to a single KPI is a mistake, especially when we have so much data and intelligence available. A single piece of news in a publication followed by the right target audience can have a greater impact than 20 pieces of coverage in random publications.A story placed at the right time in the right publication can do much more to foster positive sentiment than several smaller pieces floating around. This underscores the significant role of PR professionals in shaping public perception and boosting a brand?ÇÖs reputation and visibility.Before establishing KPIs, a brand should actively listen to what is being said about the company and understand the changes required or the direction it needs to take. This understanding empowers the brand to take control of its narrative and helps make strategic decisions, fostering a sense of control over narrative and strategy.SummationPR experts are often brought in only for specific campaigns with limited goals. KPIs are often established at a basic level without research and understanding of business objectives. Request for a pre-campaign data-driven analysis from your PR partner to help understand where the brand stands and where it needs to go, providing the necessary guidance to establish clear KPIs that help create a more successful campaign.Disclaimer: The views are expressed solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the PRPOST.com