https://theprpost.com/post/8863/

BSE India’s Santanu Chakraborty on making finance engaging

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, Santanu Chakraborty, Corporate Communications Lead, BSE India, speaks at length about his approach to content strategy at BSE India, considering his background in financial media and communications. He discusses some unique challenges in creating content for a financial institution like BSE, his approach to building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders in the financial sector, the similarities and differences he finds between financial reporting and corporate communications, and how the financial media landscape has changed since he started. He also shares insights on the trends he sees emerging in the next five years.How do you approach content strategy at BSE India, given your background in financial media and communications? What are some unique challenges in creating content for a financial institution like BSE?The biggest challenge in creating content for a legacy enterprise is tailoring it to the audience. Every piece of content should have a hook, an establishment, a challenger, and a conflict. This is a recipe for shareable content – content that audiences can relate to. This approach is valid for writing in literature, media, or for a brand. In most top-down organizations, the scope for storytelling is limited as decision-makers often prefer to present data and supportive facts to drive business growth or manage stakeholders. There is very little appreciation for the end audiences and what they want to know. My work as a communications professional involves crafting content with the end audience in mind and sensitizing my leadership accordingly.Could you share your approach to building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders in the financial sector? What strategies have proven most effective?Maintaining transparent communication with timely, clear updates on market changes and policies builds trust. Key strategies include:Adopting stakeholder-centric content tailored to the specific interests of investors, regulators, and media to ensure relevance.Direct engagement by hosting forums and Q&A sessions with leadership to foster open dialogue and a sense of inclusion.Establishing investor education programs and publishing insights to position the exchange as an authority.Regular engagement with regulatory authorities to align on policies and reinforce compliance.What are your methods for identifying impactful trends? Can you share an example of a trend you identified early that had a major impact on the market or your organization?Data Analytics: Monitor market data and sentiment analysis for early signals.Industry Reports: Regularly review financial publications and sector reports.Stakeholder Feedback: Gather insights from discussions with investors and regulators.Competitive Benchmarking: Analyze peer strategies and market responses.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Engage with teams in risk, compliance, and product for broader trend perspectives.One of the things that I have done is conduct extensive research on the topic. I gathered a lot of data and anecdotes, paying attention to what common people are discussing. Based on that, I designed the brief for my creative agency to create various types of content, including reels, blog posts, posters, carousels, vignettes, and display ads. After that, I gave the agency complete freedom to experiment with storytelling. We won awards for our Mr. Mane video series on popular investor awareness in social media.Having experience in both financial reporting and corporate communications, what similarities and differences do you find between the two, and how has each helped you in the other?In both fields, you need to be a good storyteller. The major difference is that in financial reporting, you have the liberty to present a lot of data and facts, expecting the audience to make sense of it. In communications, however, we must tailor each story according to the audience and medium.How has the financial media landscape changed since you started, and what trends do you see emerging in the next five years?Since 2005, there has been a significant digital shift: traditional print media has declined, with a move towards digital platforms and real-time news, making financial information more accessible.Rise of Specialized Outlets: There is an increased demand for niche financial reporting, leading to a surge in dedicated finance and investment news platforms.Influence of Social Media: Platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn have become primary channels for quick, real-time financial updates and expert commentary.Emerging Trends:AI and Data-Driven Journalism: Expect AI-powered insights and data analytics to play a larger role in financial reporting.Content Personalization: More tailored content for individual investor preferences.Video & Short-Form Content: Growth in video content, especially short-form, as audiences seek concise, visual information.Influencer-Led Financial Insights: Increased reliance on financial influencers who provide insights directly to their followers.
https://theprpost.com/post/8859/

How to manage reputation in a post-truth era

Adgully, in association with CommsAdda, hosted the latest edition of #GullyChat on Friday, October 25, 2024. This edition of #GullyChat focused on ‘Managing Reputation in a Post-Truth Era: Tools and Techniques for PR Pros’.The esteemed participants included:Padmaja Konisetti, Communications ProfessionalSantanu Chakraborty, Corporate Communications Lead, BSE (Stock Exchange)Pooja Trehan, Head of PR & Content, Jio World CentreBhavna Imran, Communications Leader - South Asia, Corteva AgriscienceThe session began with a discussion on how PR professionals are leveraging data analytics to monitor and respond to public sentiment in real-time.Santanu Chakraborty suggested using analytics tools to track mentions, hashtags, and sentiment on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for social media monitoring. According to him, this helps gauge public sentiment and identify emerging trends or issues quickly.”He further added, “For content tracking, analyze different types of content across channels. Understanding what resonates with the audience guides future communications. Brands need to implement natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to analyze sentiment online.”Padmaja Konisetti said, “Social listening and media monitoring tools play a huge role. They provide immediate access to public sentiment analysis, enabling us to monitor sentiment on various channels and craft our responses accordingly.”The conversation then moved towards how storytelling can be used as a tool for reputation management in an era saturated with misinformation.Bhavna Imran noted, “Storytelling can take many forms. A leader sharing an anecdote or personal narrative is one of my favourite approaches. It helps build a connection with the audience and elicits empathy.”Pooja Trehan emphasized on consistency and clarity. “Keep sharing your story with focused messaging at regular intervals. That’s probably why we remember the audio tune by Intel or the Amul Girl.”The panellists also discussed emerging technologies and tools that can assist PR professionals in navigating the complexities of the post-truth landscape.Trehan stressed on going back to the basics. “Read, research, network within the industry, and draft your own communications. While there’s no shortage of tools and technologies, often what’s missing is a simple, grounded approach.”Bhavna Imran added here, “Exploring sentiment heatmaps – visual representations of sentiment by region or demographic – allows us to track the spread and impact of misinformation so that we can tailor our responses.” She also highlighted the “power of many”, adding, “Crowdsourced fact-checking, if done right, can be very powerful!”Padmaja Konisetti said, “In addition to traditional and social media analytics tools, PR professionals should also explore influencer marketing and emerging tech, such as AI tools, to navigate this new landscape.”Talking about crisis management platforms, Santanu Chakraborty stressed on centralizing communication and response strategies during crises for quick coordination. “As far as Blockchain technology is concerned, one needs to ensure transparency and authenticity of information via secure, verifiable sources.”