Anup K.Srivastava, Director, Public Relations, Indian Airlines
“There are two reasons for the low awareness level among people. Firstly, people still carry the old image of IA in their minds, which is that of a government-run organisation. Secondly, there has been a lack of communication on our part in the past, especially in terms of inadequate advertising. However, changes are underway and the perception of IA will certainly change in the coming days.”
“There are two reasons for the low awareness level among people. Firstly, people still carry the old image of IA in their minds, which is that of a government-run organisation. Secondly, there has been a lack of communication on our part in the past, especially in terms of inadequate advertising. However, changes are underway and the perception of IA will certainly change in the coming days.”
Indian Airlines has undertaken major initiatives for an image makeover. The transformation from a sarkari to a professional organisation has led to major changes in the advertising and marketing initiatives of the Rs 4,500-crore state-run airlines. In an interview with Ranjana Gupta of exchange4media, Anup K Srivastava, Director, Public Relations, Indian Airlines, says the airline has a number of firsts to its credit – right from the time it became the first airline to introduce Business Class and more leg space in Economy Class, trolley service system, in-flight magazine ‘Swagat’ to co-branded cards. Today, the organisation has geared up to position and market itself as the numero uno brand in the Indian skies. Q. There is a strong perception that IA is a typical ‘sarkari’ organisation, often insensitive to the emotions and sentiments of its clients – the passengers. What kind of PR initiative do you have in place to overcome such negative perceptions among the public?
Right now we have done two things: firstly, product upgradation which involves changes in fares, services, in-flight services, interiors and passenger care. We are the only airline to carry a stretcher and also transport dead bodies. We provide concessional fares for war widows, army personnel, Arjuna awardees, senior citizens, etc. So, besides business, there is also a strong stress on the social aspects.
However, all these aspects are underplayed in the eyes of the public. We serve the same quality of food that is served by our competitors. Looking at the increasing competition, we are bringing to the forefront our special benefits in a much more aggressive manner through PR. We are planning new ad campaigns and leading fashion designers are also being hired for an image makeover of the in-flight crew.
Q. There is great anguish when accidents or crashes take place. What kind of strategy do you adopt for damage control?
Actually, for such situations we have a well-established drill to meet the situation. The first step we take towards damage control is quick dissemination of information like an accurate list of the dead and injured. The injured and the dead are adequately compensated. At times IA also provides employment to the affected parties.
Q. By and large, Indian Airlines has always suffered from a poor image, whether it is flight punctuality, service quality, aircraft maintenance, etc. From the PR perspective, what has been the initiative of your department?
IA projects its image primarily through dissemination of information in print media. For example, the on-time performance of IA has been the best over the years. Hence, this piece of information was carried in the form of an article in newspapers. Similarly, when the airline was granted Rs 50 crore for modernisation of its equipment, we widely circulated this information to the media.
Q. Today there is a perception that IA has improved its services, yet there is a lack of commensurate awareness level?
There are two reasons for the low awareness level among people. Firstly, people still carry the old image of IA in their minds, which is of a government-run organisation. Secondly, there has been a lack of communication on our part in the past, especially in terms of inadequate advertising. However, changes are underway and you will see that the perception of IA will certainly change in the coming days.
Q. Being one of the largest and best known PSUs, how different is the function of PR for IA from that of any private sector unit or for that matter, brands?
This is a very difficult question to answer. In the Indian environment there are many variables, which need to be taken into account while handling the PR of a PSU. Every word that flows out from the organisation needs to be looked at from a social, economic and political aspect. Hence, unlike corporate PR, where the social aspect is minimal, in our case all issues are sensitive and have to be looked at closely before we speak to the press.
Q. Has the emergence of private airlines like Jet and Sahara put any additional pressure on PR’s role in IA?
I will not say that the emergence of private airlines has put pressure on our PR role. On the contrary, this has helped IA to improve its services to reach out to new customers. The quality of products has improved tremendously in view of the competition from private players. The government has decided to have an open-sky policy, and we at Indian Airlines have adopted a proactive approach to fight competition.
Q. Is PR in Indian Airlines brand-oriented or is it product or service-oriented? Is PR an integrated activity with Marketing in Indian Airlines?
Our PR activities are neither wholly product nor brand oriented. It is a mixture of both. In fact, we are very flexible and the focus may change as the situation arises. There is a high degree of dynamism in the airline. The PR department may get involved with the latest ad campaign and also help in the development of the latest marketing initiative.
Administratively, PR and Marketing are two different functions. However, these two don’t work in isolation; the objective is that both these functions should help sell the product. In IA today, both departments are working in a coordinated manner to achieve this goal. In today’s world of consumerism we are looking at marketing as a strength. Now cricket celebrities will be used for brand promotion. Very soon you will see ace cricketer Yuvraj Singh featuring in one of our ads.
Q. Can you highlight certain major PR initiatives, which have helped improve the image of Indian Airlines?
It is difficult to highlight a few initiatives. This is an ongoing process. However, recently we have come out with an ad campaign with the tag line ‘let your heart fly’. The ad campaign aims to build a positive perception in people’s minds. The basic objective is to convey that we are a good, professional service provider.
Q. You have an in-flight magazine ‘Swagat’. Is it a PR or marketing initiative? How do you leverage Swagat for perception management?
As I told you before, on the face of it there is no segregation between marketing and PR at IA. As far as ‘Swagat’ is concerned, it is a combination of both. Good content is offered to a captive audience. Features are added in the magazine depending on the feedback from our passengers. Earlier, we were not using the magazine for leveraging perception. But now it is an effective tool for brand promotion. One of the recent issues carries an in-house ad showing ace cricketer VVS Laxman, who is an IA employee. The ad carries the tagline ‘truly an Indian Airliner’. Similarly, most of the top cricket and hockey players are IA employees. Now, we plan to use more such ads in the magazine.
Q. What are the primary functions of PR in Indian Airlines?
PR serves a very delicate and sensitive function in a PSU. A PR officer is not only responsible for creating and maintaining the image of the organisation in the eyes of public but he is also responsible for conveying to the organisation how customers perceive them and what their expectations are. The PRO has to be in touch with officials from all departments – be it the external affairs ministry or the customer care head. The function involves a lot of value judgment and this is a highly sensitive task. To accomplish this task the PR person has to build a level of trust, both within and outside the organisation.
Q. The aviation industry in particular requires a two-tier communication strategy – one for the domestic front and the other for international level. How do you bridge the PR expectations at the two different levels? And how different are these expectations?
Firstly, I would like to tell you that those who fly Indian Airlines are looking for connectivity both at international and national level. At present IA serves 17 international destinations from 18 domestic stations. In addition to this, we also provide connectivity to 57 other destinations. To give you an example, a passenger flying from Sharjah to Cochin will get a connecting flight to Hyderabad on the same route. Similarly, a flight from Dubai to Hyderabad will also connect Tirupati. This shows our strong network. In such a scenario at the national level, the PR department in the corporate office handles all communication issues, while on the external front the communication is done mainly through our GSAs (general sales agents).
Q. Finally, how do you see the PR profession today? Is it still in its infancy?
PR is a very demanding profession these days. It has certainly emerged as an important wing in organisations. It is essential that the flow of information is managed in an appropriate manner.
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Surabhi Patodia, former Senior Manager, Corporate Communications & PR at Ola has joined healthcare platform Practo as Head of Communications.
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Patodia holds PG Diploma in Public Relations & Corporate Communications from the Xavier’s Institute of Mass Communications, Mumbai and Bachelors in Business Administration from BIT, Mesra.
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ShareIndiGo appoints Chhavi Leekha as Director, Corporate Communications & Brand Reputation
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IndiGo airlines, part of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, has appointed Chhavi Leekha as Director Corporate Communications and Brand Reputation. Prior to this role, she worked with Nokia India as Head of Marketing and Communications. Her role included setting the direction and leading Nokia's marketing strategy, demand generations, brand strategy, event management, advertising, external/internal communications, corporate affairs &CSR.
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Aditya Birla Group appoints Sandeep Gurumurthi as Head of Corporate Comm. and Brand
Gurumurthi who was part of the core team that launched ET NOW stepped down from his role as Managing Editor in August 2018
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Yaap appoints Deepak Singh as Chief Creative Officer
Singh is one of the most awarded creative talents in the country and has won over 1000 national and international awards
Rainmaker Ventures-backed Yaap, the digital advertising agency has appointed Deepak Singh as their Chief Creative Officer. Deepak will be based in the Mumbai office and will oversee all creative functions across the Yaap network in Mumbai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Shillong, Dubai, Singapore & Jakarta. He will report directly to the Board of Directors at Yaap.
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For the past 3 consecutive years, Singh has led a young team from The Social Street, which has gone on to give an exhilarating performance. He has been instrumental in securing the Creative Agency of the year title for the agency, several times during 2018.
Commenting on his new role, he added, “Saying yes to Yaap was actually not a very tough decision to make for me. Right from the time we first met, Atul had a clear picture of why he wanted to hire me. I am glad he has chalked out a much bigger role for me. Being a young and vibrant company with expertise in Digital Content, Design and Influencer Marketing, Yaap I believe will be a great learning experience for me. I’m raring to go “
Atul Hegde, co-founder Rainmaker Ventures added “Deepak is a welcome addition to the array of Partners we have at Yaap, which has a unique non CEO model, our aim as investors, is to ensure that we are able to attract the best & brightest of talent into the senior management pool at Yap. Within a short span of fewer than 3 Years, Yaap has grown into 70+ people across 7 offices in South East Asia, India & the Middle East and it was the right time for us to bring in a Senior Creative talent. I wish Deepak all the very best and I’m sure he will be a great asset to Yaap. “
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Leo Burnett India promotes Rakesh Hinduja to COO, West
He has been leading the operations of Leo Burnett’s head office in Mumbai as the Executive Director and Branch Head
Leo Burnett has announced the promotion of Rakesh Hinduja to Chief Operating Officer, West. He will continue to report to Dheeraj Sinha, Managing Director, India and Chief Strategy Officer, South Asia and Rajdeepak Das, Managing Director, India and Chief Creative Officer, South Asia.
Hinduja has been leading the operations of Leo Burnett’s head office in Mumbai as the Executive Director and Branch Head.
Speaking about the elevation, Dheeraj Sinha said, “Rakesh is the perfect role model for the new-age agency we are building. His leadership on all the three parameters of People, Product and Profit has been stellar. Under his watch, we have consistently seen spectacular work that has won our brands market-share, and glory at platforms such as Cannes Lions, Spikes and Effies. He has delivered high-quality growth for the Mumbai office, leading the teams to win a new business almost every two weeks. The momentum and buzz at Leo Burnett Mumbai are palpable. Rakesh has been an amazing team player, helping push the Publicis Groupe’s Power of One agenda. Leo Burnett Mumbai’s contribution to our services such as Prodigious has helped Prodigious to become the number one ‘agency production house’ in the country within a span of two years. More than anything else, Rakesh has a never-say-die attitude and he always plays the game with a sense of camaraderie that we really value at Leo Burnett.”
In his new role, Hinduja will drive the Power of One agenda for Leo Burnett in the West. He will help build cross-platform solutions for our clients using our services in Entertainment (Publicis Entertainment), Content (Content Factory), Experiential (Arc Worldwide), Production (Prodigious), Digital (Indigo Consulting and Digitas) and Media (Zenith Optimedia, Ecosys and Beehive). He will lead all the functions of Leo Burnett Mumbai to create world-class work, build a high growth business and create a culture where people come to do the best work of their lifetime.
Commenting on Rakesh’s promotion, Rajdeepak Das said, “Rakesh is always there, backing great creative work and making integrated thinking happen for our clients. He has been an essential part of the journey to get where we are today. This elevation is much-deserved and will take all of us to greater heights.”
Talking about his promotion, Rakesh Hinduja said, “I am happy with my journey at Leo Burnett – a new-age, solution-providing ‘Wave 3’ agency. I’m proud of the brave we have work done and I am hungry for more. Hereon, there are a lot of exciting things to do and in quick time. I want to take a critical pause here to thank all our clients and the Burnetters for their belief in me.”
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Publicis India appoints Neeraj Bassi as Managing Partner & Chief Strategy Officer
Along with Srija Chatterjee and Bobby Pawar, Bassi will help in fostering collaboration and delivering on the Power of One synergy across the Groupe
Publicis India has announced the appointment of Neeraj Bassi as Managing Partner & Chief Strategy Officer. Neeraj will work from the agency’s New Delhi office. Along with Srija Chatterjee and Bobby Pawar, Neeraj will help in fostering collaboration and delivering on the Power of One synergy across the Groupe.
With over two decades of professional experience, Neeraj has worked with some of the world’s most renowned brands including Coca-Cola, Asian Paints, Cadbury, BMW, KFC, Adidas, Samsung, British Airways, WeChat, Voltas, Audi, HSBC, Max Life and Tata Singapore Airlines – Vistara among others.
He joins Publicis after a brief stint as an independent Consultant where he provided strategic guidance and brand solutions for multiple clients across various categories. Neeraj has worked with some of the top market research networks such as TNS, IMRB, and NFO and led the Strategic Planning function in advertising agencies including Cheil, Ogilvy, JWT, McCann in India and abroad. Neeraj has also won multiple awards across reputed award festivals that recognise effectiveness such as Effies (India & APAC), AMES, WARC, etc.
Announcing the new appointment and welcoming Neeraj aboard, Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, South Asia said: “In Neeraj, we found a partner with a shared vision of driving a deeper level of integration within the Groupe by leveraging the Power of One model. Neeraj’s vast experience and media neutral planning approach will help clients in building a holistic brand experience which will aim to create one-to-one consumer engagement, at scale. I look forward to working with Neeraj and wish him the best of luck.”
Welcoming Neeraj to the Publicis family, Srija Chatterjee, Managing Director - Publicis Worldwide, India said: “Neeraj joins at a time when the Groupe is implementing a profound transformation which puts our clients front and centre of everything that we do. His wealth of experience of working across diverse sectors and with cross-functional teams will help build a narrative around our clients’ business and marketing transformation that connects data, content and technology in an omnichannel world. I’m excited to welcome Neeraj to the Publicis Groupe family, and we look forward to him riding the next strategic wave at the agency.”
Bobby Pawar, MD & CCO - Publicis Worldwide, India added: “I’ve always believed great work is born out of a strong partnership between strategy, creative and clients. Neeraj Bassi has a history of creating strategic platforms that killer ideas can springboard from. His cross-platform approach to planning will also be a huge asset to our march towards the future of creativity. It also helps that he is fun to be around. I can chat with him for hours; the chemistry is very important when you are going to be more or less living out of each other’s metaphorical pockets.”
Commenting on his appointment, and his plans for the agency, Neeraj Bassi said: “I am really excited to be part of Publicis India and looking forward to partnering Bobby and Srija to create stellar work that stands out in the market. Working with clients as an independent consultant has given me insight on the primary concerns of CXOs and how communication can help resolve them. Clients today need an omnichannel approach to planning that focuses on identifying and solving their business problems holistically, rather than getting trapped in a discipline-specific approach. I am fascinated by the way all Groupe companies have come together at Publicis to create Power of One, and I look forward to wielding this power to build successful campaigns for our clients.”
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Airbnb appoints Google's Aristotle Balogh as Chief Technology Officer
Balogh formerly served as Vice President of Engineering, Application Storage, Indexing and Serving at Google
Airbnb has announced the appointment of Aristotle Balogh as Chief Technology Officer, according to media reports.
Balogh is expected to begin his tenure with Airbnb in November and will head the engineering and data science teams. He will also be in charge of infrastructure, information security and IT, as well as engineering for payments and community support.
Balogh formerly served as Vice President of Engineering, Application Storage, Indexing and Serving at Google, where he was instrumental in developing the infrastructure and data platforms of Google Search. He also worked as Chief Technology Officer at Yahoo and VeriSign.
According to reports, the company is expected to file for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) next year and Balogh's appointment comes at a time when Airbnb is still without a Chief Financial Officer after Laurence Tosi stepped down from the role earlier this year.
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