Brand thyself! Which adjectives will use you use to describe yourself as a brand? You pay more for a branded product. The reason why you choose a particular TV set, laptop, mobile phone or a jewellery brand over the other had to do with the perception we had about the brand, right? When asked to search for any information on the web, you generally say “let me Google it” because that brand has become synonymous with the search. Every company likes to describe its brands in superlative terms, but the users have their own opinion. It is the user’s opinion that matters about a brand. You advertise your products based on readership or TRPs, watch films based on star ratings, and make purchase decisions based on users reviews. The brands that are perceived as innovative, aesthetically appealing and customer-consumer friendly, command a premium over their competitors. Brands are objectives. If you had to describe yourself using FIVE adjectives; a. Would these be the same as the ones others had used for you? b. Would these be the adjectives that you would want to be known for in the eyes of others? You are the CEO of “Brand YOU”. So what you should do to keep your brand alive, active, accepted, acknowledged, stand alone, and recognised by your target audience? Checklist to maintain “Brand YOU” Seek Feedback: In marketing terms, it is called “consumer research”. You need to know exactly what others think of you. Start with your friends and family. Build a few relationships where people can give you unfiltered feedback. Identify the areas of improvement that come up most often. Then, ask yourself which of these you would like to be associated with your brand and which ones dilute your brand? Build your expertise: The world is changing fast. Make sure you are constantly learning and reinventing yourself. Identify an area where you will be better than others. If you wish to pursue your career as a PR professional, then make sure you are an expert in Public Relations. That means knowing about your area of specialisation in-depth- say corporate communication. Then learn about other adjacent areas of Public Relations as well e.g. soft skills, advertising, event management, and creative writing. Each time you come across a new idea, try and make your own notes about how you could use this piece of knowledge. If you are a better writer than a speaker, then write a blog. If you are better as a speaker, then try speaking in professional forums. Communicating your personal brand is an important step in brand building. Keep a check on your digital reputation: Your online reputation travels very fast. Do not post disparaging comments about others. Think before you post or comment. Your digital reputation is far more complicated to maintain. It is a powerful tool that can build your personal brand, but a wrong move can also destroy “Brand YOU” very easily. It is not what you say about yourself-it is what others think and say about you, and behind your back. Beyond work: Your hobbies are not only great stress-busters, but also can actually be an integral differentiator of “Brand YOU”. There may be many PR professionals but you could be the only one to blog on films etc. Your understanding about the film making techniques and talent could make your personal brand special. Great advertising not backed by a matching product or service is a recipe for disaster. Building a brand requires careful thought and sustained effort. So, Start Today. Create “Brand YOU”. - Abhijit Bhaduri

Is Public Relations A Quick Fix Job?

Those who doesn't know what PR is all about, when approach me to handle their PR, I invariably request them to answer the famous 5 Ws....What, Why, Who, Where and When.  

Their answer to 5 Ws helps me in creating an effective and result oriented PR module for them. 

But when a person, not interested in answering 5 Ws and expect me to do miracles in just a day or few days after assigning the job, I simply tell that person; "My Dear, first go and understand the meaning of PR than come back to me, if you still want me to handle your PR?"  

PR is not only Public Relations, Press Relations, Press Releases but much beyond that..... “Perception Management”, to be precise, management of mental image which is an outcome of perceiving  and observing a person, product, service or organisation for a given or long time.

PR is PYAAR but not “LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT”… It is understanding somebody completely and than accepting that person as friend for life.

PR is like planting a ROSE PLANT, nurturing it with utmost timely care,and finally when the ROSE blossom, not cutting and gifting it to someone you love, but taking the ROSE PLANT to a flower show competition and winning the best / first prize, that’s PR.   

In a nutshell, whenever you approach anyone for PR or related support, don’t expect miracles in a day, give time to your PR handler, have faith in him or her or the agency, let them first understand your existing image and give them freehand to create the image you wish to have. Don’t advise or give instructions to them, let them prepare their version of  you, what your audience think about you and how they plan to create the right perception about you.

Lots of PR <3  

Corporate Public Relations is all about…….

Communicating and managing the corporate image as well as its perception amongst its target audience. Image of the corporate reflects not only its reputation and standing, but also influence its publics i.e. employees, shareholders, investors, stake holders and decision makers.

At the bottom of every activity lies enthusiasm of its employees and satisfied customers and they are the actual AMBASSADORS of the organisation.

Role and responsibility of Corporate PR is to create, maintain and preserve the positive image of the organisation and its brand(s) , managing its standing and reputation, media relations, customer relations,  external relations, internal & external communication, crisis management and corporate social responsibility (CSR).   

Corporate PR raises awareness of an organisation and builds confidence and is of great important when the organisation is entering into new market(s) or planning or undergoing change.

Main function of Corporate PR is to connect with various publics using different means and tools to facilitate building and managing relationships. Knowing your target audience is essential to run and execute an effective PR strategy. 

Lots of PR <3

PUBLIC RELATIONS & MEDIA

Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist, New York Times asserts,

“This is the age of globalization and the countries that succeed best at globalization are those that are best at glocalisation i.e. taking the best global innovations, styles and practices and moulding them with their own culture”.

Though Public Relations as a practice in India has come a long way into establishing its need and indispensable role with country’s corporate world. Compared to the stimulating application of Public Relations in the global market, Indian PR industry still has miles to go.

Where the Corporate India is breaking all the barriers to adopt the most innovative of strategies and processes to chart out the most viable and effective communication plans, the role of Public Relations is still largely a media relations game that can potentially influence the key constituencies either by creating a perception, or informing/educating through NEWS. Media is one indispensable channel/mode towards achieving one or more Public Relation objectives of a Business.

Recently a corporate communication professional working for a financial institution was called for an interview by a well known business house. During the course of the interview, the candidate was asked how strong his relationship was with the media. Could he ensure nothing negative appear in the press about the organisation.

When a public relation agency goes for a pitch, the first question asked is CAN YOU GET A FRONT-PAGE STORY in a pink paper or COVER STORY in a business magazine or PLANT STORIES AGAINST COMPETITION? If the P R Agency says NO then the chances of its losing the business are very high. The competition is so intense that some firms succumb to such unreasonable demands as promising editorial space in publications by the column centimeters.

Has the PR industry been able to deliver? Is it growing fast? Is it still doing the same old stuff wining and dining journalists, planting and spiking stories? Is it a mere tool for corporate narcissism? The truth lies somewhere in between.

So what is Public Relations? Is it the face of the organisation, an effective management and marketing tool? The Public Relations mean different things to different people at different levels.

To some it is receive and see off CEO or other higher executives at Airport. To others organising confirmed plane or train tickets, or passes for a cultural event. For a few it means helping management to organise a press conference or getting the CEOs photograph published in a newspaper. Public Relation is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted professions.

In fact the best definition of Public Relations comes from author Michael Levine in his book “Selling Goodness”.

“When the circus comes to town and you paint a sign about it that’s Advertising. Put the sign on the back of an elephant and march him through Beverly Hills that’s Promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s Publicity. And if you can get the mayor to laugh or comment about it, that’s Public Relations.

AS PER FRANK JEFKINS A RENOWNED PR EXPERT “PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSISTS OF ALL FORMS OF PLANNED COMMUNICATION, OUTWARDS AND INWARDS, BETWEEN AN ORGANISATION AND ITS PUBLICS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACHIEVING SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES CONCERNING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING”.

So Public Relations effectively reach out to Investors through Investors Relations and Financial Communications, Employees through Internal Communications, Government and Regulatory Bodies through Lobbying. Public Relations also   include Event Management, Marketing Consultancy and Brand Management.  But it is largely perceived as Media Management. Media Management is one of the important components of Public Relations. 

The job of Public Relations is to facilitate a journalist to get the correct information in the right perspective. Media Management is the key attribute of Public Relations worldwide. It is a single vehicle that has the mass reach. Media is the quintessence of Public Relations. It is the last mile connectivity. After a whole lot of research and strategy it has to end with media. All the strategy and plans of the organisation finally must be translated into stories that appear in the media. Only then would the stakeholders know what the organisation is up to. 

Media is very important in the whole value chain. Media is part and parcel of the Public Relations industry as it helps to effectively mould the public opinion and perception. But the real trouble begins when publicity-hungry organisations turn media shy at the first sign of the trouble. There could be several reasons and at that time organisations tend to calm up and ask their PR Heads to keep the media at bay or kill the stories. This is where they antagonize the media. When the going was good, the journalist was CEO’s good friend but the moment the boat rocks, the journalist becomes persona non grata. 

Many a times the media is blamed for not being accountable and responsible, and it become a fashion to say “It is a trial by the media”. But we must understand that the media themselves face tough competition within the fraternity. With electronic media, newspapers, news-magazines and the internet fighting for an audience’s mind space and a retailer’s shelf space, media are forced to chase issues that will appeal to its viewers and readers.

Organisations for their part use pressure tactics also to prevent a story from appearing. But forced Public Relations do not work at all and failures cannot be camouflaged. It is here that an organisation’s investment in reputation helps. If an organisation has been historically known for its transparency and best trade practices and where promises are matched with performance then it can be sure that media will not go on overdrive. First deserve then desire is the name of the game.

Media Management or Relations is an ongoing cultivation process...................

Your organization's strategy for media coverage needs to go beyond trying to land one big story; you want the media to know that you are THE organization to contact whenever they are doing a story on a subject that relates to your organization's work, and that you are a reliable source for information and stories.  In short, you want to be quoted or referenced in a variety of stories, not just one. 

Therefore, don't think that every media release is going to result in media coverage- it's not. But sustaining regular press contacts will build recognition of your organization among reporters, and the result will be ongoing payoffs down the road. As coverage for your organization is generated, you won't just be reaching new audiences you will also be reaching existing clients, reminding them of what your organization is doing and what they have chosen to be a part of.

Lots of PR :)

PUBLIC RELATIONS & BOLLYWOOD

Public Relations, or most commonly used 'PR', is a sustained, long term and an ongoing activity to create and maintain positive image of an individual, celebrity, political leader, organisation, corporate, state or even a country like INDIA, amongst its target audience. 

In case of Bollywood, PR takes an additional responsibility of managing the image of a film celebrity. The role of PR is to very cautiously craft the image of a film celebrity amongst its target audience. 

When celebrity's image is tarnished because of their own actions or utterance in public, here PR plays the role of a crisis manager and does crisis management and damage control by reaching out to media with their version of the happening to get favourable media coverage or at least celebrity's point of view across the target audience to maintain positive image of their client.

In Bollywood, not only the film celebrities are clients of PR practitioners, but filmmakers,  producers, directors, production houses, film studios, casting agencies etc also engage PR practitioners for promoting and maintaining their right image. PR employs different  tools for  image and perception management of their celebrity clients i.e. award functions, parties, film related events e.g.Music Launches, Film Premiers etc., product launches, public speaking opportunities, print media, electronic media. online media, blogs, social networking sites etc.  

The Bollywood have understood the power of PR in reaching out to the target publics, hence every film or TV serial maker or production house earmark a substantial amount for public relation activities to reach their target audience based on demographic and geographic groups. Amount is spent on getting favourable coverage of the film  or TV serial in the media. Beside this, amount is also spent on film premiers, meet and greet the actors at shopping malls, interviews of popular TV & Radio shows, promotion of a social cause or supporting fundraising events.

Bollywood also make effective use of PR tactics in promoting their films to get nominations for  international film awards.  You would agree with me that getting accolade for a film or a TV serial is also a result of well crafted PR campaign. 

Lots of PR <3  

P R TOOLS FOR PRINT MEDIA

Most of the efforts we make in public relations are through forms of print media, primarily newspapers and trade related magazines as these are usually the most visible outlet in the community. Some of the PR tools for print media are as under…..

a. PRESS RELEASE: The press release is the most common material provided to media outlets. These documents provide a brief, yet thorough, description of an upcoming activity.

b. PHOTOGRAPHS: There are usually two types of photographs in publicity portrait shots, 1. where people pose for the camera and smile, and 2. where the subjects are doing something.

c. CASE HISTORIES / STUDIES: Case studies which show a good image of the company are shared with the media / investors, community etc.

d. EDITORIALS: Without spending any money, receive high credibility, however with no control over message.

e. ADVERTORIALS: Advertisement + Editorial. It has control over message, pay less than an advertisement. It is a strategic tool, but should not be used too often.

f. INTERVIEWS / FEATURES: More often than not, press releases will not be printed verbatim. Even though your media contact will likely re-write them, possibly including additional quotes or information they research on their own. However, there are also times that a press release will encourage a reporter to do more, such as conduct a full interview with the CEO or write a feature article on an upcoming project.

g. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Submitting these articles does not require a media contact. This also gives an opportunity for any member to submit a letter on their company for printing in a local newspaper.

h. ANALYSTS BRIEF: One tells about the company, what the company is doing. It is done to influence the stock buyers, analysts, employees and media.

i. CORPORATE ADVERTISING: If you believe the image of the company is good i.e. that trustworthy, reliable one, then you can use that as a PR tool.

Lots of PR <3

10 Cs of PR

Those interested to pursue PR as a career, must have these 10 Cs. These 10 Cs are professional requirements for a P R practitioner.

1. CLARITY: Clear about the objective of a PR plan i.e. 5 Ws and 1H.
2. COMMITMENT: Should commit to achieve those objectives.
3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Good at creative writing, media releases, articles, blogs, speeches etc.
4. CREATIVITY: An “Out of the Box” thinker, understand and effectively apply sign and symbols in communication.
5. CONCISE: Do not exaggerate i.e. write and speak briefly and to the point.
6. CONTINUITY: PR being a sustained and continuing activity, understands and believes in stability and work towards achieving the objectives.
7.  COMMON SENSE: Fair, balanced, practical, sensible, realistic, rational and reasonable.
8. COURTESY: Observe and exhibit good manners, polite, friendly and considerate.
9. CREDIBILITY: Trustworthy, honest, sincere and responsible.

10.COMPUTER SKILLS: Computer literate, have basic computer knowledge i.e. MS Office etc., Internet, Social Networking etc.

Lots of PR <3

"A Chinese Quote: Ten Thousand Miles Journey Starts With First Step; And My Journey  of Public Relations Commenced in 1972"

Year 1972-1975.… Place… Pandara Road, New Delhi… My friends use to call me "A Moving Directory" of Pandara Road and around. It was probably my first step towards Public Relations.

Year 1976-1982… Jalandhar, Punjab… Started "ART EXPO" to promote fine arts and more particularly  "Theatre" …  my second step towards Public Relations. In early of 1983...Left Jalandhar and shifted base to Amritsar.

Year 1983 – 1988… Amritsar, Punjab… Re-started ART EXPO to continue my urge to promote "Theatre"… My third step towards Public Relations.

ART EXPO’s  last show in Amritsar ( Feb. 1988) unforgettable words of Mrs. Sudesh Ahlawat, the then Principal of B.B.K. D A V College for Women, Amritsar, at the end of the show  about me.

“ Suresh Gaur” came to this city as an unknown man… and now when he is leaving this city, he has already become a household name. He has given culturally a lot to this city through his theatre activities… his name will always be remembered as the Pioneer of Hindi Theatre in Punjab”.  

Year 1994… Place New Delhi… while working as Manager in the head office of Oriental Bank of Commerce, on the personal request of Sh. P K Mehra, the  Head of HR deptt. of the bank and a close relative of Pandit Vishva Mohan Bhatt - Creator of MOHAN VEENA and the winner of the GRAMMY Award in 1994 - alongwith Ry Cooder for their World Music Album “ A Meeting By The River” , had organised a press conference at Press Club of India, New Delhi to introduce the GRAMMY AWARD WINNER to the press which was largely attended by the journalist friends from the media.... My fourth step towards Public Relations.

Year 1996… Place New Delhi… Oriental Bank’s first ever press conference was to be held since the bank went public in the year 1994. Sh. P L Ahuja, then In-Charge of CMD office told me that Sh. S K Soni, the CMD of the bank wanted to meet me. I was taken to his big cabin situated at 3^rd floor of Harsha Bhawan in Connaught Place and was introduced to him. Sh. S K Soni asked me “Do you have good contacts in the media?” Since financial results of the bank are to be announced in a press conference, can you organise a press conference? With all my confidence, I replied “YES” I can. And the press conference of the bank was organised at Hotel Le-meridian, New Delhi which was attended by the business editors of all major newspapers and was a grand success. After the press conference Sh. S K Soni patted on my shoulder and said “ WELL DONE Mr. Gaur”. More then 100 newspapers and magazines carried the news for many days in a row..... My fifth step towards Public Relations.

Year 1996… Place New Delhi… Our new CMD Dr. Dalbir Singh joined the bank. He asked for a Public Relations Officer to assist him. I was introduced to him as Public Relations Officer… the final step towards Public Relations……and an unending journey of Public Relations begins…..

Year 2004…Merger of GTB in OBC…. Someday of July last week, I was on my way to bank’s head office in Connaught Place, New Delhi I received a call on my mobile around 9.30am or so … on the other side was PS to the CMD Sh. B D Narang. I was asked to come straight to CMD office as the CMD wanted me to see him immediately. I was with him by 9.45am. Sh. Narang told me that a very important announcement is to me made to the media… how quickly I can arrange the media for the announcement. I said Sir, with in next 30 minutes. Without losing a minute first I made calls to all my friends from electronic media, as I was sure that they would be there immediately with there OB Vans. By 10.30am maximum number of friends from electronic media assembled at CMD floor and CMD’s chamber became a makeshift TV studio. And then CMD made the historic announcement “OBC takeover GTB”. The news flashed live all over the country and created the desired effect on the worried and agitated account holders of GTB. That day from 10.30am till late night Sh. Narang was busy in meeting all possible media. At 11pm when we came out of Zee Studios in Noida, I could feel the satisfaction of accomplishment the work assigned to him by the Govt. of India.

During my tenure as Public Relations Officer of the bank i.e.Nov.1996-May 2007, I organised many successful advertising campaigns, press conferences, events and shows for the bank. Each of the events helped me in growing as a Public Relations professional.   

Year 2008… I took VRS from the bank to pursue my interests in the area of public relations and communication...set up ‘P R 4 You’, a public relations company to train individuals in image & perception management, took teaching PR as an opportunity to spread the knowledge of public relations.

Year 2012... Made a TV serial " JUNOON" under the banner of G W Films for DoorDarshan's Kashir Channel . 

Year 2012… Authored “Public Relations 4 You- A Guide To PR Theory & Practice". The book is an outcome of notes which I prepared while pursuing PG diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication, Diploma in Senior International Relations, and during course of my teaching public relations at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, IMSIT YMCA and EMDI. I am sure that my book on PR will immensely help all those desirous in pursuing a career in the field of public relations and corporate communication.

Lots of PR <3

Edward Louis Bernays And His PR Tactics

The father of Public Relations Edward Louis Bernays (Nov. 22, 1891 – March 9, 1995) was pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda. He was named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20^th century by LIFE magazine.

Year 1915: Edward L. Bernays was given a job to write about a Ballet touring America. Dance wasn't his cup of tea since he was never interested in dance or any activity related to it. But despite this, Bernays accepted the work and started working on it. He connected ballet to something which people understand and enjoy. 

To create wide impact of the Ballet on American audience, he defined theme of the Ballet as under:

a.   a novelty in art forms,

b.   a unifying of several arts,

c.    its appeal to special groups,

d.   its direct impact on American’s life style i.e. on products and personalities.

Based on these themes, he developed a four page newsletter covering various aspects, stories and photographs of the Ballet and the performers, their costumes and music composers.

Target audience of his newsletter was 1. Editorial writers of newspapers and magazines, 2. Local event managers 3. other  interested audience and females. 

For example:

a.     the pages targeting female readers received articles on fashion design, costumes and fabric.

b.     Supplements of Sunday editions of newspapers received photographs of the dancers, ballet etc.

Bernays P R tactics resulted in wide coverage of the touring ballet company in media.

Year 1918: Public Relations took the next step towards professionalism as Bernays advised the President of the new country of Czechoslovakia to announce independence on a Monday, rather than on a Sunday to get maximum press coverage.

Year 1923: Bernays published “Crystallizing Public Opinion”.

In this book, he established several public relations principles. He wrote that public relations had these functions to perform:-

a.   To interpret the client to the public, which means promoting the client.

b.   To interpret the public to the client, which means operating the company in such a way as to gain the approval of the public.

Lots of PR <3

Alexander the Great And Public Relations

In the 3^rd Century BC, the philosopher Socrates of Athens taught that effective communication should be based on truth. 

His student, Plato, carried on Socrates’ work. But it was Plato’s student, Aristotle of Athens, who has contributed most to contemporary communication thought. 

Aristotle analyzed persuasive communication and taught others how to be effective speakers, specifically by developing compelling and ethical arguments to offer verbal proofs. 

Aristotle’s book Rhetoric remains influential to this day.

Philip of Macedonia had conquered the whole of Greece. 

His son Alexander the Great, was a student of Aristotle. 

Philip extended his rule throughout Northern Africa, Asia Minor and India. 

Both rulers had gold and ivory statues of themselves placed in towns and temples throughout the conquered lands as constant reminders of their presence – a common technique associated with public relations, still practiced in examples such as monuments, stadiums, named buildings, and so on.

In present time, Behen Mayawati, the Hon'ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) used this PR technique successfully while she was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. 

Emperor Ashoka And Public Relations

The PR technique of communications were unconsciously used  in ancient India. The best example is that of the Ashoka, an Indian emperor of Maurya Dynasty. He espoused 'Buddhism', relatively a new religion to greater heights. He greatly emphasised on piety in his Edicts. Piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality or a combination of both. 

The Edicts of Emperor Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made during his reign. 

His edicts, inscribed on rocks that have survived till this day, informed the people about his proselytism, moral precepts,  religious precepts, notions of social and animal welfare, government policies, and exhorted them to carry out certain tasks.

Interestingly, an important principle of public relations was practiced by Emperor Ashoka. The edicts for different regions were written in regional scripts that were in use in that region, making royal communication ‘Language and Region-Specific’ for better understanding and acceptability.

Lots of PR <3

Ivy Lee And Public Relations 

Public relations became a profession in 1903 as Ivy Lee undertook to advise John D. Rockefeller on how to conduct his public relations. 

Rockefeller owned coal mines and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Miners were on strike and the railroad hushed up the facts when its trains were involved with accidents.

Lee advised Rockefeller to visit the coal mines and talk to the miners. Rockefeller spent time listening to the complaints of the miners, improved their conditions, danced with their wives, and became a hero to the miners.

After a railroad accident, Ivy Lee invited reporters to inspect the wreck and get the facts. The Pennsylvania Railroad then obtained its first favourable press coverage. 

Ivy Lee professionalized public relations by following these principles:

     

1. Tell the truth

2. Provide accurate facts

3. The public relations director must have access to top management and must be able to influence decisions.

Ivy Lee is the first practitioner of Modern PR who invented Press Release and Crises Communication.

Lots of PR <3

     

Mahatma Gandhi And Public Relations

During the Pre – Independence era extensive use of the PR techniques was made in India before professional PR arrived on the scene. The PR techniques played a significant role in the national movement.

PR methods used by father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi were truly effective and paid great results in; 

1. Communicating with the masses,

2. Winning public support despite the problems of cultural and linguistic diversity,

3. Overcoming the serious obstacles laid by the ruling British  Govt.

Many of the methods adopted by him to communicate with the masses are now part of the standard practice of PR all over the world. Firstly, the importance of getting the public to identify with a cause and with the leader espousing that cause. He discarded his European dress and dressed himself in the garments such as poorest of the poor use in our country. He realised that by doing so the masses would be able to identify themselves with him and the cause he represented.

Secondly, the use of symbols. Mahatma Gandhi, a born communicator, understood the value of symbol. The CHARKHA (spinning wheel) symbol, which he adopted became the logo of national movement symbolising self-reliance and people participation in the cause of freedom struggle.

Thirdly, the staging of ‘events’ ;

1.Dandi March to make salt,

2.Bonfires of foreign cloths,

3.Non-cooperation and Non-violence 

These events captured the imagination of the whole nation and proved far more effective in taking the message to the masses. Besides this Mahatma Gandhi did not neglect the conventional means of communications either besides holding meetings, giving speeches, he regularly published a journal ‘HARIJAN’. 

Indeed he made use of all possible media and devised imaginative forms of communications to circumvent restrictions placed by the govt. on the official media. We can learn a lot from the Gandhiji’s art of effective communications.

Lots of PR <3

Wisdom PR

"Three filters of Socrates"

Equally important for Public Relations Professionals...Keep this in mind the next time you are about to repeat a rumour or spread gossip.

In acient Greece (469-399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what i just heard about Diogenes?"

"Wait a moment, "Socrates" replied, "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test".

'Triple Filter?" asked the acquaintance.

"That's right, "Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about Diogenes let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "Actualyy i just heard about it

" All right," said Socrates, " So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about Diogenes something good?"

" No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, " You want to tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, " You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to me?"

" No, not really."

" Well," concluded Socrates, " If what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me or anyone at all?"

The man was bewildered and ashamed.

This is an example of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem...........