PR critical in brand building, says Headlines MD

"If public relations is about managing reputations, perceptions and establishing good relationships with key stakeholders, it can be considered the key weapon in the armoury of corporate communications and reputation management", says Managing Director Headlines PR, Anusha David.

Strong in relationships and passionate on results, David has propelled some of the country's leading brands into the minds of customers and the public: the launch of McDonald's, Komala's the very first Indian fast food restaurant to open in Sri Lanka, Brandix Lanka, Ambuja Cement, Max's San Remo the exclusive fine dining restaurant at Fountain Cafe, SriLankan Airlines together with Funtime, Fashion Week and many others. Headlines was also the first PR firm to be engaged by Elephant House, and the prestigious Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

David has refused several merger and take-over offers, but in an industry awash with multinational competition, how has Headlines PR managed to stay in the lead?

For David local knowledge, networks, and relationships are pivotal in educating audiences and further converting awareness generated by advertising and sales promotion into understanding and acceptance.

"From the viewpoint of many organisations, the principal advantage of PR comes from its third party credibility when obtained through positive editorial coverage in major news media.

Public Relations is also critical in brand building, as brands cannot rely solely on advertising and sales promotion to foster the desired image".

According to her, given its ability to influence subtly, with credibility, PR is one of the most important elements not only in building brands and creating both the right environment for the brand to prosper, but also for the right messages to be received at the right time to the relevant audiences.

"Once a clear brand identity has been conceived, it is the primary role of Public Relations to communicate its values to the customer."

Traditionally, within the communications mix, PR focused on changing or influencing stakeholder beliefs and attitudes towards organisations and brands.

Its activities were either proactive - by helping to generate attention and understanding through media awareness; or reactive - in helping to protect an organisation's reputation during crisis or adverse publicity. "Although PR still retains these vital functions, and we manage them daily for our clients, its scope has widened considerably over the last decade", says David.

"Now, at a corporate level, our primary role is proactive, managing issues and nurturing stakeholder relations. The shift from product to value-focus has significantly increased our scope of activity, but also the complexities of the business. Indeed, as reputation becomes the key capital, PR can be considered the most effective element to help co-ordinate other elements of the communications mix."

David says that PR in Sri Lanka has most definitely been buffeted by the winds of globalisation with more and more multinationals setting up in Sri Lanka as well as in the region.

"In such a scenario issues such as crisis management take on tremendous significance and as an independent PR agency we prepare our clients for certain situations with proposals and strategies specifically tailor-made to their line of business which can be implemented in times of damage control".

According to David, running to a PR agency once a crisis has hit the organisation is of no use and is extremely short-sighted.

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility, is another important aspect of Headlines' services and is one that has assumed a great deal of significance in the day-to-day operations of most business conglomerates. "It is vital for today's corporates to demonstrate the fact that they are responsible corporate citizens, committed to giving back to the community some of the benefits they reap".

With increasing competition among businesses, the need to recruit and retain the cream of staff in their respective industries has made employee relations of paramount importance, "hence internal PR is as important as external PR", she says, with Headlines paying a great deal of attention to this vital sector in their clients' PR calendar.

Perhaps the firm's strongest selling point, however, is that each account is personally serviced by David herself. "It has to be done. This is a hands-on business that builds or strengthens reputation. And that you simply can't compromise."