On my recent visit to Delhi, I could spend some time with an old friend Ravi Sinha who jumped from journalism to public relations. Actually, it would be better to say that he graduated from a boring profession to a much boring profession, so it seemed to be. In course of my interaction over the last few years I always provoked him to get back to his favourite profession. Actually his love for writing, flair with the language and nose for the news was something that I always admired. Thus, could never figure out as to why he turned to the business of public relations, which to me always appeared second class as far as my understanding of the media business has been.
The frequent requests by the PR pros to get their unworthy news releases getting published was something that further strengthened my belief that PR is the last resort of drop out journalists. But here I was finding an astounding journalist getting into PR, whose academic acumen made him worthy of any other profession, if at all he decided to quit journalism. I spoke to him so many times on the subject and every time got the same answer that he used to think like me till the time he realized the business of creating news more worthy than following it up.
I think the first time I started finding a method in his madness was when he called me up to say that he has floated his own agency, TRACK2MEDIA. Please be noted that I have used the caps for the agency, as Ravi Sinha takes an offence on the wrong use of his agency with lower case. My basic instinct instantly started ringing the caution bells, if not the alarm bells. With the global threat of recession looming large, business profits nose-diving and many ventures getting closed, what actually is TRACK2MEDIA up to?
So on my recent visit to Delhi I was determined to explore all my queries. Over the lunch we discussed a whole lot of media affairs and Ravi told me as to how the business of public relations is practiced, both globally and in India and how TRACK2MEDIA is poised to set the differentiator. Fired with the same old academic acumen, he told me the difference between the media relations and the gamut of services falling under the PR spectrum. I must admit that my understanding of the PR has been mostly media centric. Buzz Management and Image makeover is something that I thought was the job of the marketers and the advertising pros.
This is where TRACK2MEDIA is not just a PR agency, Ravi insisted. I admit sir; you have given me lots of “gyan” on the business of communications. I never knew that if PR is actually practiced with journalistic wisdom, it is not necessary that PR pros have to run after the journos. It can be the other way round also. While I look forward to keep in touch with him for insightful stories, I am hereby fulfilling my promise to admit and write as to why TRACK2MEDIA is not just a PR agency.
