Creating Lasting Impressions

by Mangal Karnad | Nov 29, 2017 | Branding, Personal Branding

Lasting Impressions:

Have you heard of the Von Restorff effect?
The Von Restorff effect also called the ‘isolation effect’, states that an item that “stands out like a sore thumb” is more likely to be remembered than others. In other words, we remember people, places and things that are outstandingly different.

Named after Hedwig von Restorff, a bias in favour of remembering the unusual.

For instance, the most famous structure in Italy is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. An inadequate foundation on the ground which was too soft on one side to support the weight of the structure caused the tilt. Just imagine, it’s remembered because it’s built badly!

Imagine shopping in your neighborhood superstore, 2000 brands are trying to get your attention, so how will you buy the 20 that you need, and not end up with a lot more? To be easily remembered, or to stay on top of one’s mind, a lasting impression helps. With products it is called branding; the same rule applies to people as well. People, like brands, need to be distinct, and that is where ‘Personal Branding’ comes into play.

Successful brands stand for something, Tally for accounts, XEROX for photocopying and Bisleri for mineral water. Likewise, for people to be considered a brand, it is essential to have a point of view, some people will be against you, but there will be someone supporting your point of view. The adage “Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything” says it well.

Let’s talk about leaders; we can never imagine Mahatma Gandhi in a suit, Usha Uthap without her gorgeous silk sarees and large bindi or Dr. Kiran Bedi with long hair!
Each one of them communicates a message or a principle. Gandhi stood for ‘non-violence.’ Read more about Gandhi here: Gandhi – The Master PR Practitioner.
Popular Indian director Farhan Akhtar described Usha Uthup as ‘A Rockstar in a sari’, she stands out as a pop and Indipop singer with her unique traditionally draped sari, fresh flowers in her hair & a bold, big bindi. She is an ambassador for traditional Indian values.
Dr. Kiran Bedi for her no-nonsense attitude and for bringing in a positive relationship between police and people.

Brands get built over long periods of time; it takes conscious and consistent effort. To begin with, one can focus on identifying which aspects of

His or her traits to showcase, and then go about being uniquely showcased.
A couple of aspects to keep in mind to be established as a brand:
Be Knowledgeable – Be a Subject Matter Expert
Have a Personality – Be well dressed and carry yourself with panache
Seek Publicity – Speak in industry forums, write about the subject and become a guide to your industry.

Building a brand “YOU” takes perseverance!

Gandhi – The Master PR Practitioner (Salt march PR/Dandi PR)

by Mangal Karnad | Nov 17, 2017 | Personal Branding, Branding, Public relations, Thought Leadership

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who is hailed as the father of our nation, in my opinion, is one of the most effective PR practitioners. He was a master strategist and understood his target audience very well and crafted his communication accordingly. Although he held no office, he was able to captivate the minds of India’s millions and took control of Congress and its elite, sophisticated and cynical leadership. It was his passion, careful consideration and discipline which got him the recognition which has well sustained beyond the man himself. Below are the reasons why I think he was the ultimate PR practitioner and a Brand:

The Salt March

The Salt march also popularly known as the Dandi March, was one of his most powerful campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience which had a massive support. The Salt Acts imposed on Indians prohibited them from collecting or selling salt. Indians were forced to buy salt which was a natural resource and a staple in the Indian diet which was needed to replace the salt lost by sweating. The British, who, in addition to exercising a monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt, also imposed a salt tax. It contributed to almost 8.2% of the British Raj tax revenue. Gandhi, the brilliant strategist, thought that an item of daily use could resonate well with all classes of citizens of India and he chose mass civil disobedience to tackle the issue. In March 1930 Gandhi and 78 of his close associates marched from Sabarmati ashram, some 240 miles to the Arabian sea to take a pinch of salt. He informed the government well in advance about his intention to break the law to make salt. The British government threw people in jail for violating the law and censored the press. Despite that, the Media covered the event in great detail and people across the nation followed suit even though Gandhi was already in prison. Jails in India were filled with 60,000 Satyagrahis whom the British imprisoned.

Effective use of media

Gandhi was probably one of the greatest journalists of all time, and the publications he ran and edited were probably the greatest ones the world has known. In 1904 in South Africa, he had taken over the editorship of the ‘Indian Opinion’ and published it in English, Tamil, and Gujarati, sometimes running the press himself. He is known to have written on all subjects; he wrote simply, clearly and forcefully. His writing was passionate and burning indignation. He believed that the objective of a newspaper, is to understand the popular feeling and give expression to it; to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments, and the third is to be fearless and to expose popular defects. He took up journalism more as a service to the public and he was devoid of any personal ambitions. He used his writing as a vehicle to present his various experiments to the public.

Signature style

He believed in powerful symbols and designed a headgear as a symbol of Indian unity which later came to be known as the Gandhi Topi. His own dress was one of the foremost and most visible symbols he adopted–the loincloth and shawl of homespun fabric –which he deliberately chose, after careful consideration, to show solidarity with India’s grinding poverty. We all know that clothing is an important way to communicate one’s personality and not merely playing a role or dressing solely to impress. This became his trademark attire which eventually got him a name of ‘half-naked fakir’ from Sir Winston Churchill. By the time that India’s independence was won, the homespun cloth or Khadi was inextricably woven into the fabric of India’s life. Even today Khadi is the unofficial uniform of India’s political leaders.

Powerful Orator

Gandhi is seen as one of the world’s great inspiring public speakers. He could inspire all classes of people whether they were freedom fighters, thinkers or even the farmers. He was very articulate and considerate in expressing his thoughts. His talk was authentic and could move the whole nation into action.

How to Establish Thought Leadership by Leveraging Content

by Mangal Karnad | Oct 26, 2017 | Influencer Marketing, Branding

While creating authentic, authoritative and informative content is essential to establish Thought Leadership, we need to be able to distribute it to a large audience. This post takes a look at a three-pronged approach to sharing great content created by you.

Company Blog

It is general knowledge that a blog on the website drives traffic. If the blog is educative or informative without being sales oriented, it can bring fresh traffic to your website and keep current customers coming back for meaningful, first-hand insights. Done right, a blog is an effective marketing tool to promote the business. Apart from driving traffic to the website, it also increases your sales and establishes you as an authority in the industry. All it takes is some time for writing, and quality content, preferably experiential.
Ideally, the blog should aim to either solve a problem for your customers or provide examples of problems solved. A great strategy can also be to answer the frequently asked questions.
The content can reach a vast network if the blogs are easily shareable by the reader on popular social media platforms.

Contributing to Media

Many media houses accept and publish articles written by industry experts as a way to add an ‘insider’ perspective to their publications.These articles, however, need to be neutral and need to be informative. These will reach the reader base of the publication (who may not have heard of you). It is well worth the effort to create and submit articles – usually referred to as authored or bylined articles to business or industry publications. It is an excellent PR strategy and positions you as a Subject Matter Expert.

Building content on LinkedIn Pulse

Posts published on LinkedIn become a part of your professional profile and they go a long way in building credibility. They are shared with your network and reach the large group of professionals. LinkedIn allows people to follow you even if they are not in your network, increasing the reach of your posts. LinkedIn enhances your visibility & credibility. A great way to drive additional traffic to your website is to write a summary of the blog and share it on your profile with a link to your website.

A few aspects can be kept in mind:

Content needs to provide insights to the reader. It can be best practices or what customers / prospective customers may be asking for.
Keep the Language simple with least use of jargon.
Maximise the reach of the articles/blog posts by sharing them on your social platforms.
Maximise by repurposing them as infographics, or e-books which are downloadable.

Who is a Thought Leader? What is Thought Leadership Marketing?

by Mayur Bhat | Mar 25, 2017 | Branding, Content Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Public relations

You might have come across the term Thought Leader in big events, the media, newspapers or websites. But Who is a Thought Leader? What does he do? You’ve probably heard people saying Bill Gates is a Thought Leader or Steve Jobs is a Thought Leader. Does that mean you have to build a multi-billion dollar organisation to become one?
Well, not exactly. Although, that is one way to go about it.

Who is a Thought Leader? What does a Thought Leader Do?

A Thought Leader is a reliable, informed Opinion Leader and a go-to person in his/her field of expertise or domain. He/She is a trusted source of information and guidance, who moves and inspires people with innovative ideas, turns ideas into reality. He/She works, not just for the benefit of his organisation, but for the betterment of the domain and the entire eco-system. They address and solve some of the biggest problems faced by the eco-system.

Thought Leaders can be an individual, a group or an organisation.

Are You a Thought Leader?

Well, it’s a simple checklist.

Are you making a difference to the community/ecosystem?
Do you have revolutionary/break-through ideas?
Do startups, business owners, media or people at large, seek your guidance/consultation in a particular field?
Are you called upon to solve large problems?
Do you inspire people/organisations to make a difference to the community/ecosystem?

If you have a few of these checked, chances are, you’re a Thought Leader.

What is Thought Leadership Marketing?

Thought Leadership Marketing is the craft of positioning yourself or your organization as a constant source of guidance, innovation, and compelling, reliable content, thereby attaining the status of a Thought Leader.

How to Become a Thought Leader?

A word of caution, this does not happen overnight. It is a long, persistent effort. But the journey is always rewarding for you and the organisation. One sure way is through Thought Leadership Marketing. Your company can be viewed in the same way by creating content that resonates with your customers and members of your industry.

One sure way is through Thought Leadership Marketing. There are 5 aspects to it.

Great Branding (Personal or Company)

How you position your organisation is everything. It addresses your brand’s mission, it’s goals, it’s domain, it’s target audience and it’s USP. This is the first thing that needs to be done as it sets hygiene in place and it becomes the foundation for all the other activities. People need to know who they are dealing with and what they believe in.

Content Marketing

They say ‘Content is King’. I know, I know. It’s cliched. But it never gets old because it’s true. Your content drivers all your other activities. What people seek from you is information, consistently. There’s not getting around that. It is one of the most effective ways to convey your value proposition, your contributions, and your mission.

Public Relations

People underestimate the value of public relations. It is Earned Media and it demands reverence. A journalist’s credibility is on the line when they write something, and they have a huge expectation from the publication and their readers to give them credible, compelling information. Getting covered in the right publication could be one of the most valuable additions in your Thought Leadership Marketing Campaign.

Social Media

Social Media is an affordable platform to reach a vast majority of your target audience (depending on your domain). It is probably the easiest way to get your message across the masses. It goes without saying that the social media posts need to be interesting. Quora, Reddit, and some other forums go a long way in establishing your value. (We advise a word of caution when using social media because you are accountable for what you say.)

Events

Nothing beats meeting your peers, followers face to face. It establishes a connect unlike any other. Finding a speaking slot at relevant events and delivering a meaningful, relevant speech can be extremely effective in certifying your domain expertise. When you deliver one good speech, people tend to invite you for more speaking slots.

But remember, with great power comes great responsibility. It is a thought leaders duty to work towards the betterment of the domain and the eco-system.

If you found this blog useful, we would love to have a conversation with you and hear about it. If I have missed out something, please feel free to write it in the comments section.

Public Relations (PR) for Individuals

by Mangal Karnad | Jan 5, 2017 | Public relations

I remember how we childishly used to refer to any excessively friendly person as a PRO (Public Relations Officer). This was common practice years ago while I was a young professional in a public sector. It was never said as a compliment.

PR is an essential tool to succeed in the highly competitive business arena for both individuals and organisations. Public relations is not an option anymore.

PR is an essential tool to succeed in the highly competitive business arena – Tweet that

In the eighties, a modest person was not expected to brag about oneself. If the compliment (for the great work done) came from a third party, to graciously accept was the norm. Things have changed. A savvy person today ensures that he or she gets all the credit he or she deserves in the workplace. They even ensure that they receive recommendations and compliments on a social platform, so it reaches their network! It is seen as personal branding or reputation management – however, reputation needs to be built and managed carefully, with a well thought through plan.

Aren’t we all familiar with the maladies of the review mechanism adopted by online platforms? While good reviews are accepted as a norm and flaunted, a client who shares a bad review gets managed! The back office of a business swings into action and tries to identify the issue faced by the client and addresses it. It is always a demanding client who helps us improve our products or services! Read more about Earned Media here

Social media provides each one of us with a powerful platform to showcase our subject matter expertise. While people in the business of fashion, artists, writers & media use Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, professionals and business owners adopt LinkedIn & Twitter. YouTube is a very powerful platform to share videos.

Do you want to establish thought leadership – create visibility of your technical /business expertise, management abilities, or coaching skills? If so, having a focussed plan helps achieve good results. Start by putting together a calendar of activities and start implementing it. In any case, you need to establish awareness among prospective clients.

Create key message

What are the 2 or 3 key messages that will establish your credibility or expertise in your domain? Craft them carefully and be sure they are true.

Target audiences

Know precisely who you want to communicate these messages to. The better your understanding of your target audiences, the better it is to create communication material for them.

Identify topics you are passionate about and love to speak on

Identify 2 or 3 topics that you are a domain expert in and create your content around those. We often make the mistake of throwing in facts and figures that are easily available on the net. Instead, speak from your experience; this will be unique.

Don’t use publicly available data points in your speech, speak from experience!– Tweet that

Look for speaking opportunities

Start small. Look for speaking opportunities in local business communities, clubs, management colleges, etc. Seek feedback from your audience and keep improving your delivery. Once you are confident about your delivery, start recording (video) and share them online.

Start writing blogs & articles

Start a blog either stand-alone or on your company website. Share your posts on the social platforms you frequent. If your experience shines through, sooner or later, digital media or local publications will approach you for content. They are always in need of experts who can provide insight.

It takes time and effort to establish credibility and a personal brand. The above approach will work for both – an individual or for the leadership of a company.

Public Relations for individuals is a subject we understand very well. Call us or mail us today, for more information on how we can help.

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