Manisha Seewal 

Aug 22, 2025 

Dear Rebels of the Comfort Zone, 

When I look back on my career—spanning insurtech, marketplaces, startups, and banking—one thread stands out: growth begins at the edge of what feels safe. It was the 1991 opening of India’s economy, with global brands flooding TV screens, that first stoked my curiosity about what drives human behavior. That curiosity led me to pursue an MBA in Marketing at IIM Bangalore—and set me on the path where I am today. 

That curiosity morphed into conviction and action. I left a comfortable leadership position at Tokio Marine to join Carro—a Series A startup. It meant a pay cut, a giant leap into uncertainty… and even selling my Rolex because it felt out of place in a lean, early-stage company. But I believed one thing more than my fears: if you stop growing, you’re done. That leap helped Carro reach unicorn status in three years. 

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Later, I took another bold step—relocating to Australia to lead digital transformation across Gumtree, CarsGuide, and Autotrader under eBay. That leap tested me in new ways—but it also confirmed that disruption starts with intentional movement. 

Mentorship: The Anchor on Your Journey 

Early in my career, I believed that dedication alone would lead to recognition. I was wrong. We must be intentional and own our trajectories—not wait for someone else to hand us a tiara. 

That’s why mentors have meant so much to me. They helped me define and reach for goals, rather than assume success would find me. Today, I’ve been honored to mentor women from underprivileged backgrounds and train over 1,000 individuals in social and digital marketing through Singapore’s SkillsFuture program. 

From Redhill’s Rise to Inclusive Leadership 

Joining Redhill first as a Senior Advisor in 2022—and now as President—has been both a privilege and urgent opportunity. My mandate: unify our recently acquired capabilities into a full-stack communications powerhouse with intentionality. 

At Redhill, “walking the talk” is non-negotiable. In 2024, we launched an Employee Stock Ownership Program open to all full-time staff with three+ years tenure—equity, regardless of rank. We overhauled pay structures to center skills and experience, not past salaries. And today, women hold over 70% of our senior leadership roles—long before many asked us to do so. 

The Future: Powered by Purpose and Creativity 

What excites me most now is AI—not just for its shiny interfaces, but for how creativity meets necessity. Think of the “AI Granny” tool that confounds voice-scam attempts. It’s unconventional, smart, and profoundly human. 

What doesn’t excite me? The idea of “micro-retirements.” To me, true fulfillment doesn’t come from escaping work—it comes from leaning into meaningful challenges and leaving behind impact. 

PressOffice.ai: The Next Leap for PR 

Speaking of challenges and opportunities, I’m thrilled to share that we’ve just launched PressOffice.ai—a first-of-its-kind platform that brings AI-powered PR agents to life. From streamlining media outreach to generating impactful narratives, PressOffice.ai will revolutionise the way communications is done—making it faster, smarter, and more effective. And because you’re friends of Redhill, here’s a special gift link for you to try it out for free and see the future of PR for yourself. 

Final Thoughts 

Here are my guiding beliefs: 

• Discomfort isn’t a setback—it’s the signal that you’re not done learning. 

• Success isn’t delivered—you pursue it proactively, with clarity. 

• Leadership isn’t an achievement—it’s about lifting others through action and equity. 

• And the work that lasts is work that cares—for people, potential, and purpose. 

I recently shared some of these reflections in my interview with The Peak Magazine and on the Marketing Interactive podcast. My thanks to both platforms for giving me the space to tell my story and hopefully inspire others on their journeys. 

I’d love to continue this conversation with you. If these reflections resonate, let’s connect—drop me a note, get in touch, or even grab a coffee. Because the best ideas are rarely born in isolation—they’re sparked in dialogue. 

With purpose, 
Manisha 

The post The Future of PR Is Here—and It’s Powered by AI appeared first on Redhill | Global Communications Agency.

A version of this story first appeared in PRmoment India. Click here to read it.

According to the news, it’s gloomy days ahead on the economic front with ongoing geopolitical turbulence, supply chain disruptions, rising inflation and the very real possibility of a global recession in the next 12 months. A scenario like this usually leads to Indian businesses – especially cost-conscious startups – reducing their public relations (PR) spending to cut costs. Ironically, this is the time when good PR is most needed as it can create the positive impact that brands need to weather the storm.

Staying top-of-mind by being consistent

In 2021, India displaced the UK to rank third in the list of countries that produced the most unicorns in the world, underscoring just how competitive its startup ecosystem is. But with the volatile global markets causing a slowdown in venture capital for Indian startups, the competition for funding is fiercer than ever with a shrinking pool of funds and over 65,000 startups now recognised in the country. One way for startups to distinguish themselves is by sustaining a consistently positive public narrative.

Among venture capitalists and investors, part of their due diligence process is to research whether a prospect has a legitimate offering and a good reputation, as well as whether the founders or the founding team are thought leaders in their respective spaces.

Having a solid media presence – especially in top-tier media – supports a startup’s legitimacy as it implies that the media has done an initial round of profiling and found the company both credible and newsworthy. Regular media appearances further bolster this reputation and help the startup increase their share of voice, maintain top of mind recall vis-à-vis competitors, and ultimately own the spaces they are in.

Many startups also think that PR is only necessary on an ad hoc basis for events like funding rounds or partnership announcements. But PR is ultimately about reputation management, and maintaining a good reputation requires sustaining a consistent, authentic, and visible narrative.

Every time a business stops PR engagement, they lose the momentum they have built for their brand in the public eye, as well as the relationships they have built with the media – which will take time and energy to rebuild.

Attracting key talent and partnerships

Funding aside, a good PR strategy can help startups in India and beyond solve the age-old talent conundrum. Making the right hires with the right mindset and skillsets not only saves time and energy in hiring and training, but also forms a stable core that the business can depend on to see it through economic turbulence. Half the battle is won if startups can cultivate a reputation that best represents themselves and their goals. People tend to apply to – and stay in – companies that they resonate with.

There are many ways to tell different stories for a startup, especially as it evolves. A startup that has just closed its first Series A round may focus on introducing its founders and product to the public, which could attract experienced talent looking for new challenges. Meanwhile, more established startups may choose to highlight their company culture and career progression opportunities, which could be pivotal to attract high-calibre talent to accelerate growth, overcome funding hurdles and scale the business.

Beyond in-house talent, PR engagement can also open the door to new partnership opportunities for startups, which can lead to fruitful outcomes. For instance, appearing on interviews and speaking at panel sessions gives a startup more exposure and may attract new business and collaborations with other companies, which are especially valuable when competition is stiff.

The more active and visible a startup is, the more likely it is to be sought out – both by the media and by other companies.

Managing a crisis within a crisis

The last thing any startup wants to have to handle amid a recession is a reputational crisis, especially given how important reputation is to a young startup.

A mishandled crisis can lead to employee and business loss, as well as a drop in consumer or investor confidence, which can ultimately lead to a startup’s downfall if it happens during tough economic times. That is why it is crucial to have a sound crisis strategy on standby – both of which are part of the PR remit – in case the worst happens.

In 2019, one of our clients was the subject of an article in a leading global publication that carried a negative sentiment against the company, suggesting it did not live up to its stated expertise.

To counter this, we coordinated exclusive interviews with other key publications and thoroughly addressed the pain points raised in the original article by pitching opinion pieces by the CEO, as well as having him appear on podcasts and profiles. Ultimately, we were successful in correcting the narrative and further cementing the client’s reputation as a proven thought leader in its space.

In India, our client once launched a campaign that sparked suggestions of legal action from a large brand and ignited significant media and public interest. Making the wrong choice in this David vs Goliath situation could have meant disaster for our client, but we were able to conceive a strategy that helped them avoid pitfalls and convince the media to carry their side of the story.

This ultimately kept overall sentiment as neutral to positive and averted a reputational fallout without being aggressive or hostile to the other brand, which would have severed any chance of a future relationship.

Adopting a multi-market approach

Startups tend to first build a solid foundation at home before making the leap overseas, but there is no doubt that international expansion is a critical component of many overall growth strategies.

Besides expanding a company’s reach, this diversification can also mitigate the risk of decline in the domestic market during leaner periods. But while global expansion is always exciting, it can be tricky as different markets may require a tailored approach, alternate messaging, and a relevant narrative.

More and more tech startups pioneering technology-led global offerings are receiving funding, which increases their capacity for growth. As a result, many are now looking to expand across borders to find new customers in untapped markets.

Leveraging PR to devise and execute a multi-market communication strategy to achieve goals such as increasing product or brand awareness, collecting market intelligence or strengthening share of voice thus becomes a business imperative; the role of PR engagements in laying the groundwork for a smooth expansion journey cannot be understated.

For many years, we have been the lead agency for a technology startup based in India. They have witnessed rapid multi-market growth and now have offices in the United Kingdom, the Americas and Southeast Asia among others.

As their global lead agency, we streamline their overall global communications strategies and messaging, ranging from managing some of their regional agencies in international markets to showcasing their products and company updates via different media channels. Our efforts have contributed to them achieving positive brand visibility by appearing in top-tier global media titles, which has led to renewed investor confidence and strong funding rounds.  

The show must go on

Traditionally, PR was often an afterthought for startups as it was seen as an optional enhancement. But rapidly changing forms of engagement have changed the way that brands tell stories, and consistent authentic messaging can give a new company the head start it needs to be a success story.

Economic winters do not mean that startups should stop telling stories. Instead, it is an opportunity for the most interesting, creative, and relevant stories to shine brightly in dark times.

The post Why startups still need PR during an economic downturn appeared first on Redhill | Global Communications Agency.

A version of this story first appeared in Issue 88 (August 2022) of the Orient Magazine by the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore. Click here to read it.

5.30am

I wake naturally to the golden light of dawn, streaming through the open windows and kissing me gently on the cheek. There’s no better way to start a Monday morning – and seeing the brick rooftops of Holloway reminds me that I’m in dear old London for the next two weeks to set up Redhill’s new UK entity, which makes me pumped to roll out of my four-poster bed and tackle the day head-on.

6.30am

Arming myself with a huge cup of steaming hot tea, I mentally brace myself and confront my Outlook inbox. It’s overflowing with seven hours of missives from Southeast Asia (SEA), where my team and the Redhill HQ is based.

My routine is usually to have focus time in the mornings for big work, but while I’m in the UK, I only have a smaller window to speak to my team during working hours due to timezones – which means their needs come first. So I truck through the mountain of emails and sign not one, not two, but THREE contracts. Whew!

8am

I jump on a Teams call with some of the team to check on how they’re doing with two big pitches that are coming up in the next week. Emails and texts save time, but there’s nothing like real conversations for efficiency and to foster genuine connections.

I work closely with my Senior Account Managers in Thailand and Singapore to refine the deck and by the end of an hour’s hard work, everything looks great. Can’t wait for the presentation – they’re sure to kill it.

11am

Managed to put out some fires and get some planning work done before it was heels on and out the door to catch the Tube down to Soho for some meetings. Today I sat next to the only girl in a group of four that wasn’t wearing green, and sent them all into hysterics when I asked her if she was sitting next to me because she didn’t get the green memo. Interactions like these make my day.

11.30am

Comfortably ensconced in my favourite spot at the Blacks Club, which is a reciprocal club to Mandala Club in Singapore and has been my base of downtown operations for the past seven days.

Hospitality here has been sensational, and I have hosted divine reconnections with wonderful journalists and cracked on with my work at large whilst listening in to film deals being crunched and NFTs being sold.

Speaking of reconnecting, my lunch date – a highly talented freelance journalist – just showed up. Must remember to order the amazing fries for the table.

1.30pm

COVID-19 has made me realise how much of a luxury it is to be able to do in-person meetings again. There’s nothing like face-to-face connections – I had the best time speaking to my journalist friend over lunch, learning all about her content creation journey and discussing potential business opportunities from her network. This is how business is done the world over.

Said goodbye to her with many kisses and hugs, then popped my earphones in and hopped on to the global business unit head call. Had lots of exciting London updates to share with the rest of the Redhill leadership team.  

3pm

It’s strategy mode off, networking mode on as I pack up my things and Tube it across town to Andaz London, a beautiful Liverpool Street hotel where I’m supposed to meet my next appointment – a highly promising candidate to helm the UK office.

We’d spoken virtually while I was in Singapore, but connecting with him in person and exchanging stories about work, life and everything in between was a joy. We had tea, we had wine, we had chats, we had resonance. I’m incredibly inspired.

4.30pm

Climbed up to a rooftop warehouse in east London to poke my head in at a video shoot for an edgy, brilliant brand I’m starting to work with and was greeted by a tidal wave of exuberance and affection. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if I tried.

Sat and watched creative geniuses at work bringing their visions to life, then caught up with old connections I hadn’t seen for years like it was just yesterday. There was definitely some London magic in the air.

7pm

Finally peeled myself away from Dalston and zipped back into Soho to meet a dear friend and sensational PR professional for some Japanese-Peruvian cuisine she’s been insisting I try.

The place is buzzing and conversation flows like dry reds into our glasses as we talk about writing, business, and her twin daughters over plates of fresh salmon sashimi. She’s an amazing writer and is definitely up for working with us, which I’m so excited for. Minutes, then hours tick by, but the atmosphere never gets less buzzy and neither do we.

10pm

After treating ourselves to a post-dinner jaunt in Selfridges and emerging with a haul of MAC makeup, it’s time to part ways and I find myself on the Tube for the last time tonight.

Signal’s not the best underground so I spend that time composing notes to myself on my phone for tomorrow and people-watching from my seat. Some well-dressed people chatter to each other about the actors and the theatre show they’ve obviously just come from, while others set their briefcases between their legs and lean tired heads against the window as our train rattles through the night.

I remember London’s end-of-day face well, and the sight is somehow comfortingly familiar.

10.30pm

Housemate’s still awake when I get home, so we have a 20-minute debrief of our respective days over a half bottle of a nice red before I say goodnight and head upstairs.

I scan a few quick emails, get in my 10-minute yoga session to de-kink my spine and go through my nightly routine – skincare is a must, everyone – before finally slipping in between comfy sheets and settling down to rest.

Goodnight, London. I can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow.

The post A day in the life of a PR Managing Director appeared first on Redhill | Global Communications Agency.

A version of this story first appeared in PRCA UK. Click here to read it.

Woe betide the PR professionals who think cookie-cutter best practices and strategies can be applied to all markets; one size does not fit all.

The diversity of culture and communication is what makes public relations such an exciting industry to be in. Every community has different cultural nuances and social norms that must be skillfully navigated to ensure a positive reputational outcome.

PR tactics that are commonplace in one market may very well be viewed as strange or even offensive in another. In an era where communications outcomes have an unquestionable impact on business bottom lines, brands cannot afford to ignore the power of the local influence in their messaging and campaigns — even as they pursue their global ambitions.

Navigating multiple markets for global clients

Audiences need to feel like a brand sees and understands them, speaks their language, and is ‘one of them’. Recognition engenders acceptance, which in turn builds loyalty. This is where local insights are invaluable for effective PR.

On-the-ground familiarity with cultural nuances are the secret ingredient, the ace in the sleeve, that enables brands to achieve true connections with both the media and the people — a concept that has driven Redhill since day one. With Redhill, global clients are serviced via one agency; we deliver on-brand messaging using local voices in their markets of choice.

Thinking global, acting local

At Redhill, people and culture always come first. Even though we’ve expanded from our Singapore headquarters to over 17 locations around the world, every team in every location was first built with local talent.

Even our first acquisition (of the Hong Kong-based Creative Consulting Group (CCG)) didn’t involve any changing of the guard — the team is strongly local but works on global accounts.

By having on-ground expertise, we’re able to better share our experiences on how best to approach the local markets and media for ideal outcomes. Our teammates’ insights have often meant the difference between a good campaign and a great campaign; learning from each other is what makes us a truly ‘glocal’ agency, and it’s a label we’re proud to embrace.

On-the-ground familiarity with cultural nuances are the secret ingredient, the ace in the sleeve, that enables brands to achieve true connections with both the media and the people

When my Thailand team sent over a press release for a new hotel restaurant opening to our Indonesia counterparts for translation and dissemination, they advised that it wouldn’t be suitable as alcohol and pork were mentioned — both unpopular media subjects in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

In South Korea, the costs for media engagements seemed prohibitively expensive to me at first — until I learned from our Korean team that in-person meals with the media are pivotal to building media relationships, which cannot be purely transactional and must be factored into the client fee.

Political landscapes, cultural sensitivities, societal norms — who else but a local would you turn to for help navigating these? Anyone can buy a press wire membership and push out a press release, but only local teams can provide the insights needed to give the messages the greatest chance of sticking, along with the relationships required to secure interviews and features for differentiated content.

London calling

With this in mind, I’m thrilled to be leading the expansion for Redhill into the UK market, which is currently well underway.

We’ve seen an upswing in clients looking for exposure in the UK, especially in the travel and hospitality (with the gradual reopening of borders) and agri-food-tech industries. Whilst we have dipped our toes in the UK previously, this signals that the time is finally right for Redhill to plant our own flag.

An official presence will help us scale up our offerings to clients who might want to enter this market, as well as allow us to better service UK clients looking to expand anywhere in Asia, the Middle East and other regions around the world. On a personal level, it also marks a full circle of sorts; I cut my teeth in the London PR scene and maintain strong relationships to this day with many senior editors and journalists.

The prospect of bringing Redhill’s excellence to a market I am so familiar with is exhilarating. It seems the perfect match: an agile business hub that is constantly looking to expand outwards, and a fast-growing agency with a worldwide network and local touch.

I’m looking forward to building Redhill’s UK presence from the ground up and to delivering native expertise to achieve globally-recognised results. Get ready London — we’re about to show you #HowWeRoll.

The post Building global networks by leveraging a local touch appeared first on Redhill | Global Communications Agency.

A version of this story first appeared in The Drum. Click here to read it.

For better or for worse, many big changes are happening globally: new COVID-19 variants, the Great Resignation, tech stock corrections, cryptocurrency volatility, geopolitical and ideological tensions — the war in eastern Europe being the most explosive example — and more.

This ever-shifting landscape is challenging for anyone to navigate, and public relations (PR) practitioners are no different. It is difficult for PR practitioners to effectively put out credible messaging for their clients and help build brands during such a chaotic and turbulent period.

The PR trends we are seeing now are offshoots of the pandemic-driven upheaval that we experienced in 2020 and 2021. The seismic shift that happened across the communications industry — both in medium and message — has yielded new ground that looks set to form the foundations of the foreseeable PR future.

Impact communications will make stronger impressions

The Internet has made an unprecedented wealth of information available online. The COVID-19 pandemic has also meant that more and more people are now spending their time online. Online communications continue to be more the norm than the exception — even as companies wrestle with hybrid models of working.

This accessibility, along with the proliferation of social media and the increased online presence of communities, has made it easier than ever for everyone to broadcast an opinion. Then add issues like filter bubbles, and the result is highly vocal users with high expectations, firm convictions and a strong impetus for action.

This has an impact on the consumer-business relationship. Consumers expect businesses to do more than just provide products and services; they also want them to be community advocates for important societal and environmental issues. People are more likely to support businesses which willingly take up this mandate and execute it well. On the flip side, they are also quicker to withdraw that support for and/or chastise companies who fail to live up to these expectations.

I believe 2022 is the year that people will double down on holding companies accountable for their actions. There are many large-scale ongoing issues that the world is closely scrutinising, such as the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the ongoing political tensions around the highly charged Russia/Ukraine conflict.

It is imperative that PR practitioners stay abreast of current developments and develop thoughtful, well-considered strategies to prevent a costly PR faux pas for brands.

These strategies must also include personal messaging by brand founders in the public eye. At a time where brands are increasingly being held accountable for their founders’ actions, a founder’s misstep can have severe consequences for the brand.

Community-led storytelling for movements instead of moments

Brands once heavily leveraged the star power of celebrity spokespeople in their PR engagements. This is no longer the case.

Consumers don’t want to see picture-perfect personalities promoting unaffordable, inaccessible products. Instead, they want to see people that look and sound like them using real services, which is why customer reviews and testimonials are so valuable to build brand appeal and trust. In fact, 97 percent of people look for user reviews before they make any purchases online.

A modern format for word-of-mouth recommendations, the perceived authenticity of user-generated content (UGC) — such as reviews, photos and videos — gives it significant influence over consumer brand perception.

PR is ultimately about building relationships and trust, and so it seems natural for UGC to become an indispensable part of a brand’s wider PR strategy. If done correctly, this joint storytelling effort between consumer and company can create an especially compelling narrative.

On a wider scale, community-driven storytelling and advocacy that drives real impact increasingly resonate more with consumers than flashy but ephemeral one-off stunts. True memorability is increasingly being defined by movements over moments. People want to know where brands fit into issues that they care about or that matter to them — such as race, diversity and gender — and what they’re doing to advance these agendas.

Consumers expect businesses to do more than just provide products and services; they also want them to be community advocates for important societal and environmental issues.

Brands that take cues from their community can create valuable engagement and deepen the brand-consumer relationship further. However, they must be sincere and authentic in wanting to drive positive change and participating in community advocacy. Even ostensibly well-meaning gestures can backfire if they appear inauthentic, ineffective or insubstantial.

Two bars in Sao Paulo announced that they would rename the popular Moscow mule drink to ‘Kiev mule’ and offered a 10% discount “in solidarity with the Ukrainian nation”. In that same announcement, a local restaurant also declared it would stop serving stroganoff, a dish with Russian roots, to show their support. However, many netizens labelled the gestures as pointless; the restaurant ultimately U-turned on not serving stroganoff within 24 hours.

Brands should have something worthwhile to say or do before deciding to join an issue-based conversation. Without a holistic understanding and a conscientious approach, brands that jump on the bandwagon for publicity’s sake may end up diluting their brand ethos and getting called out by their audience — one deeply jaded by bandwagoning and quick to punish inauthenticity.

Engaging the employee

Brands often concentrate their PR efforts on attracting or engaging the public. However, the truth is that good PR begins at home. The last two years have shown us that there is nothing more business-critical than the employee. In the aftermath of the Great Resignation, workplace culture is coming under increased scrutiny and influencing public brand perception.

People understand, for example, that layoffs have been an unfortunate side effect of the pandemic for many companies. However, brands that take a flippant approach to the exercise will still face reputational repercussions.

True memorability is increasingly being defined by movements over moments. People want to know where brands fit into issues that they care about or that matter to them and what they’re doing to advance these agendas.

In December 2021, Better.com’s CEO, Vishal Garg, fired over 900 employees over a Zoom call. He then told the remaining staff that the dismissed employees’ unproductivity was tantamount to theft. After widespread backlash from employees, as well as several high-profile resignations, both he and Better.com’s board issued apologies and a third-party firm was hired for a leadership and culture assessment. He also took an immediate leave of absence.

Contrast that to how Airbnb’s own mass retrenchment exercise, where 1,900 out of 7,500 employees were let go. CEO Brian Chesky personally sent a heartfelt company-wide note, acknowledging the impact and detailing the background, thought process, severance and steps forward. Retrenched employees received 14 weeks of base pay and another week for every year at the company, as well as company shares, months of health insurance coverage, Apple laptops and job support services.

With the increasing prevalence of remote work and dispersed workforces, it is more important than ever for companies to get internal communications right. Not only is this an opportunity for PR agencies to develop employee communications into a fully-fledged business offering, but this partnership could very well solidify PR’s claim to a seat in the C-suite.

More than ever, this proves that communications is not just a supportive business function — it is an essential business strategy.

Tackling the pandemic of disinformation

PR isn’t about putting your best face forward at all costs. It is about creating meaningful connections through authentic, timely messaging and actions that are sustained long-term over multiple encounters.

You need to prove — repeatedly — that you’ll walk the talk: stand up and act on the things you say you will, and champion the beliefs you profess to support. That is how credibility is built.

But how can authenticity shine in a world teeming with misinformation and disinformation? The massive amounts of information and the prevalence of a lack of media literacy among consumers often make fact indistinguishable from fiction.

Social media companies have proven themselves unwilling and incapable of effective self-regulation, and government regulation is also not ideal due to the latent potential for suppression of dissent.

Without a holistic understanding and a conscientious approach, brands that jump on the bandwagon for publicity’s sake may end up diluting their brand ethos and getting called out by their audience.

Given that our industry revolves around building connections through authenticity, it seems natural to say that we can and should help tackle this.

The first step is to be part of the solution, not the problem. As communication counsels, we must take a stand. We can reject requests by clients to spread untrue, misleading or biased messages. It is our responsibility to educate them on the dangers of inauthenticity and intolerance, as well as hold them accountable if they persist.

We can also invest in leveraging data and analytics, as well as other tools that can help counter the spread of disinformation. We can run campaigns that teach the public at large how to identify and protect themselves against misinformation, and we can work with third parties to amplify that message further.

The common thread that ties these trends together is authenticity. At the end of the day, forget the buzzwords and the bandwagons. PR should never be done for the sake of PR — that is no longer acceptable.

People want brands to stand for something larger than themselves, and to do business in a way that contributes to a better society. As long as brands accept and embrace this responsibility with sincerity, positive PR efforts, initiatives and outcomes will come naturally.

The post Emerging public relations trends to watch out for appeared first on Redhill | Global Communications Agency.

It’s interesting to see how world events can shape thought, opinion and action over the years.

The late 90s signalled the end of most wars and conflicts, as well as the debut of the World Wide Web. During this period of relative stability and unprecedented connectivity, countries and businesses began to focus on cross-border trade and cultural exchanges. As a result, words like ‘growth’, ‘expansion’ and ‘globalisation’ dominated every conversation topic.

30 years later, the times are changing and so is the global narrative. New world powers are rising and with them, new policies with far-reaching ramifications.

Politically, we’re increasingly seeing lines being drawn in the sand. Brexit. The US-China trade war. Myanmar’s refusal to attend an ASEAN summit. The joint China-Russia objection to the NATO expansion — and the resulting Russia-Ukraine war. These are just a few of the many examples.

Protectionist policies, nationalist agendas and the turbulent geopolitical landscape as a whole have triggered talk of deglobalisation. This has set some alarm bells ringing within the public relations (PR) industry, especially given how closely our work is tied to the evolving global climate.

However, I think it’s still too early to call time on globalisation — both for our clients and for us as agencies. Here’s why.

A regression, or an evolution?

There are many definitions for globalisation. In my experience, the narrative is often Western-centric.

Globalisation tends to be depicted as a transfer of technology, quality and training from the West to the East. But as a concept, globalisation is not monopolised by any single region. The Western world may have had a head start, but the East is fast catching up.

Western countries have been global technology leaders for most of modern history, which made them natural drivers of globalisation in its earliest stages. But through cross-border knowledge-sharing agreements, the creation of offshore research and production centres, and the ascension of Asia as a growth market, the East was also exposed to Western technologies and innovations.

As our skills and standards evolved in Asia, we learned to make better products and services. That, combined with the parallel growth of our industries and economies, meant that we gradually moved away from being just students to becoming leaders of industries, technologies and markets. Today, many Asian lifestyle and tech brands like Samsung and Huawei are standing toe-to-toe with more established Western names.

With both Asian brands and economies starting to hold their own in the global arena, it seems to me that what we’re experiencing isn’t an end to globalisation.

Rather, it’s an evolution. The pendulum is starting to swing the other way and globalisation is now becoming a two-way street. This is good news; diversity encourages healthy competition, provides choice, and makes us all strive to do better.

What this means for PR

When it comes to PR agencies, globalisation requires some historical context. Many PR firms based in the West used to set up Asian ‘outposts’ to provide their clients with a more global reach, as well as in anticipation of higher demand for their services across markets.

These branches usually existed to support the top-down execution of campaigns and initiatives from HQ. Once every few weeks, expatriate leaders would fly out from the HQ to Asia to ensure that everything was shipshape.

This was possible at the time because PR was still considered a small cottage industry in Asia. 20–30 years ago, local companies would prioritise advertising in traditional media over PR to ensure good coverage for their businesses. There wasn’t much demand for local PR players. But as our countries and industries have developed, that mindset is also changing.

The pendulum is starting to swing the other way and globalisation is now becoming a two-way street. This is good news; diversity encourages healthy competition, provides choice, and makes us all strive to do better.

People are starting to understand that you can’t put a price on your reputation. I’ve had billionaire clients from Asia who have lost millions of dollars in scams, but who have come to us because their main concern isn’t the money they lost — it’s the reputational damage.

It’s clearer now that PR is about more than promoting yourself or your business. It’s also about handling how both are portrayed in the good and the bad times, as well as reputational insurance against future bad outcomes.

With PR gaining traction among Asian businesses, it stands to reason that they may prefer a truly local touch to navigate the nuances of local markets. This, along with geopolitical tensions and the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, has been attributed to the pullback of multinational PR firms and the rise of local PR players.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion. This shift shouldn’t be touted as the end of a story, but the beginning of a new chapter.

The local vs international PR approach

Diversity is the name of the game these days and nowhere is that more evident than in PR. Ultimately, PR revolves around reputation and relationships. Neither of these are linear in any sense; a one-size-fits-all PR approach simply won’t work in these times.

As Asians, we understand this better than most. Asian cultural norms alone are vastly different from the West, and the sheer diversity of the cultures that call Asia home means there is immense variation even within the region. PR efforts and initiatives here require deep nuance and sensitivity to ensure that the message is appropriate and effective, not cookie-cutter templates with no local relevance.

Our exposure to the workings of global PR agencies has given us the skills and the structure we need to build our services for the local market and nurture resident talent.

We can bring local character and insight in our messaging and campaigns because we understand the uniqueness of each market. Meanwhile, this increased regional appetite for PR provides the impetus we need to grow our own PR industry instead of amplifying someone else’s.

Ultimately, PR revolves around reputation and relationships. Neither of these are linear in any sense; a one-size-fits-all PR approach simply won’t work in these times.

The biggest challenge that local agencies face is that they don’t have the brand recognition of more renowned Western agencies. Admittedly, there are far fewer established PR agencies in Asia right now than in the West. But I’m confident that it’s just a matter of time before this changes, especially given the on-ground advantages that local players can provide to amplify PR efforts.

As industries from Asia go global — and they will — it’s highly likely that these companies may want to have Asian-rooted PR agencies to handle both local and international PR efforts. This will encourage these agencies to pursue global expansion in tandem with their clients, and may even lead to a proliferation of Asian-driven campaigns and narratives in Western spaces.

Not just one shade of grey

Growth is a natural byproduct of globalisation. As knowledge and technology are more freely and quickly exchanged, industries will begin to compete on service quality and differentiation instead of service availability. The PR world is no different, and I would say we’re better off for it. It’s not a zero-sum game. More Asian agencies going global is good for the overall industry.

I’m still convinced the world is getting smaller and flatter, but that doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Diversity helps us become more aware of difference, and teaches us to celebrate them instead of suppressing them. Different branches of McDonald’s have menu items and flavours that are distinct to different regions, and these are wildly popular among consumers — even specifically sought after. Why shouldn’t PR be the same?

Globalisation is the reason we are exposed to new ideas and new ways of thinking. It helps us learn from each other, acknowledge different ideals and understand what makes each of us unique. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and I’m excited to see what’s next.

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