It’s been a little over 15 years in public relations (PR) for me- brands have evolved, the media landscape is still dynamic, output/ outcome expectations are changing. But one question remain- ‘what it is exactly that that you do?’
When most people think of PR, they picture big launches and parties (thank you, but no thank you, The Royals!), clever headlines, high-profile interviews. But anyone who’s spent time in this field knows that most of our days look very different – media lists, tracking, reporting, W(h)IP meetings (as one of my clients would call them) – and the kind of tasks that don’t exactly scream “Creative genius at work”.
The pressure in PR is real. Clients want results, news cycles move at lightning speed, and the temptation to stick to tried-and-tested approaches is strong. But if we truly want to build resonance, it won’t be found in repetition – it lies in reinvention.
The public relations business has long been known as one of the most stressful industries to work in – where the constant need for creative acumen is often confused with grunt work. It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel every day to be creative – sometimes creativity lies in a subtle detail or tweak. Some of my proudest, award-winning campaigns have mostly resulted from small, innovative changes that had a significant impact. It might be just a simple act of changing the subject line of an email to attract the requisite attention of a journalist or discovering a surprising piece of information that changes the way a client presents their story.
For instance, recently for the launch MG Windsor at Ruder Finn India, instead of sending out the usual media invites, we went old-school- handcrafting scrolls inspired by royal decrees. It wasn’t just about a fancy invite; it made our audience feel part of something special. The scrolls sparked conversations, became keepsakes, and turned a routine event into a memorable experience.
It’s easy for the daily grind to sap your creative spark if you work in public relations (or any other profession, really). However, avoid letting routine prevail – stay curious and ask questions, even about the boring stuff. Acknowledge the small instances when someone made a new attempt. Read widely, talk to more people, and look outside PR for inspiration. Creativity thrives on new input.
Also remember – the gift of AI is that it’s freeing us from processes like monitoring, reporting, and data gathering- giving us the headspace we’ve always needed. But what we do with this space and time is what will define the next chapter of our industry.
All we need to do, is to resist templates, revisit assumptions, and allow creativity to step beyond press releases and media events. And when we do that, we move beyond campaigns- we become part of the audience’s memory, emotion, and brand loyalty.
Creativity might get challenged by routine, but it’s never out of reach and fashion.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
