The 6 Ps’ mantra for leveraging PR to amplify marketing message

The second edition of Adgully’s CMOs’ Charcha - Kolkata Chapter 2024, held on June 14, witnessed an insightful panel discussion on ‘Leveraging PR to Amplify your Marketing Message’. The panel was chaired by Soumyajit Mahapatra, Chairman, Public Relations Society of India, Kolkata Chapter. The panellists included:

Akhil B Paul, Founder & CEO, Mayabious Group

Aninda Das, Vice President Marketing, Infinity Group

Chitralekha Banerjee, Editor and PR Manager, Wood & Panel, Keshan Infotech

Gulrez Alam, Founder & Director, Teamology

Shalini Mukherjee, Deputy Manager, Corporate Communications, ArcelorMittal Design and Engineering Centre

Soumyajit Mahapatra started the session by introducing the audience with the topic, He mentioned three key components – “Strategic storytelling, leveraging PR or public relations and amplifying the marketing message”. He emphasized on the complexity of the subject, noting the uncertainty in its development. However, he made one message clear: like social media, every story must include a call to action.

“If your story lacks a call to action, the entire message is lost,” he explained, adding, “And if your story doesn't have a build-up procedure, the emotion is missing, and the message is lost.”

Aninda Das shared his perspective on storytelling, emphasizing its personal and relational nature. “For me, storytelling is more like building a relationship. In a relationship, if I use the word ‘strategic’, it doesn’t sit well. People might wonder, why strategic? The relationship has to come from within, and so does storytelling. We need to move beyond just strategy.”

Drawing from his professional experience at Infinity, Das discussed the importance of storytelling in attracting investments to Bengal. “In my day-to-day work, we aim to bring more investments to Bengal. Different kinds of companies are coming, and we need to keep telling the story of Bengal. Its challenging, but I can't blame any government for not telling the story. I have to tell the story of Sector 5, and I have to tell the story of my Bengal.”

Das acknowledged the role of strategy in storytelling, but stressed that the ultimate goal is to benefit Bengal.

Further, Soumyajit posed a question to Gulrez Alam, “In the digital domain, across all channels, what are the first three bullet points your team considers when developing a story strategically?”

Gulrez responded by emphasizing the three key elements that his team focuses on – “ Firstly, we prioritize understanding our audiences, including their geographical locations. Secondly, we consider the mediums we will use for amplification. Finally, we ensure the authenticity of the storytelling. These factors are crucial because if the story lacks value, it can lead to negative publicity and branding. These three pillars are essential before planning or analyzing any storytelling.”

The session further led to Soumyajit asking Akhil how he develops a story, emphasizing the importance of understanding an organization’s narrative to relate effectively to a client's story. He asked, “How do you define strategic storytelling?”

Akhil B Paul highlighted the importance of in-depth analysis and research in storytelling, drawing parallels between election coverage and brand narratives. “Whether it’s election stories or brand stories, the basics remain the same,” he explained. He emphasized on the five P’s of marketing – Product, Price, Promotion, Place, and People – as the foundational elements of strategic storytelling. He illustrated this with an example from advertising, referencing the memorable Fevicol ad where people hang onto a truck moving through a desert, symbolizing the product’s strength.

“These five P's are interconnected. A successful story, like a best-selling book, stems from these elements. Today’s generation benefits from advanced tools like big data and AI, which provide valuable insights for storytelling, Paul noted.

“While emotion is crucial, the backbone of any story lies in these fundamentals,” he said. Paul concluded by affirming the enduring relevance of the five Ps in creating impactful stories, supported by modern data analysis and technology. Soumyajit next queried Chitralekha, “How do you develop a story for your wood company?”

Chitralekha Banerjee explained that their stories focus on the journey of a tree, from a log to a finished piece of furniture, like the chair we are sitting on. “Every day, when I sit down to write a story, I think about what a log goes through before becoming furniture. What are the processes involved? That is what we write about. That is what makes up a story,” she elaborated.

Chitralekha then referenced Akhil’s five Ps of marketing and added a sixth: Passion. “If you have passion for something, you can create a story out of anything. You just have to think from the perspective of your audience and what they want,” she said.

“My audience consists mostly of woodworkers in the woodworking industry. They are looking for details about wood, and I write for them with passion. And that makes all the difference,” she added.

Moving ahead, Soumyajit questioned Shalini Mukherjee about the challenges that she faces in her new assignment at ArcelorMittal. “How do you develop stories for your designs, given the unique challenges of not having a design center in India or Kolkata and working with an international team?,” asked.

Mukherjee responded by saying, “ArcelorMittal is a global steel giant, known worldwide. Here in Kolkata, they have developed a design and engineering center, which means we are dealing with human brains as our product. Our customers are primarily ArcelorMittal plants and other segments and units.”

She explained that the employees are the core of their storytelling. “Our employees are the ingredients of the story. They are the protagonists, and their lives, dedication, and hard work should not go unnoticed. That is how I have been trying to build the story for my organization.”

Comparing her current role to her previous position in the power industry, Mukherjee highlighted the differences in storytelling approaches. “In the power industry, we focused on business sustainability based on social sustainability, which involved talking about society. It’s very different now. Here, it's about hard work, storytelling, and story-building, all driven by passion and heart. You need to have a connection as well."