In Conversation with Pooja Pathak
Pooja Pathak, Co-founder & Director, Media Mantra continues to weave the communication magic as she strives to strengthen the presence of her firm in the PR business scene (along with her husband and Co-founder Udit Pathak. A multi-faceted personality indeed, catch her in conversation with Shree Lahiri as she discusses what are the differentiating factors that set Media Mantra apart, how PR impacts businesses, her journey, the magic mantras for success and more.
RT: How do Public Relations make a difference to businesses?
Every business needs to undertake a demand generation process for its product or service, which includes the following four types of impacts – Impact initiation, Impact intensification, Impact extension and Impact retention. When it comes to communicating the credibility of your brand to the world, Public Relations is hands down, the best channel. Not only can PR professionals place stories in influential media platforms, but they can also take their clients’ messages and amplify them to their target audiences. A PR firm helps to develop a brand identity, builds and grows consumer interests and also attracts further investment.
RT: What are the core strengths of Media Mantra that differentiate it from other PR firms?
The key differentiating factor is the Leadership growth path which the organization creates for every team member. The learning drive and multi-tasking skills are some of the sure shot qualities which one can observe in the professionals of the company. It is our sincerest endeavor to try and teach leadership values and concepts through training and role-playing initiatives.
RT: What attracted you to the world of entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship happened because of Udit (my husband) who had ambitions to start a PR firm; to connect with his passion, I plunged into this territory. Having said that, I always enjoyed taking ownership and responsibility, so in a way, the journey was quite an appealing one for me and continues to be.
RT: What should PR companies do to attract and retain talent?
- Give a platform to the team to optimize their potential
- Provide a safe, positive, ethical and value-added environment so that they can grow personally and professionally
- Transparency can play a paramount role
- Grooming the team to be independent in decision-making
- Assist the team to develop entrepreneurial and soft skills
RT: What would be three magic mantras for success that any youngster can follow in the PR business?
The three magic mantras any youngster can follow not only for success in the PR business but in life are to develop the following skills – Personal skills which include not only the soft skills but also the skill to develop relations in inter-personal and intra-personal areas. Selling skills which include the caliber to effectively sell ideas, concepts, products, and services to a target audience. Prioritising skills which include the ability to set priority and timeframes for diverse issues in hand.