An interaction with Founders of Media Mantra on their entrepreneurial venture, women in the PR industry
Media Mantra, an Image Management and Public Relations consulting firm in India is strengthened by a cohesive network across the country and prolific relationships with prominent media platforms. Exchange4media had an interesting interaction with Pooja Pathak and Udit Pathak- Founders of Media Mantra on their entrepreneurial venture, women in the PR industry and their future plans. Edited excerpts with Pooja Pathak, Co-founder, and Director, Media Mantra, below.
How has the journey of Media Mantra been?
The 12 years of my journey in the industry has been a wonderful experience. My passion for writing and communication inspired me to join the industry. The journey of Media Mantra actually started in 2012, which was the time we realized, that we want to do something of our own. This is how we started. The main curiosity and the excitement to start was to really do something visibly well in the communication industry space. At that point in time, there was nothing better than a PR agency that we have, and we already had prior experience and understanding of the industry. So we thought, if two of us from the same background can contribute to the industry, then it can be a great achievement for us. And that was the vision for how we started the company.
How has the growth rate of Media Mantra been?
Media Mantra has a growth rate of 65% year-on-year.
Working in a leadership role has a lot of added workload and pressure. There are a lot more things that you are accountable for, you're responsible for, you know, and I think that is one part of it when you know, you want to kind of lead. I'm happy with the way the company has been nurtured because there are a lot of values which I always wanted in an organization and it means being on the other side of the table, you're able to do that. So, I think this is a great classic. Udit Pathak, Founder, and Director, Media Mantra acknowledged Pooja as the “Youngest Women PR Entrepreneur of the country” who has made a mid-sized firm rank amongst the top 10 independent PR agencies of the country and applauded her balance between work and personal life.
What has been the paradigm shift in the industry?
I think the PR industry people today are not restricted to only coverage and the traditional media. It has really gone to the extent of strategizing for companies to entire communication, it has become more defined. It has become much bigger for a PR person. You need to really think like a brand, strategize like a brand, and campaign for it. You know, so the roles have definitely gone much more ahead. And in that context, it has become more promising today. If you look at it, you are literally developing grants. You literally understand so much about a brand that you're able to build out the result for them. So I think that kind of a thing, class or become more educated about the expectation from PR.
What are your 5-year growth plans?
How has your association with exchange4media been?
Our association has been strong and powerful. I congratulate e4m for their initiative of bringing PR agencies on the front and doing a tremendous job.