Brand Wizards Roundtable
PR’s old playbook is giving way to precision, credibility and customisation
The communications industry is moving away from the traditional “spray and pray” approach as audiences become more informed, media becomes more selective and brands are forced to rethink how they earn attention.
MUMBAI: That was one of the central takeaways from Campaign Chai–What’s the Tea?, an invite-only leadership roundtable organised by IndianTelevision.com, moderated by Anil Wanvari, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, IndianTelevision.com & the Indian Media Biz. The discussion brought together Vishaal Shah, Founder, Moe’s Art; Mausam Shah, Founder, Maars Communicates; Vikram Kharvi, CEO, Bloomingdale PR; Parull Gossain, Film & Entertainment Publicist; Tanya Shandilya, Vice President, West Head, Kaizzen; Sangya Lakhanpal, Associate Director, Pitchfork Partners; and Prashant Golecha, Independent PR Consultant.
The panel agreed that while the fundamentals of communications have not fundamentally changed, the tools, platforms and expectations surrounding them have.
The shift is particularly visible in media relations. Speakers pointed to a growing selectivity among media organisations, with journalists increasingly looking for stories that are relevant, factual and meaningful to their audiences rather than simply accepting a large volume of pitches. The discussion highlighted how easy it has become to put information onto digital platforms, making it even more important for communicators to determine what deserves to be sent to the press in the first place.
One of the strongest criticisms was directed at the old “spray and pray” model, where a story is distributed widely in the hope that something will eventually stick. The panel argued that this approach is increasingly ineffective. Instead, communication needs to be customised according to the audience, platform, customer and creator involved.
That customisation extends beyond media pitching. As audiences fragment across platforms and demographics, a single narrative cannot simply be reproduced identically across every channel.
The discussion around India and Bharat reinforced this point. English-speaking audiences, Hindi-speaking audiences, regional consumers and people consuming information through YouTube, WhatsApp, newspapers or other platforms may all require different approaches. The message may remain consistent, but how it is packaged and distributed needs to evolve.
Influencer marketing is undergoing a similar transformation.
The panel argued that brands need to move away from treating influencers as the final amplification step of a campaign. Instead, creators need to be brought into the conversation much earlier, while the narrative itself is being developed.
Long-term creator relationships were seen as increasingly valuable, particularly because creators bring their own communities and credibility. The panel also stressed that brands should establish clear objectives and boundaries while allowing creators sufficient creative freedom to communicate in their own voice.
The same principle applies to micro-creators. Working with a large number of smaller creators can be effective, but only when their individual communities and communication styles are understood. Simply multiplying the number of creators without customising the messaging risks recreating the very clutter brands are trying to overcome.
At the heart of the discussion was a broader shift in audience behaviour.
Consumers are asking more questions, checking information and becoming increasingly aware of how brands and media operate. That makes authenticity, credibility, transparency and trust more valuable than quick visibility or inflated metrics.
For PR, the implication is clear: the next phase is not about communicating more. It is about communicating with greater precision.
The old playbook relied on reach. The emerging one relies on relevance, credibility and the ability to understand where a particular audience is actually paying attention.
