India’s first corporate PR ezine VOL 1 Issue 9 – November 06
Published by Prime Point Foundation
(Supported by Public Relations Council of India and Chennai PR Club)
PR-e-FACE: From the desk of Chief Editor
“Corporates and Regional media to build Nation jointly“
A recent survey conducted exclusively Media houses have already taken
for this ezine, revealed a some proactive steps.
large gap between
Corporates and Regional On the other side, Corporate Houses,
language media. including MNCs have not realised that
Corporates and Regional they are in ‘public domain’ and their
language media perceive accountability to the entire society.
that ‘corporate Their information is more relevant to
information’ is irrelevant the language speaking public also.
to each other’s audience. The Corporates and MNCs, who have
ignored the language media in the
In the past decade, there has been normal time, face difficulties, at the
tremendous growth in the language time of crisis, when the language
media in terms of circulation and media takes up the lead.
readership. It is estimated that Indian
regional language media is larger by If the Corporates think that “suit clad
five times in circulation and ten times Manager’ alone can build the company,
in readership than English media. Due they are mistaken. They should keep
to technological growth, even the rural in mind that an ‘uneducated dhoti clad
and semi urban people are able to villager’ can demolish the company
show interest in latest economic overnight.
developments.
A time has come that Corporates and
Unfortunately, majority of the Indian Regional language media should
language media has not understood understand each other’s strength and
their strength and reorient themselves role in the development of the Nation.
to the changing needs and
K. Srinivasan
expectations of the public. They are
yet to come out of their ‘traditional’
thinking. However, it is quite prpoint@gmail.com
heartening that some of the leading
PR-e-CISE – Inside this ezine
• •
An exclusive interview with Mr B Expert views from Mr T P Sridharan
Srinivasan, Mg. Director of Vikatan and Mr Venkatnarayana, eminent
group of publications. language journalists
• •
Exclusive interview with Mr V Survey on Regional Media - report
•
Balasubramanian, Asst. Resident PR events
Editor of Economic Times.

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PR-eXCLUSIVE
‘Reader connect’ is the biggest advantage of Regional media”
Listen to the full interview through podcast at
http://www.primepointfoundation.org/presense1106.htm
Mr B Srinivasan, Managing Director of against any competition. It is difficult
Vikatan group of publications, in an for the foreign media to set up
exclusive interview with K. Srinivasan language media.
• Regional language media is weak
of PR-e-Sense,
explains the present in presenting its case to Advertising
growing trends of Agencies and to the Corporates.
• Presently, Regional media is
Regional language
media and the need capable of carrying the corporate
for Corporates and messages more effectively with
language media to quality reporting, than English media,
understand each when compared to its position 15
other. Vikatan group is the largest years back.
• While English media is important,
publisher of Tamil magazines, Tamil
books and Tamil TV serials. They have Corporates cannot ignore language
a circulation of more than one million media, because of its growth.
• ‘Reader connect’ is the biggest
with readership exceeding 10 million.
The full interview may be listened single advantage for the language
through podcast (link given above). media.
• Regional language media has not
Excerpts form his interview:
understood the power of ‘branding’
• Regional media is bigger than the with Corporates. This is the biggest
English media in terms of circulation weakness.
• It is not true that Regional media
by 5 times in circulation and 10 times
in readership. While English media is is more skewed to politics and
growing in single digit, Regional cinema. Now they have understood
language media grows in double digit. the need of the readers.
• The readers of language media • Journalists, per-se, are skilled in
see it as an ‘extension of knowledge language. They need to be ‘re-skilled’
base’. Regional media reaches them in niche areas like share market,
in an effective manner, in a way, economy, etc. Regional media has
they can understand. Also there is an started re-skilling their manpower.
• Corporates should understand the
effective communication between the
readers and the language media. power of Regional media. It is more
• Corporates view the language closer to ‘hearts and minds’ of the
media as low priced, not reaching people, than English media.
• In the Corporate set up, the top
effectively the audience, and poor
quality in printing and paper when Managers understanding only English
compared to English media. In the should not be a handicap for them to
last one decade, Regional media has understand the power of language
matured effectively and match with media. They should quip themselves
English media in quality of printing, with better management techniques,
paper and layout. Corporates are yet to understand the pulse of the people.
to warm up to this idea. They are
having the feeling that Regional Mr B Srinivasan can be reached at
media is still in ‘stone ages’. editor@vikatan.com
• Regional media is set to grow at a
faster rate. They are insulated

3
PR-eXCLUSIVE
‘Develop continuous relationship with regional media”
Listen to the full interview through podcast at
http://www.primepointfoundation.org/presense11106.htm
Mr V Balasubramanian, (Balu) Asst. disseminate the information through
Resident Editor, The Economic Times regional media in the local language.
• At the same time, Regional media
at Chennai has more than 26 years of
experience in financial also should give up their negative
journalism. He has perception about the Corporates. As Dr
served Commerce Kalam says, Indian media should give
Publication and up its negativism. They should write
Financial Express. For success stories on business and
the past 16 years, he economic front. . This will encourage
has been with ET. Corporates and give importance to
Regional media.
•I
Economic Times, the largest business see a great change in
daily of India has partnered with Daily advertisement profile of Regional
Thanthi, one of the leading Tamil media. MNCs also should understand
dailies for content sharing. In an the role of Regional media.
• At the time of crisis, regional
exclusive podcast interview with K.
Srinivasan, of PR-e-Sense, Mr Balu media plays a major role.
explains the strength of Regional Environment concerns, investor issues,
language media. The full interview when they are blown out of proportion,
may be listened in the podcast link Corporates suddenly find a big gap
given above. Excerpts from his between them and the regional media.
interview: They should develop a continuous
relationship with the local media.
• The experience of partnership • Regional media has a bright future.
between two giants Daily Thanthi and Big English newspaper chains will ride
Economic Times has been fascinating on the strength and network of the
and enriching. For the first time, a regional media. There is going to be a
business paper has lent its Masthead convergence between English and
to another paper. Many readers have regional language media in the coming
access to business information. years.
• Regional media is very powerful. • Regional media should give equal
English readership is growing fast, but importance to the happenings in
need to penetrate a lot. The Regional business and economic front, as they
media’s penetration level is high. give for politics and crime. The
They dominate in all languages the reporters can be reoriented for writing
readership and advertisement business stories. A good political
revenue. They play a major role. journalist can become a good
• Corporates and Regional media economic journalist. It is India’s
have not understood each other. time. Indian economy is booming in
Indian Corporates have rediscovered all sectors. We are competing with
their strength. Indian companies are giants like China. Regional media
acquiring foreign companies. India will should bring out more of success
become economic super power by stories. Good economics has come to
2020. drive good politics.
• Corporates should understand the Mr Balu may be reached at
strength of language media and viswanathan.balasubramanian@timesgroup.com

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PR –e- STIGE – Expert views
Mr T P Sridharan, Business Editor, Daily Thanthi (ET Pags) namadhu2001@yahoo.co.in
“Corporates have lot of information that can interest language media readers”
During 1989-90, journalists took up the ‘watch dog role’
when there was to alert the people. After 2002, market
stock market boom picked up well. There is a stability.
in India, language National economy is growing. There is
papers started a lot of awareness amongst the
writing about the language readers about the stock
stock market to help market and economy. This is a great
the small investors. opportunity for the language media to
Between 1990 -03, Capital Market provide economic information.
brought out editions in five languages
and Dalal Street in two languages. We get a lot of responses from the
Even after the stock market scam, the remote places for the ET page. The
interest amongst the investors got Corporates have lot of information that
sustained till 1996. is needed for language readers. The
journalists should do some homework
Between 1996 and 2002, when the and pick up such stories that can
NBFCs were growing, the financial interest the readers.
Mr Venkatnarayana, Editor, Usha Kirana, (Kannada) Bangalore vn@ushakirana.com
“Awareness level has gone up amongst rural and semi urban people”
There was a time when the Corporates month, by mistake, we received many
were neglecting the middle and lower calls from the remote places pointing
class. After the globalization, there is out the
a lot of change in the life style of the mistake.
public. Socio economic changes have
taken place. Even a sweeper has One Mr T M
started carrying a mobile. Small Guruprasad
remote villages have telephone, wrote series of
computer and internet facilities. Even articles on
the educated people have started ‘share market’
moving towards villages. Many in Kannada.
consumer products have started When he compiled and published these
targeting rural places. articles in a book and CD form, there
was a great demand from the remote
Regional media commands a high places. Thousands of copies were sold
credibility amongst the semi urban and in a short time.
rural people. They have started
observing the economic growth. Shortly Times of India will be coming
Awareness level on economic and out with a Kannada Edition. This
stock market issues have gone up edition will have the ‘feel good
considerably. positive’ stories of all Times of India
Editions to cater to the ‘upper mobile
Some time back, when we published Kannadigas’ segment. Regional
the stock market position of the language media will play a greater role
corresponding day of the earlier in developing the economy.

5
PR –e- Survey – Survey on Indian Regional language media
Recommendations
• There is an urgent need for
Corporates and Regional Media to
undetstand each others importance in
the growing Indian Economy. Due to
technological growth, even the semi
A quick survey was conducted by urban and rural people are having
Prime Point Foundation, as part of access to new media and try to utilise
November 06 issue of Corporate e- the new opportunities. Corporates
zine PR-e-Sense. The survey was to and Regional Media cannot be ‘mute
get the perspective of PR/CorpComm spectators’ for this ground reality.
professionals and the journalists on They donot have any right to deny the
the ‘Indian Regional Media’. A set of information to the large population of
questionnaire was prepared and were our country.
uploaded in www.surveymonkey.com
site. The information was circulated in • Corporates, including MNCs
the various PR/Media groups, inviting operating in India, should first
the responses anonymously. 54 understand that they are in public
respondents across the country domain. Lack of local language
participated in this survey. knowledge amongst the top
management, should not drive them to
Conclusions treat the Regional Media as
undeserved. Many such companies,
• Presently, the Regional Media has a who have ignored language media at
larger reach to the grass root level the normal time, have understood
They also command a credibility their folly at the time of crisis.
amongst the readers. But because of Corporates should start treating the
their traditional approach, they are Regional Media at par with English
unable to understand importance of Media.
Corporates.
• In spite of enormous strength,
• Corporates have not understood Regional media has not understood its
the ground reality and do not provide role fully. They are still living in the
the importance to Regional Media, illusions of ‘pre liberalistion days’.
what it deserves. Corporates are They need to realise their new role in
under an ‘illusion’ that the Regional the liberalised economy and facilitate
Media does not reach their relevant the economic growth in the Semi
audience. urban and rural segments, which
constitute around 75 percent of India.
• There is large gap between Only Regional media can take up this
Corporates and the Regional Media. task. Hence, they need to reorient
Both have not understood that jointly themselves to the ‘need of the hour’
they are denying valuable information and start taking up the new roles, like
to the large number of people. few other successful regional media.
Download the full report from the following link
http://www.primepointfoundation.org/survey1106.pdf

6
PR –eViews – Opinions from the groups
Mr R Gopikrishnan, Chief of Bureau, Mangalam Daily (Malayalam)
rgopikrishnan2002@yahoo.co.in
“Corporates and Regional media cannot ignore each other”
The Corporates ignore regional media want only the salient features affecting
because they are seldom aware of the their day to day lives.
influence of it. Many view Regional
media as Since the traditional division is clear
backward or even we have to think of novel ways to
barbaric. That overcome it. Earlier, the Regional
perception must Media was not that strong or wider.
change. They But now they run millions of copies
should take into and spread through many states and
consideration the even in Gulf countries. They are no
limitations of the more local or regional, except in their
Regional media. perception, which they have to shed.
The space - page- constraint is there. Lack of interaction between these two
So is the reader profile. No Corporate groups is also a major hazard. There
house can expect a better coverage of should be proper discussion and
an event unless it caters to the understanding of the problem. One
Regional needs. No reader expects a thing is clear. If both the Corporates
full fledged coverage of a corporate and Regional media tend to ignore
event or even the national Budget each other, both will have to pay a lot.
from their Regional newspaper. They
Mr S Gopikrishna Warrier, Media Officer, ICRISAT, Patancheru w.gopikrishna@cgiar.org
“Re-craft your communication to different media”
We design a communication in for journalists on
English, and then get it translated to agri-biotechnology.
the local language (since the The first and the
organization where I work, the fifth workshops
International Crops Research Institute were held at our
for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is headquarters at
headquartered in Patancheru near Patancheru. The
Hyderabad, the local language is clientele was
Telugu). However, to be successful the different. The first
entire communication has to be re- one was aimed at journalists who write
crafted. I know it because the same in English for national, regional and
communication I offer to international international media. The fifth one was
journalists, national journalists aimed at journalists who write for
working in Delhi, regional and national Telugu and English media. The entire
journalists working in Hyderabad, and approach was different. While the first
local journalists working out of group was interested more in the
'mofussil' locations. The entire policy and regulatory issues, the
priorities are different. The way the second groups consisted of reporters
journalists want to understand the who have covered the GM debate from
news is different. the ground - from the districts - and
Since we are working on agri- their concerns were more on the
biotechnology products such as quality, safety and cost of the
genetically-modified crops, we have technology. Their worldview was
been organizing a series of workshops different.

7
PR –eViews – Opinions from the groups
Ms Meena Vaidyanathan, Director, Corp commn. Honeywell, Delhi
meena.vaidyanathan@gmail.com
“Regional media has more power to influence masses”
Use of the term "Vernacular" itself is has more power to influence local
very demeaning. "Verna" in Italian masses as opposed to a Hindustan
means "Slave". So Times or a Times of India, this will
by implying that only become more and more apparent
"local languages" are in the days to come.
vernacular and
English or Hindi as Companies that have big stake in Tier
official, one is 2 cities and Tier 3 towns as well as the
actually doing rural countryside, proactively reach
disservice. This is out today to agencies (Both
nothing special to advertising and PR) who have either
India. Similar situations are faced by upcountry contacts or at least a tie-up
several other countries as well. with a local outfit. Why else would you
see creative agencies flourishing in
Having said that, I have to say that I cities like Aurangabad, Madurai and
am a big champion of the English Indore?
language. I think it's a wonderful way
to bind the world and open our As professionals who have a stake in
avenues of communication with people this business, its our
of various cultures. But local responsibility to be aware of the
languages have their own place in changes that are sweeping around us
society, and as we see more and keep our business leadership and
federalism creeping into the Indian agencies abreast of the changing
state, when a Dinamalar or a Sandesh needs of our customers.
To advertise in this ezine.
Contact
prpoint@gmail.com
PR – e- Groups – Have you joined discussion groups ?
Image Management Group – Second largest yahoo group on PR with 1400 plus
global members. Click here
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Image_Management/
PRpoint Group - The largest Indian group for PR/CorpComm /academic
professionals with 600 plus members. Click here
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/prpoint/
New Media Forum Group – A group for Indian journalists with around 350
members. Click here
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/New_Media_Forum/

8
PR eVENTS – Forthcoming events
A Three day meet at Bangalore at
Hotel Chancery Pavilion from 15th to
17th February 2007.Delegate
fee.Rs.3500/= for each delegate
.PRCI Members… Rs 3000/= only.
Contact cccm@karnatakapower.com
PRCI organises a Global Summit on
Corporate Communications—
METAMORPHOSIS’ as India Emerges.
Rs.1500. After 20th November, the
registration charges shall go up by
Rs.500.
The 28th All India Public Relations
Conference, is being held at Lucknow
For further information you can
on 8-10 December 2006. PRSI/IPRA
contact: Mr. Ratan Mani Lal, Chairman,
Members: Rs.3,000; Non-Members:
PRSI Lucknow Chapter.
Rs.3,500 Students : Rs.500 Spouse:
email: prsilucknow@rediffmail.com
Rs.1800; Former PR Professionals:
PR eVENTS –Events completed
The final year Post Graduate Public The students produced documentaries
Relations students of MOP Vaishnav and short films supporting the cause,
which were screened to their target
audience. The various other PR tools
employed included posters, banners,
brochures, pamphlets, danglers and
badges. Radio City 105.8 FM and MOP
FM 91.2 aired the messages on cancer
for the whole week and helped the
students reach a wider audience.
College for women, Chennai organised The students took part in a Cancer
a Cancer Awareness Campaign for a Awareness Walk as a fitting finale to
week from 11th September 2006. This their week-long citywide campaign on
was part of their curriculum to give cancer awareness. Actor Jeeva flagged
hands-on experience to the students. off the walk and joined the students till
This year, students concentrated on the finishing point.
cancers like cervical cancer, oral
cancer, esophageal cancer, lung - Reported by Rashmi, one of the
cancer and leukemia while targeting students - rashmi.nbr@gmail.com
audiences ranging from corporation
schools, private schools, women’s
colleges and men’s colleges in the city.

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PR eTTY - Relax
"If you noticed, all the nice looking
expensive cups were taken up, leaving
behind the plain and cheap ones.
While it is but normal for you to want
only the best for yourselves, that is
the source of your problems and
stress.
What all of you really wanted was
coffee, not the cup, but you
consciously went for the best cups and
A group of alumni, highly established were eyeing each other's cups.
in their careers, got together to visit
their old university professor. Moral:
Conversation soon turned into
complaints about stress in work and Now if life is coffee, then the jobs,
life. Offering his guests coffee, the money and position in society are the
professor went to the kitchen and cups. They are just tools to hold and
returned with a large pot of coffee and contain Life, but the quality of Life
an assortment of cups - porcelain, doesn't change. Some times, by
plastic, glass, crystal, some plain concentrating only on the cup, we fail
looking, some expensive, some to enjoy the coffee in it."
exquisite - telling them to help
themselves to hot coffee. So, don't let the cups drive you...
enjoy the coffee instead.
When all the students had a cup of
coffee in hand, the professor said: (Source : unknown)
PResentors of PReSENSE
Chief Editor and Publisher: Podcast
K. Srinivasan (Prime Point) M M Selva Kumar, Sr. Web Consultant
Consulting Editor Editorial Advisors
Uma G (O&M PR) M B Jayaram, (Chairman, National
Editor: Council, PRCI)
P A Narrendiran (Blue Lotus PR) T N Ashok (Alstom)
Associate Editor: Arun Arora (GMR-DIAL)
S. Sakthi Prasanna (Hanmer & Uma Bhushan (SIMSR) )
Partners PR) R. Jai Krishna (Senior Journalist)
Editorial Board:
Veena Vinod (PR Executive) Feedback and contributions to:
Satish N (Anna University) ezinepresense@gmail.com
All the earlier issues may be downloaded from
www.primepointfoundation.org