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<ul><li>India's top court announced its verdict on the University Grants Commission (<keyword id="44171" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UGC">UGC</keyword>) cases ruling that it's mandatory for states to conduct final year examinations. </li><li>It said no students will be promoted without having sat in their respective final semester exams.</li><li>The Supreme Court has given states the option to appeal to the UGC for an extension beyond the September 30 deadline.</li></ul>Coronavirus or not, the Supreme Court has ruled that states have no choice but to conduct final year exams in order to promote students upholding the circular put out by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The states will have the choice to appeal for extending the deadline to the UGC beyond September 30. According to the court, any decision by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to postpone the exams, as in the case of Maharashtra, will prevail over the <keyword id="427299" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UGC-guidelines">UGC guidelines</keyword>. All eyes were on the Supreme Court today as students and institutions awaited the verdict on the UGC case and whether or not final year examinations are mandatory amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At the last hearing on August 18, the apex court had reserved its order and asked for parties to respond and present written submissions on their final arguments within three days. What happened in the previous hearing? In the last hearing, on August 18, the Supreme Court asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) if the latter could override a state government decision in certain situations and take a position on the conduct of examinations. During the marathon hearing that lasted close to four hours, the apex court heard arguments from a battery of Senior Advocates appearing for various stakeholders -- Arvind P Datar (for Maharashtra government), Jaideep Gupta (for teachers from West Bengal), KV Viswanathan (Delhi government) and Advocate Generals of Odisha and West Bengal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the UGC. The court was hearing a batch of PILs, along with those from the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Delhi, that questioned the UGC directions to universities to conduct final-year exams before September 30. The state governments argued that they have the power to promote students without exams due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The bench asked Mehta: "Can the UGC override a state government's decision, where a certain situation like Covid-19 exists?" In response, Mehta submitted that Covid-19 pandemic is a 'national disaster' and it is for the Centre to decide and that the "state authorities cannot override the UGC". The bench said that this exactly is the question, as the disaster management authority of the state has authority in healthcare. But can the UGC override the state and ask it to conduct exams? "Maybe the UGC can say no degree without an exam. But can they say hold an exam on this date?" Mehta contended that the deadline was given for the benefit of the students. "It is not a diktat. All universities must start admissions to postgraduate courses. The country is working," Mehta submitted. Advocate Alok Srivastava, appearing for a group of students, contended that the July 6 guidelines making it mandatory to hold exams by September 30 cannot be implemented across the country, as there was no proper consultation. Mehta contended that the universities can seek an extension in the deadline under the UGC guidelines, but they cannot take a decision to confer degree without holding exams. The Solicitor General also cited 'Maharashtra's political somersault', wherein it first decided to conduct the exams but later opposed it. Mehta insisted that the UGC and other regulators exist for the protection of the interests of stakeholders. "Here, the students are the main stakeholders," he added. Reserving the judgment, the top court asked all the parties to submit their written submissions. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-phase-ii-trials-will-begin-in-india-today/articleshow/77757085.cms">Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 Vaccine: Phase II trials will begin in India today</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-military-options-against-china-explained-by-experts/articleshow/77743778.cms">Experts explain India’s 'military options' against China</a>

Supreme Court says final year exams are 'mandatory' in order promote students

<ul><li>The Supreme Court on August 18 had reserved judgement on whether the <keyword id="1080402" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Final-Year">final year</keyword> degree examinations in universities should be held before September 30, in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. </li><li>The state government counsels have argued that they have the power to promote students without exams in the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.</li></ul>All eyes will be on the Supreme Court this week as students and institutions await the verdict on the UGC case and final year examinations expected soon. At the last hearing on August 18, the apex court had reserved its order and asked for parties to respond and present written submissions on their final arguments within three days. The Supreme Court on August 18 had reserved judgement on whether the final year degree examinations in universities should be held before September 30, in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. The state government counsels have argued that they have the power to promote students without exams in the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The top court will also decide whether state governments have the power to take a decision against conducting final year examinations under the Disaster Management Act. <div type="twitter" handle="advocate_alakh" handlename="Alakh Alok Srivastava" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1294535286634844162/RWuM2LsB_normal.jpg" favoritecount="5027" retweetcount="1865" status="In our #UGC matter, Supreme Court has heard all of us today &amp; arguments are concluded.We will submit our final wr… https://t.co/altI2oDlVS" createdat="1597740451000" id="1295643478588657665"></div> Highlights of the hearing <ul><li>Sr. Adv. Arvind Datar, counsel for Maharashtra, said the UGC Act is traced to Entry 66 of List 1. My submission is that UGC can lay down standards, but it can’t compel exams to be held.” However, SC nullified the argument by stating that UGC does not conduct examinations.</li><li>Datar further argues if IIT — a central institute of international repute — can issue degrees without conducting final year examinations then why can’t other universities do the same. </li><li>Datar argued that the most important thing today is the welfare of the student. The Supreme Court slammed his argument by saying, “students cannot decide their welfare, Authorities can decide their welfare.”</li><li>Datar further argued, “UGC guidelines make uniform rules for the whole country without taking the pandemic and practical difficulties into consideration. This is violative of Article 14 as they are treating unequal situations equally.”</li><li>Justice Bhushan goes back to the question of whether the final semester can be skipped while Datar is explaining the CGPA system in the court. </li><li> If there is a standard fixed by UGC that without a final exam, a degree cannot be given, can universities really decide to cancel the final exam? Then all the universities will come up with their own method, SC said. </li><li>Datar argued that UGC can say don't award a degree without holding an exam but it cannot say that you hold the exam by 30th September at any cost.</li><li>Advocate General Kishore Dutta for West Bengal says the state will not be able to hold online exams because students don’t have the technology to give the exams.</li><li>Sr. Adv. KV Vishwanathan, counsel for New Delhi argued that there is a divide between the classes of people with rich having access to technology and poor being at a disadvantage</li></ul>What happened in the previous hearing? On August 14, the Supreme Court decided to move the hearing to August 18. On the same day, Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the lead counsel, said “There is a great disparity between the classes of students who are expected to appear. Many students have gone back to their hometowns.” Previously, on August 10, the University Grants Commission (UGC) told the Supreme Court that degrees would not be recognised if no examinations are held for final-year students even as the country faces a coronavirus crisis. The UGC response was conveyed by its counsel, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on a batch of pleas that challenged the UGC schedule for final-year university exams before September 30.The petitioners' counsel contended that the UGC guidelines for holding exams are "not legally or constitutionally valid". Mehta argued that the decision by Delhi and Maharashtra to cancel exams in their respective state universities is against the UGC rules.He argued that UGC is the only body that can prescribe rules for conferring a degree, and state governments cannot change the rules. The Supreme court granted time to the UGC to respond to the stand taken by the Maharashtra and Delhi governments to cancel university exams. The bench also asked the UGC to address the question of whether the Disaster Management Act would override its notification on guidelines for exams. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/latest-job-openings-at-google-microsoft-jp-morgan-goldman-sachs-ericsson-amazon-adobe-zomato-for-software-engineers/slidelist/77585263.cms">Google, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Ericsson and other companies hiring software engineers in India right now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/barack-obama-has-privately-voiced-concerns-that-joe-biden-could-f-things-up-according-to-a-report/articleshow/77574349.cms">Barack Obama has privately voiced concerns that Joe Biden could 'f--- things up,' according to a report</a>

UGC Guidelines 2020: Supreme Court verdict likely soon on final year exams

<ul><li>The students in the final year of college will have to sit for exams by the end of September — online or offline mode. </li><li>This is as per the revised guidelines rolled out by the University Grants Commission (UGC). </li><li>In case the student is unable to sit for the examination in September, they may be allowed to appear in special exams for those courses, which may be conducted by the universities later, when the situation normalises. </li><li>The regulatory body said that the schedule for the intermediate examinations or semesters remains unchanged. </li></ul>Online or offline, the students in the final year of college will have to sit for exams by the end of September. This is as per the revised guidelines rolled out by the University Grants Commission (UGC). “Evaluation of the terminal semester students which was to be done through examinations in the month of July, now their examinations will be conducted by the end of September-2020, following the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” Union Cabinet Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said in a tweet. <div type="twitter" handle="DrRPNishank" handlename="Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1250023125191819266/Bx7kBZRg_normal.jpg" favoritecount="10129" retweetcount="2829" status="The UGC has revisited its earlier guidelines related to university examinations.In view of the safety, career prog… https://t.co/IGBAhqaiHW" createdat="1594051418000" id="1280170552313835521"></div> According to the new guidelines, the final year or terminal semester students having backlogs “should compulsorily be evaluated by conducting examinations.” In case the student is unable to sit for the examination in September, they may be allowed to appear in special exams for those courses, which may be conducted by the universities later, when the situation normalises. The guidelines, however, clarified that this would be a one-time measure for the current batch. Schedule for the intermediate examinations remains unchanged The regulatory body said that the schedule for the intermediate examinations or semesters remains unchanged. UGC had earlier said that the next academic session will begin in August, 2020. “The academic session 2020-21 may commence from August 1 for old students and September 1 for fresh students,” it said. On the other hand, those in the first semester will be promoted based on their internal assessment scores. Students in other semesters will be promoted based on their academic record in the previous year and internal assessment of the current semester. As many as 33 crore students are enrolled in over 45,000 colleges in India. <div type="twitter" handle="DrRPNishank" handlename="Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1250023125191819266/Bx7kBZRg_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6873" retweetcount="1724" status="1. Intermediate semester students will be evaluated based on internal assessment (as per earlier issued guidelines)" createdat="1594051419000" id="1280170555568607238"></div> “Universities may conduct terminal, intermediate semester examinations in offline or online mode, as per their ordinances and regulations, scheme of examinations, observing the guidelines of ‘social distancing’ and keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring fair opportunity to all students,” the earlier guidelines said. The exams shall be conducted for a duration of two hours now instead of three hours. In addition, the universities will have to follow a six-day week pattern “to compensate the loss for the remaining 2019-20 session”. In March, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (<keyword id="6361413" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mhrd">MHRD</keyword>) directed all the educational institutions — including the universities, entrance exam centres to shut down due to coronavirus. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/trumps-new-visa-policy-leaves-foreign-students-enrolled-online-in-a-lurch-take-transfer-or-leave-us/articleshow/76825867.cms">Trump's new visa policy leaves foreign students enrolled online in a lurch — take transfer or leave US</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/phoenix-mills-is-prepping-for-a-two-year-coma/articleshow/76825696.cms">One of India's largest mall operators is prepping for a two-year coma</a>

Online or offline, the students in the final year of college will have to sit for exams by the end of September, says the UGC

<ul><li>The University Grants Commission (<keyword id="44171" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UGC">UGC</keyword>) told the Supreme Court on Monday that degrees would not be recognised if no examinations are held for final-year students even as the country was facing coronavirus crisis.</li><li>The UGC response was conveyed by its counsel, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on a batch of pleas that challenged the UGC schedule for final-year university exams before September 30.</li></ul> The University Grants Commission (UGC) told the Supreme Court on Monday that degrees would not be recognised if no examinations are held for final-year students even as the country was facing coronavirus crisis. The UGC response was conveyed by its counsel, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on a batch of pleas that challenged the UGC schedule for final-year university exams before September 30. Mehta contended before a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan that it's not in the interest of students to not hold exams. He asked the top court for time to file a reply to Delhi and Maharashtra governments' affidavits, wherein they said they had decided to cancel the exams in state universities. The petitioners' counsel contended that the UGC guideline for holding exams are "not legally or constitutionally valid". Mehta argued that Delhi's and Maharashtra's decisions to cancel exams in their respective state universities are against the UGC rules. He argued that the UGC is the only body that can prescribe rules for conferring a degree, and the state governments cannot change the rules. The counsel for one of the petitioners replied that there is complete inconsistency in the Ministry of Human Resource Development and UGC guidelines. The top court adjourned the hearing till Friday, after the UGC asked for time to respond to the affidavits filed by Delhi and Maharashtra. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/these-are-the-tabletop-airports-in-india-two-of-them-have-seen-major-plane-crashes-in-last-10-years/articleshow/77427972.cms">These are the tabletop airports in India – two of them have seen major plane crashes in last 10 years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/how-karan-bajaj-sold-his-less-than-18-month-old-startup-white-hat-jr-to-byjus/articleshow/77415329.cms">A WhatsApp message, six weeks of talks and a $300 million deal – how Karan Bajaj sold his less than 18-month old startup White Hat Jr to Byju’s</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambani-is-now-the-worlds-fourth-richest-person-after-he-beat-louis-vuitton-owner-bernard-arnault/articleshow/77431776.cms">Mukesh Ambani is now the world’s fourth-richest person after he beat Louis Vuitton owner Bernard Arnault</a>

Degrees won't be recognised if no exams held: UGC tells SC

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6357783" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword> CM said if the exams are conducted as scheduled, it would put students' lives at risk from the Covid-19 pandemic.</li><li>It is to be noted that <keyword id="6361994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="NEET">NEET</keyword> is scheduled on September 13 and JEE-Mains will be held from September 1-6.</li><li>Earlier, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also urged <keyword id="1205297" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Bharatiya-Janata-Party">the Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP)-led central government to consider the 'Mann Ki Baat' of students and address the postponement issue of the entrance examinations. </li></ul> West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Baner<keyword id="6392660" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="JEE">jee</keyword> on Monday urged the Centre for the second time to postpone NEET, JEE 2020. She said that the exams should not be held until the situation is conducive again. The West Bengal CM said if the exams are conducted as scheduled, it would put students' lives at risk from the Covid-19 pandemic. "In our last video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, I had been vocal against the UGC guidelines mandating completion of terminal examinations in universities and colleges by the end of September 2020, which had a huge potential to put student lives at risk," Banerjee tweeted. It is to be noted that NEET is scheduled on September 13 and JEE-Mains will be held from September 1-6. "Now with the directive of the Education Ministry to conduct NEET, JEE 2020 in September, I would again appeal to the Centre to assess the risk and postpone these examinations until the situation is conducive again,a she said. Earlier, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government to consider the 'Mann Ki Baat' of students and address the postponement issue of the entrance examinations. Meanwhile, India on Monday recorded 61,408 fresh cases of Covid-19 and 836 deaths in the last 24-hours. "It is our duty to ensure a safe environment for all our students," Banerjee said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/latest-job-openings-at-google-microsoft-jp-morgan-goldman-sachs-ericsson-amazon-adobe-zomato-for-software-engineers/slidelist/77585263.cms">Google, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Ericsson and other companies hiring software engineers in India right now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/the-heat-is-on-mark-zuckerberg-in-india-as-facebook-and-whatsapp-incur-the-ire-of-modis-rivals/articleshow/77575358.cms">The heat is on Mark Zuckerberg in India as Facebook and WhatsApp incur the ire of Modi's rivals</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-top-9-movies-on-netflix-this-week-from-aposjurassic-parkapos-to-aposwork-itapos/slidelist/77548389.cms">The top 9 movies on Netflix this week, from 'Jurassic Park' to 'Work It'</a>

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urges Centre to postpone NEET-JEE 2020

<ul><li>2021, a year full of controversies saw brands turning to <keyword id="255227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-relations" source="Orion">Public Relations</keyword> and Communications experts to save their reputation and regain consumer trust.</li><li>We look back at how PR evolved in 2021 and catch up with a few experts to discuss the trends that lie ahead.</li></ul>This year, we witnessed many brands become a victim of the boycott culture on social media and each of them adopted a different Public Relations and Communications strategy; while some decided to give in to the pressure, pulled off campaigns and maintained a low profile to cushion the blow, a few others stood their ground and fought back. Gone are the days where a brand could hope for social media controversies to die a natural death and wait for consumers to move on. Now, a small tweet can snowball into a boycott trend and a little bad PR move can cause a company’s stocks to plummet drastically or lead to a huge amount of audience permanently boycotting a brand. At the same time, some experts also advise that brands should not feed the trolls. So, in a year that saw numerous controversies, Public Relations and Communications experts proved their prominence yet again. They acted as the brand's anchor when needed and also helped them reach the shore successfully through tumultuous seas. During the initial stage of the lockdown, <keyword id="562730" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pr-agencies" source="Orion">PR agencies</keyword> had to think on their feet, engage with editorial media to help brands share their side of the story with interesting nuggets, offer positive stories, work on personalised pitches, ensure internal and external stakeholders were updated frequently with utmost honesty and transparency. PR experts also pushed brands to connect with their communities on a personal level through truthful, authentic human acts. The crisis also caused paradigm shifts in the industry and digital PR took the center stage. Experts were required to monitor trends in real-time, find various consumer touchpoints through social listening and offer predictive analysis. As we move forward, PR agencies are working towards expanding their offerings with allied competencies like creative, experiential and social media capabilities. They have also been helping brands to find the right balance between profit, people and the environment. So, the future of PR is in strong storytelling in the digital world. The future is also unpredictable and PR professionals can’t rely on annual calendars anymore. With the news cycle changing every day, PR experts are required to be more flexible and agile. We reached out to experts to look back at 2021, discuss a few trends that lie ahead in 2022 and understand what kind of role will PR play next year. Here’s what they had to say: Archana Jain, Managing Director, <keyword id="12776689" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pr-pundit" source="Orion">PR Pundit</keyword> The sway of top celebrities has diminished as was the case back in the days. With the advent of digital and social media, people have begun to trust recommendations from peers far more. Audiences find authentic content or recommendations by actual consumers to be more honest and believable than other forms of promotions and advertising by brands. This is reason enough for brands to actively nurture a community of advocates. PR will be required to work with brands to shape and foster a community of brand advocates. A set of loyal and vocal customers who can help humanise the brand in addition to boosting brand appeal &amp; trust, promoting its products &amp; services to new cohorts, providing invaluable user-generated content (UGC), word-of-mouth recommendations, and social media chatter. Community-led storytelling is more acceptable and authentic rather than a direct brand-led communication. Community advocacy will need to be consciously harnessed and not left to chance. 2022 will see many more brands structure a meaningful brand advocacy strategy. Ameer Ismail, President, <keyword id="10059988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lintas-live" source="Orion">Lintas Live</keyword> My biggest takeaway from 2021 is that agency brands and professionals have learned to be resilient and this is based on the multitude of challenges everyone has faced. Smart PR agencies have managed to reinvent themselves with offerings that are built for new realities and collectively have made sure that the relevance of PR is as strong as ever. While a move to everything digital will continue and a lot has been spoken and written about that, I feel that ‘collaboration and consolidation’ will be one the most important trends in that will emerge in 2022. This will be fueled by a few factors, first, resources will be deployed judiciously and talent will continue to be in short supply, the churn agencies have been experiencing at mid and junior levels will continue in 2022. This will lead to a need for agencies to find collaborative ways to deliver on client briefs and they will tap the vast pool of independent talent and specialized agencies and we will see newer collaborative models emerge. Second, clients will be in a hurry to get solutions from agency partners that can get their brands back in the mindspace of consumers and other target audiences. They will want to deal with fewer, better established partners which will lead to a need for consolidation. Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Chief Executive Officer, <keyword id="8878758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genesis-bcw" source="Orion">Genesis BCW</keyword> If there is one word that will be at the centre of everything in 2022, it is ‘people’. With the world—India included—teetering between recovery and anxiety around ever-evolving COVID variants, people will need to be communicated with, engaged, assuaged, motivated, retained, developed, and more. These people include every stakeholder a company has—customers/consumers, employees, partners, the government, the community at large. And public relations is the only marketing discipline that touches all of them. Digital will continue to be the medium of choice, and within that, metaverse will be flavour of the year. While the Indian industry still has some distance to cover in that, there is curiosity about this next big thing. No matter what the medium though, the message will have to be aligned to the company’s purpose. And delivered creatively, with authenticity. Akshaara Lalwani, Founder &amp; CEO, <keyword id="3573568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="communicate-india" source="Orion">Communicate India</keyword> Over the past decade, PR has been moving away from traditional business models towards a more holistic and integrated approach. Whether it is the shift from pure media relations to content or the migration from print to digital, there is a marked change in the way the PR landscape functions. In 2022, this trend will further solidify its presence. There will also be a blurring of demarcation lines between PR, marketing and advertising, digital and offline, eventually leading to PR &amp; Communication professionals to further value the importance of integrated communications. Agility and the ability to pivot will thus be key attributes that will enable the industry to thrive. Also, since the protracted fight against the pandemic still continues, companies and organisations need to prioritise responsible communication over all else. We live in a world where the spread of disinformation and misinformation is not uncommon, hence, agencies need to be able to work in tandem with their clients to help them steer a middle course between capitalistic desires and ethical communication. Mayank Sen, Co-founder, Moe's Art For the longest time, ‘content’ has been the flavour of the season. At first, it began as an accessory, gradually ruling as a king on a kingdom. In 2020, content and its marketing became an undeniable powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. The evergreen axiom of marketing – ‘delivering the right content, to the right people, at the right time’ – took a redefined meaning. And for the times to come, the fundamental aspect of the content ecosystem will be founded on a framework of a performance driven-model, driven by contextual marketing. Within the emerging framework, data and technology will take a strong precedence. The industry will focus on delivering optimal consumer experience while capitalising on the opportunities in hand. Attention will be paid to provide more personalised and relevant content. Measuring the performance will make sure that the experience is scalable. It will present a continuous assessment of how the content is performing, and from that perspective, make decisions on what to do with the content in the future. Measuring success, building a cohesive brand story, and fostering a transparent, interactive consumer loyalty will be the ‘WIN-WIN’ strategy for the year to come! Asif Upadhye, Director and The Dark Knight at <a href="http://www.sprd.co.in/">SPRD</a> If 2020 and 2021 have taught us anything, it’s that moving forward at a snail’s pace is undoubtedly the quickest way to get left behind. While pre-pandemic, the public relations and communications industry was already making significant strides in technology by analyzing data to craft a better customer experience, the pace of digital adoption and the advent of a digital-first PR approach have been accelerated. From my own experience, a key ingredient across PR strategies, content marketing, corporate communications, and media coverage that will rule the PR roost in 2022 is the crucial need to customize bespoke services and products, every step of the way. From unified communications (UC) that are employee-centric to personalizing media pitches, customization sits at the heart of nearly every PR and communications trend. Customers are growing tired of the ‘media universe’ and now look for frameworks based on behavioral and business insights that truly put their needs front and center. Eventually, this is what will separate the mediocre brands from the greats. Case in point, the State of PR 2021 report points to the fact that flexibility, agility and attention to detail when it comes to personalizing something as simple as a pitch email is 96% more likely to grab a journalist’s eyeballs, rather than sending out a generic email blast. While consumer habits and employee working patterns that have been developed over the past year and a half are likely to continue well into 2022, hyper-personalization will bear fruit and result in more contextualized communication and inevitably greater conversions.” <keyword id="10618036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tarunjeet-rattan" source="Orion">Tarunjeet Rattan</keyword>, Managing Partner, <keyword id="12776690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nucleus-pr" source="Orion">Nucleus PR</keyword> There are three very distinct trends that we will see in the coming year: <ul><li>While the models of working and mediums will undergo a change, what will remain strong is the need for strong storytelling. What will change however is the degree of authenticity in storytelling. It will take a hard turn towards stark reality …almost raw. Consumers want to know why the brand matters, why they should care about it and what is the brand impact? How are you adding value to the life of the consumer? Authentic storytelling will win over aesthetics.</li><li>The role of the founding or leadership team will become even more crucial. One cannot hide behind a faceless brand persona or logo anymore. You will have to put yourself out there to create a strong, credible and believable story about your brand that brings out its authenticity. This also brings in a lot more accountability that brands will have to guard their reputation on. Consumers want to pick up brands that walk the talk. You cannot be a CEO that promotes mental health and fire your agency on twitter. You cannot be talking about environmental sustainability and create a toxic work culture for humans. It just won’t fly anymore.</li><li>Community Building will take Center Stage. We saw a strong glimpse of this across 2020 and 2021. This will gain more ground in the coming year where communities around a brand vision will be created and drive conversation around a challenge.</li></ul>Sonam Shah, Founder and CEO, Treize Communications 2021 saw high demand in PR, especially in the area of influencer marketing. Brands, big and small, capitalised on this rising trend in the first half of the year. But, once the ASCI guidelines came into place from June 2021, there was a downward slip observed in the engagement. Instagram algorithms underwent a great uphaul as influencers had to win against AI algorithms. This phase again got brands and companies to focus on creating news and building brand recall. While demand has been high for PR, there have been some apprehensions also noticed when it comes to being out in the open/media. The second half of this year, saw print media come back, as newspaper circulation started, and people started reading it like before. This behavioural change instigated a need to be present in Print media, via editorial articles, and this will be the biggest trend in 2022. The need to present in Print media. Print media has always been a factor in bringing in trust and authenticity and clients do require to build that kind of strong trust within their stakeholders to continue businesses in a post-pandemic phase.

Trends that will dominate the PR industry in 2022

<ul><li>The <keyword id="8902449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-pandemic">COVID-19 pandemic</keyword> and <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> has brought about a sea change in how the world functions. It is also changing the way people consume.</li><li>New rules of surviving and thriving in these uncertain times are being written everyday‌.</li><li><keyword id="1645388" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vivek-Pandey">Vivek Pandey</keyword>, VP - Revenue Strategy &amp; Analytics, <keyword id="51757" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="TIMES-INTERNET">Times Internet</keyword> writes about some tips for marketers to come out of this current crisis victorious.</li></ul> The‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌has‌ ‌fundamentally‌ ‌transformed‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌as‌ ‌we‌ ‌know‌ ‌it.‌ ‌Consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌living,‌ ‌shopping,‌ ‌thinking‌ ‌and‌ ‌interacting‌ ‌with‌ ‌each‌ ‌other‌ ‌in‌ ‌new‌ ‌ways.‌ ‌Similarly,‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌looking‌ ‌at‌ ‌products‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌services‌ ‌from‌ ‌brands‌ ‌through‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌lens‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌well.‌ ‌ While‌ ‌the‌ ‌CoronaVirus‌ ‌is‌ ‌reshaping‌ ‌the‌ ‌global‌ ‌advertising‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌industry,‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌rapidly‌ ‌accelerating‌ ‌long-term‌ ‌underlying‌ ‌industry‌ ‌trends‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌matter‌ ‌of‌ ‌weeks‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌outbreak.‌ ‌These‌ ‌new‌ ‌aspects‌ ‌of‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌behavior‌ ‌will‌ ‌live‌ ‌beyond‌ ‌the‌ ‌immediate‌ ‌effects‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌and‌ ‌not‌ ‌only‌ ‌permanently‌ ‌change‌ ‌what‌ ‌we‌ ‌value,‌ ‌it‌ ‌will‌ ‌also‌ ‌affect‌ ‌everything‌ ‌from‌ ‌how‌ ‌and‌ ‌where‌ ‌we‌ ‌shop,‌ ‌how‌ ‌we‌ ‌live‌ ‌and‌ ‌work.‌ ‌ As‌ ‌a‌ ‌marketer‌ ‌who‌ ‌is‌ ‌seeing‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌evolve,‌ ‌it's‌ ‌crucial‌ ‌to‌ ‌explore‌ ‌the‌ ‌challenges‌ ‌happening‌ ‌right‌ ‌now‌ ‌so‌ ‌we‌ ‌can‌ ‌consider‌ ‌what‌ ‌your‌ ‌brand‌ ‌can‌ ‌do‌ ‌to‌ ‌prepare‌ ‌for‌ ‌what’s‌ ‌next.‌ Here‌ ‌are‌ ‌some‌ ‌dos‌ ‌and‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌of‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌current‌ ‌crisis:‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌get‌ ‌to‌ ‌know‌ ‌your‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌ Most‌ ‌people‌ ‌around‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌are‌ ‌deeply‌ ‌concerned‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌impact‌ ‌of‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌on‌ ‌our‌ ‌lives‌ ‌and‌ ‌livelihoods.‌ ‌They‌ ‌are‌ ‌responding‌ ‌in‌ ‌various‌ ‌ways‌ ‌and‌ ‌have‌ ‌adopted‌ ‌new‌ ‌attitudes,‌ ‌behaviors‌ ‌and‌ ‌purchasing‌ ‌habits‌ ‌as‌ ‌they‌ ‌stay‌ ‌home.‌ ‌As‌ ‌people‌ ‌are‌ ‌adapting‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌normal,‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌fearful‌ ‌position‌ ‌of‌ ‌contemplating‌ ‌what‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌means‌ ‌for‌ ‌them,‌ ‌but‌ ‌more‌ ‌importantly,‌ ‌what‌ ‌it‌ ‌means‌ ‌for‌ ‌their‌ ‌families‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌friends,‌ ‌and‌ ‌society‌ ‌at‌ ‌large.‌ ‌ Your‌ ‌brand’s‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌also‌ ‌responding‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌wide‌ ‌variety‌ ‌of‌ ‌ways.‌ ‌Some‌ ‌are‌ feeling‌ ‌anxious‌ ‌and‌ ‌worried,‌ ‌some‌ ‌must‌ ‌be‌ ‌panic-buying‌ ‌staples‌ ‌and‌ ‌hygiene‌ ‌products‌ ‌and‌ ‌so‌ ‌on.‌ ‌Similarly,‌ ‌some‌ ‌pockets‌ ‌of‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌may‌ ‌remain‌ ‌indifferent‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌and‌ ‌are‌ ‌continuing‌ ‌to‌ ‌live‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives‌ ‌at‌ ‌home‌ ‌as‌ ‌usual.‌ ‌The‌ ‌days‌ ‌of‌ ‌one-size-fits-all‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌are‌ ‌over.‌ ‌Companies‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌understand‌ ‌how‌ ‌their‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌reacting‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌and‌ ‌ develop‌ ‌customized‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌for‌ ‌each‌ ‌of‌ ‌these‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌segments.‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌stay‌ ‌authentic‌ ‌in‌ ‌communication‌ ‌ Authenticity‌ ‌is‌ ‌crucial‌ ‌to‌ ‌create‌ ‌strong‌ ‌bonds‌ ‌with‌ ‌customers,‌ ‌especially‌ ‌during‌ ‌a‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌when‌ ‌you’d‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌insert‌ ‌your‌ ‌brand‌ ‌into‌ ‌daily‌ ‌conversations.‌ ‌According‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌‌Kantar‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌barometer‌ ‌report‌,‌ ‌64%‌ ‌of‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌want‌ ‌brands‌ ‌to‌ ‌communicate‌ ‌their‌ ‌values‌ ‌through‌ ‌their‌ ‌messaging.‌ ‌Advertisers‌ ‌who‌ ‌are‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌remain‌ ‌true‌ ‌to‌ ‌their‌ ‌brand‌ ‌and‌ ‌values‌ ‌will‌ ‌gain‌ ‌brand‌ ‌equity.‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌re-assess‌ ‌your‌ ‌post-pandemic‌ ‌media‌ ‌mix‌ ‌ Staying‌ ‌at‌ ‌home‌ ‌is‌ ‌affecting‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌people‌ ‌are‌ ‌consuming‌ ‌online‌ ‌and‌ ‌offline‌ ‌media‌ ‌around‌ ‌the‌ ‌world.‌ ‌Coupled‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌shift‌ ‌in‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌behavior,‌ ‌certain‌ ‌segments‌ ‌like‌ ‌connected‌ ‌TV,‌ ‌desktop‌ ‌video‌ ‌and‌ ‌mobile‌ ‌video‌ ‌may‌ ‌see‌ ‌surges‌ ‌during‌ ‌weekdays,‌ ‌while‌ ‌certain‌ ‌platforms‌ ‌may‌ ‌see‌ ‌a‌ ‌flat‌ ‌line.‌ ‌ In‌ ‌these‌ ‌uncertain‌ ‌times,‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌also‌ ‌leaning‌ ‌towards‌ ‌premium‌ ‌media‌ ‌like‌ ‌The‌ ‌Times‌ ‌Of‌ ‌India‌ ‌Online,‌ ‌Economic‌ ‌Times‌ ‌Online‌ ‌among‌ ‌others‌ ‌as‌ ‌they‌ ‌need‌ ‌trustworthy‌ ‌sources‌ ‌for‌ ‌news‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌information‌ ‌to‌ ‌stay‌ ‌connected‌ ‌over‌ ‌random‌ ‌user-generated‌ ‌content‌ ‌(UGC).‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌essential‌ ‌takeaway‌ ‌as‌ ‌you‌ ‌plan‌ ‌your‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌mix‌ ‌during‌ ‌this‌ ‌time.‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌re-look‌ ‌at‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌segmentation‌ ‌ In‌ ‌times‌ ‌of‌ ‌such‌ ‌crisis,‌ ‌customer‌ ‌attunement‌ ‌is‌ ‌crucial.‌ ‌If‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌broad‌ ‌customer‌ ‌base‌ ‌today,‌ ‌brainstorm‌ ‌about‌ ‌ways‌ ‌to‌ ‌segment‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌into‌ ‌further‌ ‌segments‌ ‌based‌ ‌on‌ ‌their‌ ‌behavior,‌ ‌demographics,‌ ‌psychographics‌ ‌so‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌reach‌ ‌the‌ ‌right‌ ‌person‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌right‌ ‌time‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌correct‌ ‌messaging.‌ ‌ Closely‌ ‌monitor‌ ‌your‌ ‌own‌ ‌online‌ ‌platform’s‌ ‌web‌ ‌analytics‌ ‌and‌ ‌make‌ ‌a‌ ‌note‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌metrics‌ ‌that‌ ‌have‌ ‌shifted‌ ‌in‌ ‌terms‌ ‌of‌ ‌customer‌ ‌behavior.‌ ‌Once‌ ‌you‌ ‌segment‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌in‌ ‌terms‌ ‌of‌ ‌these‌ ‌shifts,‌ ‌adapt‌ ‌your‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌strategy,‌ ‌messaging‌ ‌and‌ ‌landing‌ ‌pages‌ ‌to‌ ‌provide‌ ‌the‌ ‌information‌ ‌customers‌ ‌are‌ ‌looking‌ ‌for,‌ ‌clearly‌ ‌and‌ ‌readily,‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌better‌ ‌customer‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌ DON’T‌ ‌assume‌ ‌pre-pandemic‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌behavior‌ ‌ The‌ ‌standard‌ ‌media‌ ‌consumption‌ ‌patterns‌ ‌are‌ ‌transforming‌ ‌rapidly‌ ‌with‌ ‌box‌ ‌office‌ ‌closures,‌ ‌work-from-home‌ ‌guidelines‌ ‌and‌ ‌cancellations‌ ‌of‌ ‌sports‌ ‌leagues.‌ ‌This‌ ‌has‌ ‌obviously‌ ‌impacted‌ ‌the‌ ‌media‌ ‌consumption‌ ‌cycle.‌ ‌ Similarly,‌ ‌some‌ ‌brands‌ ‌are‌ ‌limiting‌ ‌their‌ ‌online‌ ‌presence‌ ‌from‌ ‌appearing‌ ‌on‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌related‌ ‌content.‌ ‌However,‌ ‌given‌ ‌the‌ ‌significant‌ ‌mindshare‌ ‌and‌ ‌unprecedented‌ ‌amount‌ ‌of‌ ‌media‌ ‌attention‌ ‌that‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌has‌ ‌rightfully‌ ‌garnered,‌ ‌blocking‌ ‌a‌ ‌brand’s‌ ‌ads‌ ‌on‌ ‌this‌ ‌content‌ ‌may‌ ‌lead‌ ‌to‌ ‌an‌ ‌inability‌ ‌to‌ ‌connect‌ ‌with‌ ‌potential‌ ‌audiences.‌ ‌ ‌ DON’T‌ ‌share‌ ‌insensitive‌ ‌or‌ ‌misleading‌ ‌content‌ ‌ The‌ ‌role‌ ‌of‌ ‌tone‌ ‌and‌ ‌messaging‌ ‌was‌ ‌backed‌ ‌up‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Kantar‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌barometer‌ ‌report,‌ ‌which‌ ‌reported‌ ‌that‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌70%‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌believe‌ ‌that‌ ‌brands‌ ‌should‌ ‌not‌ ‌exploit‌ ‌the‌ ‌situation‌ ‌to‌ ‌promote‌ ‌their‌ ‌brand.‌ ‌ While‌ ‌putting‌ ‌out‌ ‌an‌ ‌ad‌ ‌it's‌ ‌important‌ ‌to‌ ‌ask‌ ‌if‌ ‌the‌ ‌messaging‌ ‌is‌ ‌insensitive‌ ‌or‌ ‌may‌ ‌induce‌ ‌widespread‌ ‌panic.‌ ‌A‌ ‌good‌ ‌idea‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌test‌ ‌potential‌ ‌ads‌ ‌and‌ ‌get‌ ‌feedback‌ ‌from‌ ‌potential‌ ‌customers‌ ‌before‌ ‌putting‌ ‌it‌ ‌out.‌ ‌

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Trends that will dominate the PR industry in 2022

Karuna Sharma

The‌ ‌Dos‌ ‌and‌ ‌Don’ts‌ ‌of‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌during‌ ‌a‌ pandemic‌

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