Marketers to Watch: A Dive Into Nepal's PR Industry with Sneha Shrestha
"Work takes on a new meaning when you feel you are pointed in the right direction. Otherwise, it's just a job, and life is too short for that". Although very cliched, this quote by Tim Cook is embodied by countless successful people. Similar is the story of Sneha Shrestha, Public Relations and Communications Senior Executive at Prisma Advertising, who has immersed into the PR industry of Nepal by representing the likes of The Coca-Cola Company.
Prior to Prisma Advertising, she worked in the Chaudhary Group as a Product Planning and Management Executive after completing her MBA from Stratford University, Delhi. Owing to a keen interest in the marketing periphery as well as her academic specialization in the same, she changed jobs and pursued her interest at Prisma Advertising. Initially setting her eyes on the creative aspect of marketing, she discovered a newfound passion for PR & Communications after recommendations from seniors. Currently, she is representing Coca-Cola Nepal as the Senior PR Executive.
Working in Nepal's PR Periphery
The PR industry requires one to foster a dynamic mindset. Shrestha stresses that a PR personnel requires oneself to be informed with daily updates about the brand as well as the media industry. With a plethora of online portals operating daily, it is a must that PR representatives keep updated with the news (good or bad) about brands. However, it is also a fact that Nepal's PR industry is in its nascent phase since many organizations do not include PR specializations in their organizational hierarchy. Directly or indirectly, every company faces the need to maintain PR whether they have designated employees for it or not. After all, it is all about telling a story about your brand to the public via media and building a positive image.
As dynamic as the industry is, it comes with a major challenge. PR representatives function as a bridge between brands and the public. Put differently, it involves understanding the client's expectations and conveying them via media platforms. Many times stressful moments exist because clients do not get what they are looking for. For instance, a brand looking to conduct an activation or event expecting something huge and PR representatives might deliver something simple considering factors like the budget. In such a situation, you must understand that servicing clients is the foremost obligation of a PR manager. As such, PR managers must understand the nature of clients, learn from feedback, communicate effectively and meet their expectations.
To overcome this challenge, fostering communication skills is the key. Verbal and written communication roles are a daily part of your PR job obligations. Essentially, you are speaking for the brand in the media. Ergo, any sort of compromise on communication skills is unacceptable in this industry.
Shrestha adds that an opportunity that can be filled in Nepal's PR industry is to foster and strengthen the ties between journalists and PR agents so that both parties can pool in and work together to take PR and communications to new heights.
Prospects of the PR Industry
Indeed, the PR industry of Nepal is in its budding stage and many companies have not inculcated the roles of PR personnel in their hierarchy. But, it is a fact that PR jobs have huge potential. If we look at the tech revolutions of recent years, many people have a lingering fear of their jobs being taken over by AI. PR roles simply cannot be competently fulfilled by AI. The job requires people to speak, write and communicate, and ultimately build relations with industry people. Thus, with the right set of communication skills and confidence, newcomers have a window of opportunities.
