PUBLIC RELATIONS & BOLLYWOOD

Public Relations, or most commonly used ‘PR’, is a sustained, long term and an ongoing activity to create and maintain positive image of an individual, celebrity, political leader, organisation, corporate, state or even a country like INDIA, amongst its target audience. 

In case of Bollywood, PR takes an additional responsibility of managing the image of a film celebrity. The role of PR is to very cautiously craft the image of a film celebrity amongst its target audience. 

When celebrity’s image is tarnished because of their own actions or utterance in public, here PR plays the role of a crisis manager and does crisis management and damage control by reaching out to media with their version of the happening to get favourable media coverage or at least celebrity’s point of view across the target audience to maintain positive image of their client.

In Bollywood, not only the film celebrities are clients of PR practitioners, but filmmakers,  producers, directors, production houses, film studios, casting agencies etc also engage PR practitioners for promoting and maintaining their right image. PR employs different  tools for  image and perception management of their celebrity clients i.e. award functions, parties, film related events e.g.Music Launches, Film Premiers etc., product launches, public speaking opportunities, print media, electronic media. online media, blogs, social networking sites etc.  

The Bollywood have understood the power of PR in reaching out to the target publics, hence every film or TV serial maker or production house earmark a substantial amount for public relation activities to reach their target audience based on demographic and geographic groups. Amount is spent on getting favourable coverage of the film  or TV serial in the media. Beside this, amount is also spent on film premiers, meet and greet the actors at shopping malls, interviews of popular TV & Radio shows, promotion of a social cause or supporting fundraising events.

Bollywood also make effective use of PR tactics in promoting their films to get nominations for  international film awards.  You would agree with me that getting accolade for a film or a TV serial is also a result of well crafted PR campaign. 

Author Name: Suresh Gaur – PR Guru

World Record Holder, Doctor of Letters (HC) D. Litt. in PR, Certified Banker, Public Relations Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Author, Blogger, StoryTeller, Influencer.

The above article and the views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the stand and views of FNN News editorial in any manner.