Inspiring Women Every Wednesday: Prema Sagar

Let’s Get Inspired

I haven’t noticed these things. I can tell you w

Prema hasn’t just spearheaded the firm, she has also given the Indian public relations and communications industry some of its firsts—first to develop proprietary tools for reputation management, the first to create and put into practice service quality measurement, first to use technology in our industry, and more recently, first to develop the one-of-its-kind Live! Newsroom.

Always one to foster collaboration, Prema is the Founder-President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) and the President and Founding Member of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI). Prema is recognized as an industry leader and has been awarded and appreciated for her efforts on many platforms.

Inspired by Mother Teresa, Prema established Genesis Foundation, a trust created to facilitate medical treatment for critically ill, under-privileged children with congenital heart defects.

ho I am inspired by, and that is Mother Teresa. Her compassion, her simplicity, and her willpower are what I have always tried to incorporate in my worldview.

In Conversation with Prema Sagar – Preeti Juneja

Q. You inspire us. People not only observe you, listen to you, or take instructions, but they are trying to be you or like you. Has it ever happened? What was it like?

I haven’t noticed these things. I can tell you who I am inspired by, and that is Mother Teresa. Her compassion, her simplicity, and her willpower are what I have always tried to incorporate in my worldview.

Q. It is easier to advise than to face it yourself. Any situation in life (professional or personal) where you felt helpless despite all the knowledge, network, and position? How did you cope?

Losing our son shortly after birth was something that left me paralysed for a long time. There was nothing we could have done, nothing that could have saved him. When we did emerge from the shock of losing him, we vowed to do everything in our power to not let other parents feel that helplessness. And that is what led to us creating Genesis Foundation.

Q. In India, people speak regional languages other than English. Have you faced cultural and linguistic differences as a barrier in your profession? Say, meeting a journalist of a regional paper. How did you ensure that communication is not misleading and that you are being understood for the right reasons?

We have always had a strong network of affiliates who have helped with extending our reach, both in terms of geography and linguistic differences. It is best to entrust this to the experts. On a personal and lighter note, given that my mother’s Swiss lineage is evident in my looks, many people have thought that I am a ‘foreigner’ and tried to speak in Hindi thinking I don’t understand it. You can imagine the look on their faces when I responded to them in Hindi.

Q. There is no age for retirement. Age is just a number. Do you believe in this? If you have to advocate a policy of “no retirement,” where people could work in the public sector till they wish, what would you do to enable it? What will be your concerns then?

One of the people I have always idolized is Harold Burson, a legend in the public relations industry and the co-founder of Burson-Marsteller (now BCW). Well into his 90s, he would continue to come to office every week and people around him would be just as awestruck as in his heydays. The point I am trying to make is that retirement means different things to different people. For some, it means not going to an office and working every day, to others, it means taking up a hobby and just soaking up the sun. Also, not every industry can support people working till late. I think, depending on what you do and what you can do, as long as you can serve a purpose, in whatever capacity, you should continue to contribute. However, workplaces also need to adhere to structure and governance, and they can’t just continue to expand their workforce. So there has to be a right balance between the organisation’s needs and the individual’s contribution.

Prema Sagar with Harold Burson

Q. Is “storytelling” a positive phrase? Is it synonymous with “telling a story” or “making a story”? If storytelling is positive, then what about a storyteller? Does it change meaning?

Today, storytelling is definitely a positive phrase. It is really about telling a story. Stories humanize information and make it relatable. A storyteller’s job is to not just string pretty phrases but to help deliver a message in a way that makes it not just easy for the target audience to understand but persuasive enough to make them think differently, feel deeply and act urgently.

On The Changing Digital Landscape

The thing to understand about public relations is that it is the only marketing discipline that touches multiple stakeholders. While it’s true that social media touches pretty much everyone, different stakeholders trust different sources of information. While a consumer might trust blogs and influencers, someone in the government may need a more in-depth interaction with experts and think tanks. So each leg of communications has a role to play.

Q. Inspiring stories such as Sunday features are getting less media space, and more Twitter trends and authored articles are being published in print media. The organic search for “best doctor in the city” is difficult when hospitals and private clinics pay for SEO and SEM services to promote themselves. According to you, is this a good thing to happen?

Democratising information is always good. But there have to be checks and balances. Regulatory bodies like ASCI have taken note of people manipulating information and have put in place certain guidelines to be followed. With AI, this is an even bigger fear. But along with these developments, there is also progress happening in figuring out ways to stop things from getting out of hand.

Q. As they say, never stop learning, as life never stops teaching. Do you wake up to new ideas and new plans, some voice inside you that tells you to keep going and keep working to make it happen? Does it change in your fully awake state or stay until it gets done?

I do have a voice inside that keeps me going and thinking of new things. But I am also enjoying taking a step back and letting others take over the more urgent business of business.

Rapid-Fire:

A successful collaboration that helped: When we joined hands with Burson-Marsteller (now BCW).
Smartness in a person is: Knowing when to talk and knowing when not to talk.
Take a walk alone or walk with someone? With my husband
A compliment you get to hear a lot: That I have started to look like my mother
A good sleep is when: I know I have done everything in my power to support those I can

One-Liners:

Public relations is: Communication that moves you to act
For me, zero tolerance is: For violation of ethics
A daily ritual that has done me good is: Listening to music every day, it energises me.
One book everyone must read: Harold Burson’s The Business of Persuasion

About Author

Prema Sagar

Prema leads BCW in India as the Chairperson of the BCW India Group, which was formed by integrating Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW. Supported by the BCW India Board, Prema drives the India strategy for the Group, guiding the leadership in implementing it.

An entrepreneur, an ideas person, a pioneer and a passionately creative person, Prema has led Genesis BCW since she founded it over 30 years ago. Genesis BCW has since then been pushing boundaries and moving people using curiosity, vision, drive and integrity, to invent new and integrated communications products and services to meet evolving client needs.