Guest Speak

PR Gets Local: Gujarat Shows the Way

An automobile company in Gujarat wants to have their CSR initiatives published in the particular  Taluka edition page in a vernacular newspaper.

A manufacturing giant wants to instill pride in the people of the city where they have huge operations.

An FMCG company is driving a campaign on FM with a focus on the key identities of that particular  city that align with the brand’s messaging.

These are just a few examples of how PR, considered to be institutionalized, has now penetrated deep  as organisations have realised the power of connect at the ground-level. The newspaper ads and OOH  branding are not going anywhere as they are essential tools to register presence but at the same time  the hyper-local approach is getting the companies to build connections with the people or as we say TG  (Target Group).

To understand that, let us roll back in time.

Pre-2000s, PR in Gujarat meant ‘Press Note’. It was a relationship-based field, where local  representatives of ad agencies, associated with companies, would ensure coverage in regional dailies. With the industrial expansion, urbanisation and beginning of “Vibrant Gujarat” summits in early 2000s,  big PR agencies started setting up shops in Ahmedabad along with large companies introducing  corporate communications functions in their set-up. PR became a strategic tool for major industrial announcements, IPOs & brand launches and corporate crises in Gujarat. This was evident in how  Gujarat’s corporate houses began to be featured in national stories, and their views began to matter.

The emergence of Gujarat as a major destination for infrastructure, petrochemicals, ports, renewable  energy, and automobiles has been instrumental in shaping the professionalism in communications in  the state.

Mid-2010s, with the rise of Gujarat as a “Start-Up Hub”, a change began to take shape. The young  generation in family-run businesses and the companies in the space of Edtech, Fintech, ecommerce  created a demand for PR that went beyond newspapers. The agencies focused on brand storytelling,  founder/promoter positioning, digital authority and so on.

The growth of PR agencies shows the maturity they have achieved over the years. It is credited to their  understanding of local concerns, community and deep dive into data coupled with the age-old dependent  formula of relationship building. This is also evident from the fact that there has been a steady rise in  creative agencies in Ahmedabad who are not only doing local storytelling but managing national level  accounts.

At a national level, the Indian PR industry reached ₹2,500 crore in 2023, growing at 19% year-on-year,  significantly faster than advertising. Importantly, regional markets and local storytelling were  identified as key growth drivers, with 88% of communication leaders emphasising the importance of cultural and regional nuance. Gujarat has mirrored this trend strongly, aided by its vibrant regional  media ecosystem and business-friendly environment. 

Another notable shift in Gujarat has been the integration of PR with CSR, ESG, and public affairs— particularly in industrial belts such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Bharuch, Jamnagar, and Hazira. Gujarat was the second-largest recipient of CSR funds in India in FY2022-23, signalling how deeply  corporate engagement and public perception are intertwined in the state.

One of the key drivers of the success of Gujarat’s PR agencies has been their understanding of local  nuances and their hyper-local approach. A company facing stiff opposition from locals to set-up a new  plant or a diversified business family which has been on the wrong side of news or a school founder  embroiled in a controversy, were able to turn the tide thanks to the deep-rooted understanding of the  PR agencies and their strategy of positioning the stories in the right space at the right time. The press  meets are still a go-to feature but not the only tool now.

With digital/social media as engines of hyper-local PR, the agencies are using data, human intelligence,  and understanding of geography to strengthen the local presence of their clients as well as getting  mentions at national level.

The landscape of PR in Gujarat has transitioned from basic press-release distribution to data-driven  sophisticated industry. The communication needs have evolved from “visibility” to “reputation  management” as the businesses in cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot expand globally.  PR in Gujarat is no longer just about the “Big Story” in morning daily; It is now about the “Right Story”  reaching the right audience through the right medium.

NOTE: The views expressed are the author’s own and not those of the organisation.