Divika Jethmal

I have been in the same workplace for the last 12 years. In the whirlwind of PR agencies, with people constantly job-hopping, my 12 years at the same place might seem like an oddity. While people are chasing the next big raise or fancy title, I found myself asking a different question: how do we find work that offers not just a paycheck, but long-term fulfilment? The answer came down to my job’s alignment with the three core values that mattered most: Learning, making a Positive Impact, and having some Freedom in my work. Here's what I discovered on my journey to seek job fulfilment: 💡 Let your values be your guide It all starts with introspection. What are your core values? Identifying these core values is the key to unlocking work that feels meaningful, not just like a daily grind. For me, the dynamic project mix at my PR agency allowed me to constantly learn new things. But what truly resonated was the agency's focus on "Culture and Care." We weren't just promoting products; we are focused on supporting organisations that are shaping our world and leaving a positive footprint. 💡 Don’t get stuck in a rut. A job that never changes gets old fast. You need room to grow and develop your skills. This could be anything from tackling a complex project to attending workshops or finding a mentor who can guide you. I consider myself lucky. My boss, Yvonne Li, championed my growth. She encouraged me to try new projects and ways of working, even if they were uncharted territory for the agency. It was a constant learning environment, exactly what I craved and enjoyed. 💡Trust and empowerment can be the wind beneath your wings Feeling trusted and empowered makes all the difference. Look for a place that gives you some control over your work. It's not about flying solo, but finding a sweet spot between guidance and freedom. Here's where I am grateful towards Yvonne again. Her unwavering trust gave me the flexibility to thrive and truly own my career path. Five years ago, I even spearheaded a whole new focus area for the agency – and I haven't looked back since. 👷The truth is, the search for a fulfilling job is a never-ending journey. But by prioritising your core values, you can steer your career towards long-term satisfaction. And in my case, I've spent 12 years in the same agency, and still loving it. What about you? Have you reflected on your values and how your work aligns with them? #values #fulfilment #career 📸 Double the fun for the agency’s 13th anniversary! Last Fri, we celebrated with a family day in the office. Truly grateful for being here in the last 12 years.

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'Coverage' comes after 'content'. In the dictionary and in PR. When does 'relationship' appear? You're right. It appears after 'content' and 'coverage'. The mantra to receive great PR coverage and build strong media relationship is out in the open now. 👇 Offer great content to receive great coverage. Repeat this process to build strong media relationships. Don't know why people work against it. 🤷‍♂️ #PublicRelations #Marketing #StrategyVerse

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Completely agree with this. Recovery is a lot slower I think than agencies anticipated (especially in the tech sector) so looking at alternative strategies for growth is a must, even with the roots of growth showing.

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Systematic Investments in PR Measurement Sahi Hai (Systematic Investments in PR Measurement is the Right Choice) BRAND BALANCE & CommsAdda bring to you: #PRforPR Update 05: Ideal Metrics for PR Visibility/Output The #unit of #PRVisibility #measurement should be #realistic, #holistic and #balanced! More so, it should truly reflect your hard work. Bhaskar Majumdar Mrinall Dey (He/Him) Jyotsna Dash Nanda AMEC Measurement and Evaluation IPRA International Public Relations Association International Communications Consultancy Organisation Institute for Public Relations PRCAI ET BrandEquity Adgully Indiab #branderps #corporatebrandreputation #dataanalytics #brandmanagement

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Recently the PR mess originated by the series of outrageous remarks of a senior Baidu PR executive in Douyin aroused a tremendous backlash in Chinese social media. Her behaviors were unfathomable and generated many questions at first sight: Aren’t PR executives supposed to work behind the scene? How could she take the liberty to come to the centre stage instead? More importantly, the mandate of communication professionals is to help companies uphold their reputation. Why did she act in other way round?           Later there were news reports divulging that this female PR executive of Baidu has already established her own company in April. Its businesses are to sell FMCG, household appliances, telecommunications devices and garments online, i.e. via livestreaming selling. Logically people tend to think that she did this in order to grab Internet traffic for herself and her own company.         I could only say the entire incident is utterly lack of professional decency. It brings a dark day to the PR industry in China in which many stakeholders are being impacted. For instance, female PR professionals have been working very hard for decades to fight for respect and recognition they legitimately deserve. Such efforts are particularly important in the China market where female PR executives sometimes are being wrongly stereotyped with stained glasses. This Baidu PR lady has pushed her peers’ years of painstaking efforts backwards for miles and left them in tatters.             Baidu’s reputation also receives a big blow. But this incident begs a question: This senior PR leader has been with the company for quite a while and her idiosyncrasies are not formed in one day. This means the company should have known these for some time and decides not to do anything about it. What kind of signal in terms of the company’s corporate culture does this reflect?   Email: [email protected] WeChat: Edwinparadigm

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One topic that plagues the entire PR industry but people don't talk about it as much. 👇 'Is the PR partner alone responsible for monthly deliverables?' Before you answer, let me set the conditions. - The client won't give adequate information to cull out stories - The client won't be available for interviews when the journalist wants - The client won't answer all questions the journalist asks - The client would only count the stories in Tier 1 media as delivery - The client may only consider Page 1s as delivery The floor is open for views. Share yours in the comments section. #PublicRelations #ClientRelations #StrategyVerse

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Where does the #publicrelations industry in #Asia and beyond move towards? Who are the movers and shakers? What are the latest trends? #PR is certainly not dead at all! Great conversation with communications expert and industry veteran Robert Pickard, OG. Onwards and upwards! #growth #asiapacific #integrated #corporatecommunications #reputationmanagement #value

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I had the privilege of speaking on a panel today at the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management World PR Forum in Bali, alongside esteemed colleagues, to discuss the evolving role of public relations in advancing global sustainability. Here are a few highlights from my contributions: - The role of PR has evolved - it is now a gateway to change. Today, we are not just storytellers—we are agents of change, driving positive social and environmental transformation. - To truly support sustainability, we must communicate honestly and responsibly, back up environmental claims with verifiable evidence and affirm messages with meaningful action. - Greenwashing is more than just misleading - it can be harmful. Beyond reputational damage, loss of trust, and financial penalties, greenwashing jeopardises genuine climate actions and hinders environmental progress. #SustainabilityCommunications #PRForChange #Greenwashing #GlobalSustainability #ResponsibleCommunication #earthmaverick Noella M. @Kristy Nelman and moderator T. Marlene Danusutedjo, IAPR

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It has not been an easy year , by any measure, for Asia-Pacific PR firms — so it's worth shouting out: 😇 The agencies that put their heads above the parapet and spoke to us honestly about their performance, warts and all, in this year's Agencies of the Year competition. 🏅All of the firms that were subsequently shortlisted across the 14 Geographic and Specialist categories. The best firms, surely, prove their mettle under challenging conditions, and it seems unlikely that many have experienced a more testing period than the past 12 months. Full analysis of the 52 shortlisted firms can be found at the link below, the result once again of an extensive research process that is either a labour of love, or a love of labour 😍 🔬 Our Agencies of the Year competition might be best known for the baubles it bestows at the annual SABRE Awards ceremonies, but I often view the process as an invaluable means of taking the current temperature of the various regional PR industries that we cover. So I'll be back soon with further analysis of the key trends that have emerged from the research. A big thank you to everyone that participated this year. I'll see you at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Summit & SABRE Awards in Singapore on 19 September. Get your tickets soon!

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Quite the week for PR and Marketing, as the PR Head of Baidu insists her staff are available 24 hours a day to handle PR crises like those created by, er, her own inflammatory social media posts. Meanwhile, Apple's in-house creatives infuriated pretty much the entire artistic community that buys its software and hardware in an ad that crushed nothing but its own credibility. For these reasons and many others, consider using an agency next time you have things to say ;) #PR #marketing #advertising #corporatecommunications #agency #bestpractice

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📣 Calling all Asia-Pacific in-house communicators! Please participate in the 2024 Comms Index, which will benchmark and examine key data impacting the investment plans, AI/tech engagement and strategic priorities of in-house communications directors in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors is partnering with Ruder Finn Asia, PRovoke Media and the Institute for Public Relations on the fourth edition of the survey, which has been significantly reshaped to help in-house communicators better navigate the fast-changing demands of the critical role. This year's questions focus on such areas as priorities and planning, investment plans, compensation, agency support and AI/tech engagement. 🔗 The 15-minute survey can be accessed at the link below, but is only open to in-house communications executives in the Asia-Pacific region. Survey results will be published via APACD, PRovoke Media and IPR and also shared with members via a panel discussion at PRovoke's Asia-Pacific Summit later this year. The deadline to take the survey is 5 August 2024. Previous CommsIndex editions have uncovered a wealth of data about budgets, staffing, agency effectiveness and career plans- https://lnkd.in/dpsN5tsm Keith Morrison Elan Shou Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR Charles Lankester 林啓達, Shruti Bose, Rachana Panda, Rimmi Harindran, Azmar Sukandar, Michael Chapnick, Sylvia Choe Evans, Linda Lee, Arnab Roy Choudhury

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We had an incredible time launching 🚀 the Weber Shandwick first-ever InfluAnswer Arabia report! Influencers, content creators, client partners, brand marketers, communications managers, media members, and other colleagues joined for the reveal of the insights and data 📊. The report provides a deeper understanding of the region’s dynamic influencer marketing landscape. #WorkAtWeber #PeopleFirst #WeberShandwickMENAT #InfluAnswerArabia #PR #Communications #InfluencerMarketing #ContentCreation

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Hidden ROI: Showing the value of PR and Earned Media As marketers, one of the toughest challenges is convincing leadership to justify PR. Why? Because it’s tough to measure trust 🤝. But just because it’s hard to measure doesn’t make it less powerful in driving purchasing decisions. While marketing channels with easy-to-measure ROI are tempting 📊, you need both reach and trust to raise awareness and convince people to buy. Investing solely in paid media is sending your brand to a party to strike up conversations about itself. There should be others at the party talking about your brand. The next time you’re having the “should we do PR” conversation with leadership, try this: 1️⃣ Have them do an internet search for a gift for a loved one (something in a category they might know little about, like golf clubs or guitars). 2️⃣ Give them an average budget and 10 minutes to research until they land on a specific product ⏳.  3️⃣ Stand behind them with your phone📱and record their entire research process to see everything they interacted with before finalizing their choice.  4️⃣ Review the video together and discuss which interactions were likely earned media 📝.  5️⃣ Ask: Would their final choice have been the same without those earned media moments? 🤔 While it’s not always a direct line to revenue, the impact on your brand’s reputation and purchase consideration is undeniable. 💥 Earned media will get your brand into conversations that are already happening and have others do the talking.💬 Picture this: If your brand isn’t there 🕳️, your competitors will be ✅ #Marketing #PR #EarnedMedia #Leadership

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Welcome to Thrive- an innovative way to find #Comms #PR talent founded by myself and Colette Brown. Launching today in Asia, it’s a brand-new way to find the talent you need for a fraction of the usual cost. Everyone is struggling to find the best PR and Comms talent and are increasingly looking for more cost-effective ways of doing so. When clients try directly, efforts through LinkedIn are painful, leading to long lists of inappropriate applicants, no time to sift to find the best, and no time to give every candidate the best possible experience. For applicants, it’s stories of being ghosted, no acknowledgement their application has been received and little to no communication. For an industry that’s all about people and communications, we wanted to address this. Thrive solves all of these problems. Combining Advisors with 25 years knowledge of the PR and Comms industry across the UK, Asia and the Middle East, and with a choice of service to meet any need starting from just HKD2,600 per month, Thrive can take the pain (and cost) away from your search for the best talent, while enhancing your employer brand. We’re so pleased to be unveiling Thrive today. So please, head over to meet us at www.wethrive.one or email us on [email protected] to start a Thrive journey.

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PR pro-tip: if you do NOT want to be known as someone else’s puppet, then refrain from telling people you are NOT that someone else’s puppet. When the inevitable media publicity comes, guess what impression is made in the public mind? This is a common misconception in communication, the assumption that named denials using the word NOT ‘X’ are somehow effective. More often than not, NOT denials ironically serve to spread and cement the opposite sentiment. https://lnkd.in/eh9DqpfU #leadershipcommunication #publicrelations #mediarelations #comms #pr

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Is Communication only PR? I’m frequently asked - hence clarifying. Communication is a strategic function, acting as all - ears, eyes, mind and arms & legs of an organisation. In simpler terms, we do- - Listening - Reputation Management - Marketing Communications - Branding - Employee Communications - Advocacy - Public Relations - Digital Media Outreach - Social Media Marketing - Media Relations - Lead Generation - Events & Collaborations - Content Management Best Part is that our attitude & skills , allow us to take on & adapt to newer streams of work quite effectively. #communications #advertisingandmarketing #marketing #pr #publicrelations #job #career #brand #publicrelations #digital #storytelling

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“As someone deeply invested in media and brand strategy at GrowthOps Asia, I've witnessed first-hand the critical need for transparency to evolve from a buzzword to a foundational business practice. This article sheds light on the complex layers and what it will genuinely take to cultivate an environment of trust and openness in our industry.” - Arshad Ahamed, Regional Director of Media and Brand Strategy Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gvkz9eNn #AdTech #TransparencyInAdvertising #DigitalMarketing #MediaStrategy #Innovation #BrandStrategy

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The new wave of #PR #measurement prioritizes impact over vanity metrics. A Media Impact Score considers journalist influence and publication weight, while a Relevance Index ensures message resonance. Rank Index (which is essentially how high your brand appears on search engine pages for terms people are searching for) tracks search engine positioning, and engagement metrics gauge audience response. Share of #Narrative #analysis reveals if your brand's story is cutting through the noise. This, coupled with user engagement, website traffic conversion, and #social listening, provides a holistic picture of PR's true value. Many thanks ADGULLY and Bijoya A Ghosh for taking up such a relevant topic! So it is important to know how we can integrate it for the right picture and strategize accordingly. Do share your views Aseem Sood Sumathi Chari Tarunjeet Rattan Charu Raizada Anup Sharma Bhaskar Majumdar Mrinall Dey (He/Him) Tilak Amitava Chowdhury Amit Arora https://lnkd.in/gMh6FDMW #PRMeasurement #Impact #Communications #StrategicCommunications

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I’ve shared previously that I made the leap from the agency world to the corporate sphere in 2018 because I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of PMI’s remarkable transformation. At the time, I was mainly focused on the chance to “unsmoke” the world—consigning cigarettes to the ash heap of history. What I didn’t anticipate is how quickly PMI would progress against its other goals as it works to have a net positive societal impact.   Case in point: Earlier this week, Forbes placed PMI in the no. 1 spot on its Net Zero Leaders ranking. This means it considers PMI the U.S. public company best positioned to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.   This is far from the first eco-recognition my employer has earned, but it really put PMI’s progress into perspective for me. The work we’re doing on what our CEO has called our “path to better” isn’t about PR and perceptions. It’s about numbers and facts. Dig deeper into the impact we’re having on the environment, our communities, and the lives of adults seeking a better alternative to continued cigarette use, and you’ll find we are genuine agents of change. In my role leading Corporate Citizenship at PMI U.S., I’ve been empowered to put what I think of as our “money and muscle” behind causes that matter deeply to us, including supporting military veterans, contributing to women’s empowerment and economic equity, and advancing smart solutions to community issues.   I’ll share more about those initiatives in the coming weeks. For now, I want to send a shout-out to our Chief Sustainability Officer, Jennifer Motles, and her entire team for getting us to this point. I encourage everyone to take a look at the Forbes list and their rationale for putting PMI at the top—including great insights from Jennifer about the competitive advantages that accrue from sustainability leadership. (link in comments)   I couldn’t be happier that I took that leap.   #sustainability #leadership #purpose

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