-Responses to be attributed to Pavit Nanda Anand, Communication Lead-APAC, inDrive
The communication and PR industry is evolving rapidly, thanks to the advent of social media, emerging technology and influencer marketing. Today, brands and PR practitioners are more agile and creative to come up with innovative business solutions to maximise the customer experience.
Pavit Nanda Anand, Communication Lead – APAC, inDrive, recounts her journey in PR and Communications. She shares insights into inDrive’s communication strategy across diverse markets like India, Nepal, and the Philippines and its contribution in shaping business goals. She also enlists some notable campaigns she has worked on at inDrive, the challenges faced while finetuning PR strategies for such a culturally diverse region, and her goals for inDrive’s communication efforts.
Take us through your journey in PR and Communications.
I am currently working as the Asia Pacific Communication Lead for inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform headquartered in the US. I come with over 15 years of experience working with brands across sectors.
In my current role, I lead the communication and PR mandate for all the countries in the Asia Pacific region. I am mandated to formulate the overall communication strategy, relationship management, and partnerships in line with the inDrive communications strategy.
I have been with inDrive since its inception in India in 2018 and have had the privilege of launching it across India, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Talking specifically about India, from crisis management to external communication to planning and executing PR campaigns, I have been doing it all strategically, single-handedly.
How do you finetune inDrive’s communication strategy across diverse markets?
One-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in communication and the global communication strategy has to be tailored to meet the requirements of each market. For instance, in India, we are using vernacular languages like Hindi, Punjabi , Bengali, etc., and engage with local influencers to connect with our target audience. In Nepal and Pakistan also, it is important to engage with local influencers and local people. However, a common objective is customer centricity, which is at the heart of everything we do.
Our campaign, ‘Ab App ki nahi, aap ki chalegi’, reaffirms the significance of putting our customers at the centre of our efforts.
What are most notable campaigns you’ve worked on at inDrive, and what impact did they have on the brand?
At inDrive, we are committed to challenging social injustice while impacting the lives of one billion people by 2030. The key highlight of my career has been the launch of Driving Naari, a campaign, which works towards empowering women to become professional drivers. Under my leadership, it was launched as a pilot project first, and we are now planning to expand it to multiple cities. The campaign was well received, garnering 100+ hits with 150+ million reach.
Another notable campaign was SafeDrive with inDrive, conducted across multiple cities in India to educate drivers on how to ensure their passengers’ safety and comfort. This was a Safety PR campaign through which we aimed to reach out to the driver communities and give them road safety training from the experts (traffic police and Maruti driving school). This was in addition to inDrive’s ongoing educational program for drivers, which reinforces their safety training and spans road safety and women’s safety, so that every choice users make with inDrive is safe and secure. The campaign garnered 200+ press hits with 200 million+ reach.
What role does communication play in differentiating inDrive in the global mobility sector, particularly as it diversifies into areas like intercity transportation, freight, and courier delivery?
Today, there are several players in the ride hailing industry. However, inDrive is dunique as we allow users to choose their ride, vehicle and driver instead of leaving it to the algorithm to determine these parameters. We are the second most downloaded ride-hailing app worldwide (based on Google Play and Appstore data) and have grown beyond just ride-hailing to offer solutions that enable the provision of honest and ethical services to communities worldwide.
Communication plays a significant role in showcasing our unique value proposition, amplifying our achievements and highlighting our plans and way forward.
Moreover, as we diversify into areas like intercity transportation, freight and courier delivery, our mission to ensure fair play and challenging injustice will be at the core of our values. Our communication efforts will be crucial to present our unifying objective as we scale rapidly and diversify our services.
We consider each vertical as a separate product and plan our key messages, PR campaigns accordingly while making sure it is aligned with the overall brand mission, vision and key message.
Who have been your key inspirations or mentors, and how have they influenced your approach to communication and leadership?
I have had the opportunity to work with some great colleagues in my past and current organisations, who have inspired me and helped me become what I am today. Most successful campaigns are the result of the collective efforts of the teammates.
My family’s values and cultural norms form the foundation of my leadership philosophy. One fact I have learned from one of my colleagues, and I genuinely try to abide by, is “Leadership isn’t just about managing tasks; it’s about guiding and empowering others to reach their full potential”.
What trends in PR and communications do you believe will shape the industry in the APAC region in the next few years?
The PR and communication landscape is evolving rapidly. Today, there are several brands vying for the limited attention span of customers. Hence, communication and PR will be the key to differentiating these brands from the competition. In the era of declining trust, a herculean challenge for brands is to foster meaningful and authentic connections with customers.
Technology has disrupted every industry, and PR being no exception. However, technology is an enabler; not an end in itself, enabling communication professionals to perform their duties effectively and efficiently. For instance, AI has changed how we perform, report, and measure public relations tasks. However, authenticity and the human touch will always be integral to communication efforts. In the age of consolidation of media platforms, a strategic mix of paid, owned and earned approach is the recommended way forward.
A notable trend is the role of vernacular media and the rise of micro-influencers, which help foster a deeper emotional connection with customers.
With brands increasingly investing in corporate social responsibility and giving back to society, authenticity will be crucial to ensure the effectiveness of communication efforts.
AI has also necessitated upskilling and staying abreast of recent trends for PR professionals.
What are your future goals for inDrive’s communication efforts, and what excites you most about the road ahead?
At inDrive, we are steadfastly committed to our mission of challenging injustice and empowering marginalised people and communities. Through inVision, we aim to impact the lives of one billion individuals by 2030. I am enthused by its vision of being a socially responsible company that invests in its people and empowers disadvantaged communities. As a communication professional, my goal will be to foster meaningful connections with our stakeholders, including users, government, investors and colleagues and ensure that my efforts translate into tangible business outcomes for the brand. As we scale rapidly, communication and PR will be integral to our mission of driving change in society and fostering connections with diverse audiences.