Equations : Integrated Communication Firm Engaged In Public Relations, Brand Strategy, Digital Marketing and Event Management

Equations, founded in December 2014 by Priyanka Bhatt, a young entrepreneur and a young turk in the communications and PR field having an experience of more than seven years with varied big and mid-scale clients.

Equations PR & Media is into the business of Public Relations, reputation management, brand strategy and consultancy, event management.

The startup service clients across an array of sectors including Education, IT and Technology, Retail and FMCG, eCommerce and start-ups, fashion and Lifestyle, real estate and corporate.

Some of the esteemed brands handled by the company are IIT Roorkee, Kangaroo Kids and Billabong High International School, Sealed Air Corporation, Pocket Aces Pictures, KOOH Sports, White Unicorn Ventures, Nahar Group etc.

Chitrakshi Suneja Interacts With Priyanka Bhatt, Founder, Equations And Spoke to Her

Idea Generation

It was a leap of faith that I took at a young age of 24 when I partnered and started heading a boutique PR company based in Mumbai. I gave birth to that company and in a short span of time I realized my true potential. It was a cushy and a high-paying comfortable job where I was not only a Managing Partner, but was also privileged to be in a new business development role at a very young age.

I considered the company as my own - right from designing the logo, to the website, to getting new clients under the umbrella company. I made a few connections but at the end of the day it was still a 9 to 6 job, so maybe the effort was not enough to nurture it. That time I realized, what I could achieve, what I was capable of and I was unstoppable thereafter.

I believe there is no right time and you have to realize your true potential, moreover dream big and chase your dreams. Just take the leap of faith with a never say die attitude, the rest of the puzzle will fall in place.

I wanted to break out of my comfort zone and explore a new world where I could create my own space and lead by example. I think being an entrepreneur, will make one think differently and learn to be bold at times, but I do believe entrepreneurship comes at a cost - A cost of sacrificing your family life, your social life and much more.

Each day, I challenge myself to do something bigger and better. I am self-motivated to wake up each day to look forward to go to work and conquer the world. Going to work every day no longer seems like a drag as I am living my own dream and not someone else’s. I truly believe in this saying: “If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to build theirs.”

I see myself leading a team of 40-member team in the next five years, having a plush office in India with branches in other cities. I want to live for the day when I can just travel the world, explore different cultures, meet new people as meeting people and sharing your experiences is the best learning one can get.

Description

The company has a Pan India network across more than 100 cities to provide the best PR solutions for clients. Prior to setting up Equations, the young dynamic entrepreneur has had cross-category exposure in servicing global and national brands such as Research In Motion (RIM), Serco Global, Cisco, Gartner, Bates 141, Tata Communications, Walt Disney, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Promart Retail, NXP Semiconductors, Zync Global amongst others.

Besides this, Equations has also partnered with Creative Inc – a company which is into full-fledged event management services, striving to create unparalleled event experiences. Creative Inc is the sister-concern of Equations and these two companies have come together to provide end-to-end solutions to clients across various domains. Creative Inc specializes in building IP’s, coordinating celebrities and talent on various corporate shows and awards functions, managing onstage and backstage coordination, etc.

The company is very strong with security and had managed large-scale brands like Femina, Pro-Kabaddi, (Puneri Paltans and Jaipur Pink Panthers), MTV Bollyland, Music Mirchi Awards, Life OK Screen Awards, Star Guild Awards. The company also worked with corporates like Aditya Birla Insurance, Megger India and many others.

“My guidance and a strong penchant for strategy is what keeps the team on its toes.” exclaimed Priyanka. Leading a passionate team, I dream of having a full-fledged communications agency consisting of various departments PR, crisis management, digital marketing, brand consultancy, research etc in the next 5-6 years.

Special Features

Equations is an integrated communication agency. With the shift to social media, and the changes this has brought to communications, Equations approach works to ensure our clients stand out with the DARE factor which is needed for success; DARE (Distinct- Authentic- Result-oriented- Engage) DARE provides a framework for our consulting and service offerings based on the four factors that determine the success of any communications program.

We are very strong in strategy and pay a lot of heed on research before we take on any new client. Data insights coupled with research has been our strength and we would like to include this for any new campaign that we work on.

Differentiation Factors

We often go beyond the client’s brief to deliver results, under-commit and over-deliver has always been our philosophy and clients quite appreciate that fact.
We focus a lot on data insights and research, which emanates from understanding the macro-environment, the competitors who are present in the ecosystem. We have an attention to detail and are proactive, passionate and an energetic bunch of individuals to deliver services par excellence for each of our clients. We stress a lot on digital PR as we believe this is going to be the next wave in India. With all companies now realizing the need of being seen on the digital platform, we at Equations see digital communications as an important aspect of our client’s strategy.

Moreover, I try to instill my vision in my team members and this will be the growth to success for the company.

Challenges Faced

Getting the right team in place is always a challenge for most start-ups and we continue to face the same. It is very important to get people on board who share the same vision as yours. Also, since we are a self-funded start-up, managing constant flow of income, running the show (paying bills, salaries, recruiting new team members etc) being a sole Proprietor of the company can be a daunting task.

Sometimes, clients don’t tend to take you seriously as you are leading a company at a very young age. Since I’ve had a rich experience of working with marquee clients across varied sectors, the exposure has given me enough confidence with the right knowledge to be seen as someone who can lead the company and take it to the next level.

A lot of times, educating the client in terms of what PR can do for you also became a challenge as the traditional, old-school clients still don’t know how PR can impact their bottom line.

Funding

I am proud of the fact that we are a self-funded start-up unlike others. At the moment, we don’t have any plans to get funded as I believe I can carve my own dream without any external funding.

Market Size & Opportunity

The Indian PR industry has the opportunity to offer integrated solutions because of an explosion in media. Even though PR is still at a nascent stage of growth, clients in India eventually look to their agencies for strategic communications, not simply for media relations, but also want to consider PR in board - room discussions. This is already happening. Large companies ask their agencies to help them understand how best to communicate their messages and present them in a context that is meaningful for clients, analysts, investors and journalists. Today, when we see an outburst of technology, companies do not wish only to go the traditional PR route but ask for more creative ideas and especially in the digital space. A PR agency is no longer looked at as only expert in media relations but is being seen as a unit that will provide the client with holistic communications solutions and consult the client on various communications issues ranging from marketing communications, below-the-line activities, brand reputation, crisis communication, digital marketing as well events and other services that help in building a brand.