In an age when brands can reach millions of people almost instantly, visibility is no longer a guarantee of influence. What matters is whether audiences believe what an organisation says, trust what it stands for and remain confident in it when things go wrong. That was the central argument made by Jo-ann Robertson, President Europe and Transatlantic Growth Leader at BPI Group, during her session on The Influence Imperative: Brand Leadership in an Uncertain World at PRAXIS India. “Reach didn’t die, it just became cheap,” Robertson said, challenging the communications industry's reliance on metrics such as impressions, awareness and engagement as indicators of influence. Her argument was that brands have become exceptionally good at measuring how many people see their messages, without necessarily understanding whether those messages change perceptions or build lasting relationships. “No brand actually has a right to exist,” Robertson told the aud

For Aloysius Goh, mediation is not merely a way to settle disputes. It is a disciplined process of rebuilding trust, enabling difficult conversations and making the possibility of peace feel credible. That, he suggested at PRAXIS India, is precisely why mediation has much to teach public relations professionals. Speaking on “Mediation as a Super Power in Public Relations”, Goh — founder and CEO of Singapore-based Sage Mediation — drew on his experience of handling nearly 1,000 mediations to explain how communicators can learn from the practice of conflict resolution. His central point was that reputation cannot be protected or repaired through messaging alone. It depends on whether organisations can create the conditions for honest dialogue, understand what is truly at stake and help restore trust between people. Goh’s interest in mediation grew out of a deeply personal experience. As a law student, he knew a fellow student who died by suicide after cl

Artificial intelligence can generate press releases, speeches and social media posts in seconds, but it cannot determine what audiences will find meaningful, credible or culturally relevant. That distinction, according to Joyce Lorigan, is pushing the communications profession beyond content production towards building trust and reputation. “AI isn't making communications less important. I think it's making reputation more important,” said Lorigan, Group Head – Corporate Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer at Springer Nature, during her keynote on Purpose with Accountability: Building Reputation Through Impact in the Age of AI at PRAXIS India. Her argument was straightforward: as AI makes content easier to produce, earning the trust of audiences becomes considerably harder. “Content is becoming really abundant, but trust is becoming scarce,” she said. “And scarce things become really valuable.” For communications professionals, th

Senior journalists have questioned whether government accreditation should determine who qualifies as a journalist. Their concerns follow the Apex Court’s observation on Thursday, October 15, that allowing every citizen to become a journalist could create problems. The court raised concerns about distinguishing professional journalists from influencers and reel-makers. Journalists, however, stressed that experienced independent practitioners should not be denied recognition or protection merely because they lack accreditation. They also called for accountability in digital journalism without allowing regulation to undermine press freedom. The debate follows submissions by senior advocate Indira Jaising before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. She told the court that Delhi Police did not recognise independent and freelance journalists covering anti-CEC protests in New Delhi. She said the police insisted on Press Information Burea