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Tag: Nikky Gupta

  • Teamwork Communications Group celebrates a milestone in communication and PR

    Teamwork Communications Group celebrates a milestone in communication and PR

    Mumbai: Teamwork Communications Group, on 12 December, celebrates its 14th anniversary, commemorating the foundation of the leading public relations agency. Established in 2009 with a healthcare-centric approach, the agency has evolved into a dynamic force, catering to diverse sectors such as edtech, fitness, FMCG, and hospitality. This year witnessed a noteworthy 100% increase in the company’s workfocrce and the addition of 75 new clients into their fold.

    Teamwork’s success story spans from securing the GSTN mandate during India’s transition to the Goods and Service Tax to serving industry giants like Hero Cycles, Bonn Group of Industries, and Apollo 24/7, consistently outshining others in the field. The agency now boasts a distinguished clientele that includes industry luminaries such as the Quality Council of India (QCI), Ministry of Jal Shakti (Government of India), Bikano group, FUJIFILM India, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, Ibis Hotels, Jindal Aluminum, APL Apollo Steel Tubes, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Career Launcher, and many more.

    Founded in 2009 by PR specialists Nikky Gupta and former journalist Kamal Narayan, Teamwork has not only expanded its reach from traditional media relations to social and digital media but has also cemented its position as a proficient agency in crafting inventive media strategies and campaigns tailored to meet the evolving demands of the current era. Additionally, the company has successfully implemented crisis management through its in-depth communication strategies to address challenges faced by its clients.

    Gupta expressed her gratitude, stating, “Teamwork came to life and flourished with the relentless effort of its team. We value the contribution of our ardent workforce in bringing us to where we are today. However, this is just the beginning, and we are confident that together we can achieve so much more.”

    She added, “In the coming years, we plan to expand our influence to the other part of the country by establishing offices and hiring talent there. We are thankful to our clients for entrusting us with building, preserving, and enhancing their brand image. Our secret to success lies in weaving compelling narratives that resonate with people and building campaigns that address any issue at the grassroots level.”

    Narayan said, “It’s a great moment as we complete 14 years in the PR industry, expanding into multiple domains apart from healthcare. It’s been an exciting ride as we set new benchmarks with our focused marketing and PR practices for our clients, some of whom have associated with us for a long time. We are also proud to have sailed through the turbulent waters of the COVID-19 pandemic which shook almost every sector. We provided uninterrupted services to our clients during this testing time and tweaked our HR policies to care for our employees, the backbone and strength of Teamwork. As we continue to rise above the clouds, scaling new heights, we look forward to leveraging new technology and AI in the workspace while aiming to create an ideal atmosphere for our team and clients.”

    Adding to its accolades, Teamwork Group secured two Kaleido Awards by ET Brand Equity in 2022, was recognised among the Top 25 PR Agencies by Exchange4Media, and earned the title of Healthcare Agency of the Year at E4M IPRCCA.

  • Teamwork Communications Group Celebrates 11th Milestone year in Communication and PR: Continues to grow in post Lockdown Period

    Teamwork Communications Group Celebrates 11th Milestone year in Communication and PR: Continues to grow in post Lockdown Period

    New Delhi,17th December, 2020:  Leading media relations agency Teamwork Communications Group has marked its 11th milestone year, displaying stupendous growth in business and workforce despite a COVID induced economic slowdown. The healthcare specialist agency added over 50 new clients to its kitty this year covering not just healthcare business, but an overarching list of accounts from diverse industries. The Group also increased its workforce by 30% this year.

    Founded by media and PR specialists Kamal Narayan and Nikky Gupta in 2009, Teamwork Communications Group has over the past 11 years cemented its place in the industry as the only healthcare specialist communications agency.

    However, it has also successfully diversified its communications capability beyond healthcare to effectively service an array of clients including start-ups, corporates, education and lifestyle sectors.Keeping up with the needs of the time, the agency expanding beyond its traditional PR business by establishing a dedicated social and digital media division a few years back.The digital and social media division has also show remarkable growth in recent years.

    “It was a difficult year for the industry, yet we managed not only to retain a majority of our clients but also add a large number of new businesses. Together, our PR and digital media divisions added over 50 new clients to our business, bucking the reigning trend of economic slowdown. Interestingly, a large number of new clients came from healthcare, pharma, EdTech and other technology based sectors. A number of organizations chose to cut down their large advertising budgets and turn to low-cost and sustainable PR activities to ensure a continuity in their brand communications,” said Nikky Gupta, Co-founder & CEO , Teamwork Communications Group.

    Despite the challenges of a lockdown and remote working requirements, the organization also continued to augment its human resource, increasing its workforce by 30% this year. Almost all departments of the organizations including PR, digital solutions as well as content hired aggressively to meet the needs of a growing business.

    Some of the new clients that added to the Teamwork kitty this year include healthcare providers NOVA IVF Fertility Clinic, Regency Hospital, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals and Max Ventilators; international aesthetics giant Alma Lasers; EdTechstartupBada Business;pharmaceutical major ENTOD Pharma; sustainability startup The Better Home and snacks major Bikano to name a few.

    The Group continues to serve its longstanding list of patrons along with new clients.

    “Opportunities in traditional media remained limited this year on account of closures of several newspaper supplements and editions as well as an overall news focus on COVID related developments. However, we reacted swiftly to this shift and devised overarching communication strategies for our clients that gave them visibility in both traditional and digital media along with cultivating thought leadership for them. Going forward, we are looking to expand our presence beyond our conventional stronghold regions of Delhi and Mumbai and have a wider presence in southern India,” added Nikky Gupta.

    Going forward, Teamwork Communications Group is looking to expand its presence beyond its conventional stronghold regions of Delhi and Mumbai and have a wider presence in southern India.

  • Effective communication imperative during crisis

    Effective communication imperative during crisis

    Till as early as February, businesses across India were aggressively planning long-term strategies for expansion, growth and diversification. Others were looking at ways to find newer consumer bases abroad and making active hiring decisions. However, in a matter of weeks, the situation has changed dramatically with uncertainty and anxiety clouding the economy in the wake of the global COVID-19 crisis. The sudden shift and the need for an absolute lockdown and shutting of most manufacturing operations have resulted in a crisis that needs to be tackled using innovative strategies and effective communication. Yes, effective communication is a critical component for organisations manoeuvring through this crisis as a gap in communication often leads to an information lag and anxiety among stakeholders.

    It is imperative therefore that organisations and businesses adopt an effective communication strategy at this hour of crisis to provide timely updates, keep the stakeholders informed and build yourself as a thought leader with a humane touch. Communications and PR agencies are playing active roles as active communication strategy providers for organisations in this situation. 

    Reassuring stakeholders

    This is a key element of any communication that goes out from an organisation at a time of crisis – whether an internal crisis or an external one impacting the business. Stakeholders include consumers of your products and services, investors and shareholders as well as employees. As all these stakeholders face an uncertain future, timely information, updates and a transparent approach from the organisation’s end can go a long way in reassuring them. This is the right time to communicate regularly about how you are planning to stay afloat during this crisis, what your contingency plans are and how you plan to keep the strategies you are adopting to keep the business running during this extraordinary situation. A number of organisations have already come forward to announce their contingency plans; others have assured their employees that they will receive advance salaries to keep their households running at this difficult time in history.

    Address misinformation

    Misinformation and fake news is a major nuisance of our times. Be it health-related information or a government directive, it takes just a fake WhatsApp forward to spread a piece of false information disseminate like wildfire. To cite an instance, the COVID-19 crisis has impacted sales of newspaper publications due to fear about their potential in spreading the virus. Such was the impact that even the minister of information & broadcasting Prakash Javdekar had to tweet and clarify that touching newspapers will not spread the infection and that newspapers were critical to getting the right information at this period of time.

    For organisations dealing with this crisis, it is therefore important to use their communication channels to effectively dispel any misleading information. The teams in charge of our communication strategy must keep themselves abreast of such developments and religiously follow authentic sources of information such as WHO, ministry of health and other public health organisations. For hospitals and organisations in the healthcare domain, dispelling false narratives is all the more important. Addressing misinformation with alacrity is critical to any communication strategy at this hour.

    Build thought leadership

    A series of communications by Lifebuoy educating people about the importance of washing hands in this crisis has earned much praise in India. The communications published on bought space refrain from promoting Lifebuoy but clearly ask people to wash hands with whichever soap they have to prevent the infection.

    A global crisis is a difficult time for businesses but it is also an opportunity to establish you as a thought leader. Effective and innovative communication strategies play a vital role in this. Communication and PR agencies must aggressively scout for opportunities through which an organisation  or individual can build an image of a thought leader by addressing public concerns over the issue, offering innovative solutions to tackle the problem and advocating policy approaches for the government.

    Communicating with a humane approach

    At a time when countries across the world are living through disastrous tragedies, using communication strategies with a humane approach is another critical need. Communication strategists must keep this vital ingredient of strategy in mind. Communication should be mindful of the human tragedy and try to reach out to the people who are at the end of the suffering. If you were planning community-based CSR ideas, this is the right time to put them into action and communicate your plans through the media.

    (The author is co-founder and director, Teamwork Communication Group. The views expressed are hers and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)  

  • As consumers take charge of their health, role of effective healthcare communication becomes crucial

    As consumers take charge of their health, role of effective healthcare communication becomes crucial

    When India first encountered the threat of HIV/AIDS in the late 1980s, health experts were highly concerned about the potential of the spread of this deadly virus in a poorly-aware, densely-populated country like India. Doomsday predictors foresaw India to be the next Africa where HIV/AIDS had already assumed epidemic proportions. However, three decades later, a highly successful multi-pronged anti-AIDS campaign supported by a massive awareness drive has succeeded in substantially reducing the number of new infections. Even as several health organisations worked on the ground to mitigate the threat, India’s public broadcasters were flush with awareness messages about HIV/AIDS and the need for safe sex and safe blood transfusions all through the 1990s and 2000s. The number of new HIV infections witnessed a 50 per cent decline in India over the past decade. No other example can better underline the important role of effective healthcare communication in meeting multiple needs of our times.

    Health communication today is a dedicated public relations specialty helmed by experts and communication veterans who know what it takes to effectively send out the right messages to an audience which is more discerning and aware than ever before. Health communication uses available tools of media and communication to raise awareness on public health concerns, improves general literacy of common people about pertinent healthcare challenges, and influences attitudes and behavioral choices towards healthier lifestyles.  From the corporate perspective, health communication is today a leading part of brand identity building.

    With customers becoming more aware and evolved, the challenges of healthcare communication become more vigorous and unique. Your messaging has to be tailored to meet the needs of a more intelligent audience who wouldn’t like to have unappealing information shoved up their throats. Research tells us that messages hidden in intelligent communication patterns have a more lasting impact on the minds of consumers. Consumers today are not only more intelligent and discerning, they also want to have greater control over their lives, including their healthcare choices. This offers another unique challenge as well as opportunity for healthcare communication providers.

    In an evolving communication environment, healthcare communication doesn’t just play the role of information sharing, rather it plays multifarious roles:

    Influencing consumer attitudes: Healthcare communication has an important role to play today in driving a change in behavioural patterns of the consumer towards healthier lifestyle choices. This includes aspects such as raising awareness about the devastating health effects of sedentary lifestyles and thereby pushing the audience to adopt a shift towards healthy living; educating consumers about the need for regular preventive health screenings and bringing about a behavioural shift towards preventive health check-ups, raising awareness about the risks of smoking, and helping consumers kick the butt. However, consumer behaviours do not change overnight! They need an incessant dose of messaging to internalise the change. Healthcare communicators do so not by hammering in the points but by driving a gradual change through regular subtle messaging that is neither over the top nor in your face. The messages that have the best impact are the ones that are intelligently hidden in impactful heart-touching stories.

    Driving demand and creating customer base: One by-product of influencing consumer behaviour is the creating of demand for a particular set of healthcare services. Doctors and hospitals are not the only healthcare delivery providers today. In recent years, the concept of healthcare delivery has evolved to become more personalised, digitally driven and tailored to improve comfort and quality of life of consumers. Facilities such as home healthcare, home monitoring of health vitals and activity tracking devices are examples of how multiple players have entered the healthcare domain to improve efficiency, comfort and add a general wellness quotient to health. Healthcare today is not just about treating diseases, it is about promoting an overall healthy lifestyle. Therefore, health communicators have a prominent role to play in informing the consumer about the new facilities and services they can use of.

    Advocating on policy issues: Corporate organisations often have interest in advocating on key policy issues that may impact their future or have a large social bearing. The reasons for this interest may vary from business reasons to ethical considerations. Here again lies an important role for health communicators. Right and impactful messaging can help influence authorities and drive policy changes as well. Delhi’s poor air quality has been a subject of intense debate and discussion in recent years, especially over the past few months, and for the first time there are visible efforts being made by government agencies to improve the environment. Much of it can be attributed to the subtle but important role played by healthcare communicators (acting on behalf of multiple agencies) in making this an issue of serious public health concern.

    Building brand identity: Building a brand identify takes several years of effective multi-pronged strategies. One of the most vital pillars of this strategy is effective communication. Healthcare providers or key players in the healthcare industry such as hospitals, product and service providers know that brand building does not happen overnight. Your identity is strengthened step by step, one brick at a time. Healthcare communicators achieve this through multiple simultaneous approaches which may include all of the aforementioned pointers and more — increasing awareness about common healthcare issues, building your image as a reliable service provider, influencing consumer behavior towards using your product and helping portray you as a key industry leader through advocacy and opinion-building.

    (The author is co-founder and director, Teamwork Communications Group. The views expressed are her own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them)