We caught up with Simran Thakur, Head of PR at InterviewBit & Scaler for this episode of ‘Data Champions in Communications’— scroll below to know about her data journey. 

1. How did you come to communications?

I did my masters in Communications from Symbiosis. Out of all the various fields that I was exposed to during the program, public relations stood out the most for me, and I ended up taking it as a profession. I started my career with a boutique PR agency called Eulogy and had the opportunity to work on diverse brands across a wide array of industries. Post this, I worked with two more agencies – Weber Shandwick and Adfactors PR, before entering the world of Corporate Communications. Over the last few years, I have worked exclusively in the Indian start-up ecosystem. Currently, I am working for Scaler by InterviewBit – a growing Edtech platform backed by Sequoia Capital India, Tiger Global, and Light rock India.

2. When was your first interaction with data? 

As a communications professional, you are always surrounded by data in some form or another. It can be surveys or reports, trends curated by the brands you are servicing, or when you ascertain the impact of a particular activity or initiative.

It dawned on me very early on that without data backing your claims, you are just a person/brand with an opinion. Be it brand communication or thought leadership, or measurement of work effectiveness, DATA is the key. Media takes you or the brand you represent seriously when reliable data points back the information you are sharing. The same is the case with clients or leadership— sharing actionable insights helps develop confidence in the function of PR as an integral part of a brand’s strategy.

3. How do you use data in your campaigns?

I use it to understand how a particular activity or initiative has performed with a view to either make changes or adopt a specific strategy.

4. Did you come across any challenge in communications where data helped you to solve it?

PR is a pretty intangible part of marketing communications. It is always challenging to convince business leaders to see it as an integral part of business strategy. Identifying the right metrics and tying your initiatives to these metrics helps build effectiveness in the communication program.

5. What is the most important data point for you?

Both qualitative and quantitative analysis of PR efforts is THE most critical aspect for any comms professional in my opinion.

6. What is your favorite tool for data insights?

I don’t have any particular tool that I use. I usually track our media engagement efforts manually – I have created a format that works for me in the last few years.

7. How do you see data in comms in the coming days?

The PR industry is in dire need of a universally accepted measurement and metric data system. With the advancement of technology and people’s understanding of PR, I hope to see a more tangible version of a data analytics system that will further build on how critical the communications function is for brands and business leaders.

8. Which is your favorite campaign?

I have been fortunate to be part of several very successful and fun brand and corporate campaigns. It would be unfair to call out any particular one.

9. What are your two cents for the budding comms professionals?

My suggestion would be – to keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when someone or something might come in handy. The power of observation and networking is THE most important aspect of PR & communications.