Queen of entertainment and celebrity PR Parull Gossain, shares her expertise with students Gossain takes a Master Class at Whistling Woods International
Whistling Woods International, one of Asia’s largest Film, Communication & Media Arts Institutes known for it’s unconventional teaching methods, hosted Film publicist, Ms. Parull Gossain for a Master Class with the students of School of Media and Communication. Having started her career with the iconic MTV India in 1996, Parull has been managing entertainment and celebrity PR for about 15 years now. This session gave students an idea on the role PR plays in the Media and Entertainment industry.
While sharing interesting snippets as a PR professional, she mentioned that publicity is not about being good or bad, it’s about entering the public’s imagination. It’s about creating a certain kind of image that defines the brand or the personality. In her opinion, it’s the publicist’s job to do a detailed research and study the brand and personality to bring out the best and feed the public’s quest with interesting information. To add to this aspect, she mentioned that, “In today’s world it’s not just about being famous, one needs to develop a certain personality & positioning to appeal to the public.”
She also shared some tips pertaining to ‘Crisis Management’ that, she has learnt from experts in the field. To effectively manage a disaster/crisis situation, it is essential for the PR professional to be able to relate and empathise with the public. While talking about film publicity, Parull mentioned that the dynamics of film publicity is diametrically opposite to the way corporate publicity works. While the former’s success relies on an edgy and whacky communication, corporate brands need to portray a very subtle and serious image to appeal to its audience.
Meghna Ghai Puri, President, WWI said, “As an institute of international standard, we ensure that our curriculum combines theoretical, practical and industry interface for the students. Through the Master Classes students gain immensely from the practical exposure extended by industry stalwarts. We are extremely happy to have a professional of Parull’s caliber come and experience our campus and we thank her for sharing her valuable time and insights.
The session ended with a student wanting to know “What is the most important attribute one should have to evolve as a successful PR professional?” to which Parull promptly answered, “A sense of commitment is prime and the most important attribute one should have to sustain in this fast-paced, information laced industry”. The students left the Masterclass richer for the experience and with insight into what it takes to succeed in the world of PR.
