Leaders

When Dennis Steele of Podium, a software company, was a PR freelancer, he learned that customers are much more ambitious to leave a review if they had a negative experience. He later said, “PR has a key role to play to the origin of the idea of a business.” Steele can never be more accurate in assessing the importance of PR for an organization. Like him, there have been several people who have gained considerable experience with PR firms. However, there will be only some who have committed their self into the work. With their perseverance, such people do not just do their job but also invest time to evaluate their work. At these moments, people introspect and identify the void where things need improvement.

For Sowmya Iyer, it was never late for her to find the void in exercising proper PR practice. Her focus turned into providing transparency in the work and commitment to the promises. After working for several years in the PR industry, Sowmya established Clarity Communication in 2016. Since its establishment, she and her team is on a continuous discovery of new approaches in the PR industry. The company provides media exposure for clients, which helps them enhance their brand value among the target audience.

“Pearls of wisdom: if you are not a brand, then, you are just a commodity. We believe - "great marketing can change a brand’s destiny".”

Here, Sowmya Iyer talks with Women Entrepreneur about her exploration as an entrepreneur in the PR field and what she observed about the industry wholly.

Becoming An Entrepreneur Is Not A Cakewalk. Tell Us How You Identified Your Destiny And How You Accomplished It.

After working with several agencies and organizations, I noticed that I was not happy about the work I am involved in. Considering the experience that I had, PR seemed like the best option for me to focus on. I decided to move on as a PR freelancer, and since then, there has been no looking back. Working as a freelancer for four years, I realized that being transparent and honest with the client needs to be valued. During the initial stages as a freelancer, client acquisition, client retention, and payments were the major challenge.

In light of my 20 years of experience in the PR, I have perceived a gap between what is promised and delivered to clients. Therefore, when it came to Clarity Communication, I wanted to bridge this gap with transparency and expertise. Moreover, I observed that the critical role of employees was typically undermined despite having exceeding performance expectations. In Clarity Communication, I ensure that every employee’s contribution is valued and recognized, thereby building an employee-friendly workplace.

How Is Clarity Communication Positioned In The PR Sector Of India? In What Ways Does The Company Provide Unique Services For Its Customers?

Clarity Communication is an upcoming PR brand that ensures transparency to the clients. In addition to that, we deliver our esteemed clients what we promise, and frequently exceed their expectations. This way, we were able to turn out a hundred percent retention rate. Some of our clients have been working with us since the inception of the company. In Clarity, we provide a range of services that are affordable to startups. Meanwhile, we do not compromise on the quality or strategy of the work that we do.

Though I have crossed many milestones in my career, but what gives me pleasure when we exceed client’s expectations & deliverables. We work with start-ups who are bootstrapped and we help them in from the scratch to build a positive image of the company.

As An Entrepreneur Of A Growing Company, Is There Any Mentorship Program That You Are Engaged In?

Yes. I have been a part of Startup Nexus, an American embassy incubator where I provide mentorship to other startups. I have also associated with Startup Lanes, an incubator, giving guidance on PR or startup, and conduct PR sessions regularly. Teaching is the best way to stay updated and relevant to not miss out on the latest happenings in the PR space.

Is There Any Advice That You Would Like To Offer To The Budding Entrepreneurs In PR?

One of the most important things that I have learned is to have tenacious persistence and passion for excelling in a specific field. Being an entrepreneur, one needs to keep the desires alive and be ready for any challenge. It is the hard work which will eventually give the result for the job you have done.

Sowmya Iyer, Founder & CEO, Clarity Communication

Sowmya Iyer has more than 20 years of experience in the Public Relations domain. Her step towards establishing Clarity Communication is motivated by a successful stint working with large-sized agencies like Lexicon PR, Concept PR, Sahara Corporate Communication, and many more.