In a world where public relations and communications are restricted to templates followed by publicists, there is Mumbai based PR practitioner Harshita Vaishnav breaking the trend. She is the brain behind various talked about occasions like Fans screening, the wedding of actors Prince and Yuvika, and the recent Fashion Week where for the very first time a Tik Tok star walked as a show stopper.

Here’s what Harshita said about the following:

What do you have to say about the BT Fashion Week since you arranged for a Tik Tok star to be the show stopper?

The show received a great response and I am glad this idea was received so well. Tik Tok has a huge following and getting a Tik Tok star like Manav Chabbra to walk the ramp as the show stopper was an instant idea I shared with the designer label Kshitij Choudhary and his team. Though, till the last minute, I wasn’t sure about the approval. It all came as a surprise but honestly, for me, it was a risk and it worked. I am personally active on social media and something inside me said this could be a game-changer, and the result is for everyone to see. We had so many Tik Tok stars and digital influencers attending the show to support Manav and they shared live posts on social media which definitely boosted the coverage. So overall it was a win-win situation for everyone.

How do you see PR in today’s time?

Well, PR isn’t the same as before. The old school PR is dying as digitalization has boomed in the last few years. It’s a whole new era of social media. Also, people do not still know exactly what is PR. For me, it is creating an image like making an individual a celeb and a startup a brand. It’s a process. When I get random calls for one article I feel agitated. It’s not a grocery store that there is a guarantee and a rate for a product. A brand doesn’t evolve overnight and an actor doesn’t become a star overnight. There are several factors to it. But with the digital growth, the scope has widened. But to survive and make your mark, you need to think out of the box now for entertainment PR the old primitive methods don’t work.

What more path-breakers have you planned?

Well, I have observed that big brands get an easy representation in the media by roping a celebrity but many smaller brands and startups are ignored. Recently, I have collaborated with two such start-ups who don’t have any Google visibility at the moment. I have started to work for them and in a couple of months, they will be everywhere organically. Nepotism and a lot of paid media often lead to the ignorance of the many newsworthy stories.

Your fangirling nature is not new to the industry. How has that been influential in your career?

Well, Once a fangirl, always a fangirl! I started off as a fangirl and still I am one. The motivation during the old days has got me where I am today. People started knowing me, be it the media fraternity or the actors and those were my baby steps. But frankly, the fan in me has made me what I am today.

A message for the readers

Follow your passion, follow your heart. Do it with passion or just don’t do it. Things done half-heartedly don’t give desired results.

There is no ideal age for anything, be it a career, settling down or even starting something new. If the idea arises just begin and see where you will reach. Don’t wait for the right time, just do the right thing and the time will be yours.