How did the journey of BUZZ Communications start?
Achal Paul: To answer this question, I have to take you back on how my journey in the Communication Industry began. I started my career in erstwhile Clarion Advertising as a Management Trainee. While I was learning at India’s 2nd largest Advertising Agency, tricks of advertising, somehow my flare for PR always made me give added benefit to my set of Clients. I use to get their stories in the media as an added advantage at no extra cost. This kept going for almost a decade, as my first love was advertising!
However, when an opportunity came my way, I took a detour and entered the world of Public Relations & Event Management by helping setting up a PR Advisory Firm. I was successful in serving both MNC & Indian Clients. Then, one fine day, with blessings from almighty, I took a leap jump forward by setting up my own Integrated Communications Advisory – BUZZ Communications, a 360 degree Strategic Communication Management Firm with a clear objective to stand apart. As they say, ‘In every field of endeavour there are equals but there is one that’s breed apart’ BUZZ’s single objective is to work towards ensuring that our Client stands apart from the crowd. This is achieved by our USP – we offer Integrated Communication Solutions comprising Public Relations, Events, Advertising and Digital Marketing. After doing due diligence, we recommend to our Clients a Brand Strategy approach, depending at what stage it is, be it at Entry level, Repositioning, Revival / Revamp, or for Sustainability. Above all, BUZZ recommends only those communication vehicle(s), which gives our Client a ROI. BUZZ is a One Stop Communication Solutions Provider for overall effective communication needs. This helps our Clients, as they also get the benefit of Single Window Service!
What kind of events does your company deal in?
Achal Paul: @BUZZ we handle all kind of Corporate Events viz. Conferences; Seminars; ExhibitionS; Fashion Shows; Product Launches; Dealer Opening; Office Opening; Dealer Conference; Road Shows in India & SAARC Countries. Apart from these, we also leverage the visits of Global Celebrities like former President Bill Clinton (two times) and Mr. Akio Toyoda, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan, Lord Bamford, Chairman JCB Group, Hiroaki Nakanishi, President & Director, HITACHI Ltd….to name a few. Such high profile visits involve utmost planning, so that there are no hiccups. I’m proud to say, they were implemented with utmost care and in the most professional manner, the BUZZ Way to Client’s satisfaction.These are certainly high points of my career!
What kind of clients do you have? And how does your team manage to fulfill the requirements of varied clients?
Achal Paul: Right from the inception, @ BUZZ we believe in not restricting our services to any one Industry. We offer our Strategic PR, Event, Advertising & Digital advice to Clients from all Industries. As a result of this philosophy, today BUZZ has a much diversified range of Clients that comes from diverse sectors viz. Education, IT & Telecom, Automobile; Infrastructure, Real Estate, Banking, Healthcare, Nuclear Energy, Lifestyle, FMCG, and NGOs.
For a Communication Specialist at BUZZ, every Client is important. Training @BUZZ is given in such a way that now it takes little time to go under the skin of the Client to understand it’s offerings. As an SOP, we first study the Industry, Competition before learning about the Client per se. This gives us a holistic picture about the Client and its standing in the Industry. Thereafter Key Messages are jointly agreed upon. Accordingly, a Tailor-made Strategic Communication Roll-out Plan is prepared. This helps both Client and the Advisory to achieve its set goals.
Having an international reach, how difficult or easy is it to set your grounds in one country? Where else are your office based?
Achal Paul: I had a very clear vision for BUZZ right from its conception, that it should not be seen as a Delhi centric Advisory. Therefore, as a first step, HEAD OFFICE at a premium central location, Connaught Place, in DELHI was set up. Simultaneously, REACH OUT OFFICES in the METRO CITIES were ensured for our National Clients. Seeing the potential of Tier II & Tier III cities, Clients wanted to explore them. This propelled us to set up our ASSOCIATE OFFICES in over 200 CITIES. This gave BUZZ confidence to reach its Client’s message Pan India. Then BUZZ expanded its wings globally and forayed in the INTERNATIONAL ARENA by identifying like-minded PARTNERS in SAARC, China, Dubai & Canada.
Hence, BUZZ made a mark in the Industry by building up a respectable bandwidth to offer Global Communication Services in Key Markets in a shortest period of time. Trust me, with right Partners in place, holding Global Events is like a cake walk!
Being a communication, PR and event company, what all challenges do you face?
Achal Paul: Firstly, it’s not easy to offer Integrated Communication Solutions. This comes with hands on experience of the Team in each of these specialized Communication fields Strategic PR, Event, Advertising & Digital. As regards the challenges we face, comes when certain Clients don’t really know what they want. In PR, when unreasonable demands are made viz. ‘I want my story to appear on the front page of a leading newspaper!’. In Events, when the Client wants best in a limited budget. To overcome all this, one needs to council Clients with a logical approach and help the Top Management understand and agree on the expectations at the beginning of the project. Then it’s great working together as ‘One Team’ to achieve the set goals.
How do you deal with competition?
Achal Paul: Without Competition, there’s no fun working! As explained above, BUZZ Communications’ USP is that it has the bandwidth to offer Integrated Communication Solutions. Like this, every offering must be analyzed with ROI. With the downturn of the economy, this has become even more critical. Almost all Industries are facing a tough time. One has to come up with innovative and cost-effective solutions to win the Client and overcome the competition.
What are the plans for 2020?
Achal Paul: I think the PR industry has evolved considerably in the last decade. If you look back 2-3 decades, it has absolutely transformed. Digital has slowly but surely taken over. In fact, the world is eventually going to be run by digital. So it is a different world that the nation is embracing and PM Modi’s initiatives like Digital India are working as a catalyst. Any progressive changes always come with opportunities to embrace and take on. And BUZZ will be no exception; we are taking and further our leap steps forward in this direction. But still, I feel that the traditional Print & Electronic media can’t be ruled out completely. So we have to keep working on that simultaneously.
