“It’s PR that needs to be creative. It’s PR that needs to be new and different. It’s PR that needs to be original. The best way to establish a brand is to create a new category, and creating a new category requires creative thinking of the highest order.” Harshendra Singh Verdhan, the head of Public Relations (PR) and Brand Communications at the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) and one of the top PR professionals in the country, has brought life to this very famous quote from Al & Laura Ries.
It is believed that cooperatives do not attract young enthusiastic PR professionals as they lack glamour. On the contrary, this IIMC Delhi alumnus not only started his career with a cooperative but is now at the pinnacle in his professional life. Harsh completes 16 successful years of service with the multi-state cooperative society IFFCO. The road to success is often less travelled but he believes hard work, smart and appealing communication skills and a positive approach towards work and life can make the journey easy, fulfilling and exciting.
A skilled PR professional plays a significant role in enhancing the brand value in the global market. With the consistent efforts of Verdhan under the able guidance of its MD and CEO Dr US Awasthi, IFFCO has made strides in the world market too.
IFFCO celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the year 2017. The power-packed celebrations included artists from across India. Harsh played a key role in popularising the importance of the cooperative (IFFCO) in the life of a farmer. Due to his efforts, the work done by IFFCO was showcased to the world in a splendid manner. He travelled across the length and breadth of the country to make the celebration a huge success.
In times of modern communication, social media plays a very significant role in reaching out to the masses. Harsh realized its potential pretty early and has used it over the years to hone his communication skills. He believes that the development of a sector is dependent on the equal participation of all the stakeholders. He opines that social media is a key driver in reaching out to the masses. With this thought in mind, he persuaded other cooperatives also to work in unison. With the efforts of Verdhan, the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) has called on all the cooperatives in India to connect and work actively on social media.
The eloquent communication skills of Verdhan have been recognized time and again. Reputation Today included Verdhan in the list of RT Power 50 in 2019. The very next year, Harsh featured in the list of 40 Young Turks of PR and Corporate Communications for the year 2020 by Reputation Today. In the same year, Harsh secured the fourth position in the top 100 social media influencers of India in Corporate Communications and the entire PR industry in a research done by the Reputation Today Magazine.
Verdhan’s articulate communication skills are an inspiration and a major attraction for the students of several communication schools. He is a visiting faculty at the IIMC. Students are enthralled when he shares his experience of working with one of the biggest and renowned cooperatives in the country. He is also an active member of one of the most powerful alumni association, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication Alumni Association (IIMCAA). Currently, he is the general secretary of IIMCAA. He is also a key driver at the IIMCAA annual meets by pulling the biggest industry players to the campus. Not to anyone’s surprise, vivid communication skills are at play again.
Harsh has travelled across continents but a piece of him still resides at his picturesque hometown in Himachal Pradesh. He is connected to his roots and values it too. To popularise the beauty of his hometown and to explore the unexplored, he conceived the idea of an art, literature and adventure festival in the lap of Dhauladhar range. The Dhauladhar festival, conceptualized by Harsh, was launched in March this year. The festival saw enthusiastic participation by people from across the country. The festival hopes to grow bigger in the years to come.
An ardent fan of Punjabi Cinema, Harsh remains glued to the screen watching all the Punjabi movies in his leisure time.
“Everything you do or say is public relations.” Again, the quote stands true in the case of this flamboyant PR professional.