PRCAI partners with IIMU to launch a B-School reputation management course

The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) has launched a brand-new reputation management course for Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur (IIMU), a business management school. This academia-industry collaboration aims to equip future business leaders with expertise in strategic communications which is essential for building successful brands and businesses.

Reputation management is an elective course developed for IIMU and offered in Term 5 (October-December 2024). The course covers six dimensions of corporate reputation—Emotional Appeal, Products & Services, Financial Performance, Vision & Leadership, Workplace Environment, and Social Responsibility—all seen through the lens of Public Relations, giving students a deeper understanding of how these drivers create long-term value for organisations. It introduces participants to the subject of crisis communications’ best practices, and the importance of ethical business conduct, underlying the value of preparedness to proactively protect reputation.

The course will also provide an enhanced understanding of Online Reputation Management (ORM), a critical area in today’s digital-first world. As stakeholder behaviours evolve, ORM has become central to the practice of Public Relations, with an increasing focus on leveraging digital platforms to manage and enhance reputation.

“We are thrilled to partner with IIM Udaipur for this new Reputation Management course,” said Nikhil Dey, National Chair, Talent & Academia, PRCAI & Executive Director, Adfactors PR. “Reputation management is central to business success in today’s interconnected world. The demand for leaders who can strategically manage and protect reputations is at an all-time high. A world that is embracing the AI opportunity is also having to learn how to deal with fake news, misinformation and disinformation. In this context, reputation management has become a vital competency for leaders across industries, and this program prepares the B-School students to learn the science and art of reputation management to tackle the VUCA* world head-on.”

The initiative is catalysed by initial insights from the latest industry survey PRCAI 2024-25 SPRINT* which will be unveiled in January, highlighting the state of talent and its influence on the industry and the future of communications. The survey found that 76 per cent of respondents believe that educational institutions must overhaul their curriculum to meet new PR industry demands.

Further, PR firms are finding new hunting grounds- even at the entry level, firms have broadened their hiring pool to include marketing and advertising institutes (23%) and management institutes (13%). The survey revealed that corporate communication leaders (90%) shared that CEOs are now prioritising strategic communications for measurable business impact, and this course is designed to meet the increasing demand for expertise in reputation management.

“The Reputation Management elective course stands out as a new addition to IIM Udaipur’s curriculum. This course is designed to give our students a comprehensive understanding of the drivers of corporate reputation, positioning them for leadership roles where effective communication is key to success,” said Prof. Ashok Banerjee Director, IIM Udaipur.

75 IIM Udaipur students have enrolled for the course, joining a forward-thinking initiative to harness the power of communications for growth and business impact. PRCAI members are represented by three PR industry veterans Nikhil Dey, National Chair of Academia and Talent & Executive Director at Adfactors PR; Vandana Sandhir, Chief Client Strategy Officer at Burson India and Aman Gupta, Managing Partner, Asia-Pacific at SPAG/ FINN Partners, are serving as visiting faculty and collaborators in delivering this course.

“We are proud to partner with IIM Udaipur to prepare leaders for tomorrow and thankful to our members who have stepped forward to make this a reality. This course will arm future business leaders with the tools needed to manage reputations effectively,” added, Deeptie Sethi, CEO of PRCAI.