Making Headlines, 21 years on

Headlines PR, Sri Lanka’s leading independent public relations agency developing and executing strategic communications campaigns for businesses across a broad range of industries, completed its 21st anniversary recently. 

Headlines PR Chairperson Anusha David founded the company in 1995 to deliver a full suite of communications services including corporate reputation management, crises and issues management, stakeholder management, training and media relations.

Since its opening, the agency has continued to play a pivotal role in delivering value for clients and has expanded its specialisation within core businesses of finance, insurance, consumer products, travel and B2B industries, as well as health and wellness, telecom, IT, transportation, leisure and personal care. 

“If Public Relations is about managing reputations, perceptions and establishing good relationships with key stakeholders, it can be considered the key weapon in the armoury of corporate communications and reputation management,” said David. 

“Public Relations crafts the face of every organisation, while working hard towards saving and maintaining an organisation’s reputation and image. As reputation is the key capital, PR can be considered the most effective element to help coordinate other elements of the communications mix.”

Over the years, Headlines PR has put its creative signature on some of the most forward-thinking PR campaigns that have elevated brand awareness, including Sri Lanka Apparel Brands, Lux, Audi, Peugeot , ICICI and Axis banks of India , Nations Trust Bank, Knorr, Universal Robots, Nawaloka Holdings, Hafele, Mahendra & Mahendra, Ideal Motors, Prima Ceylon, Indian Railways, Piramal Glass, SLT, EZY Holdings, and Credence Genetics among others, as well as the visits of the FIFA Head, the Malaysian Prime Minister, visiting cricket teams and other celebrities. 

David says that the three main reasons for choosing to invest in PR are that PR builds brands, PR rapidly generates awareness, and PR isn’t just press anymore.

Brand building is essential and Public Relations produces earned media through coverage by publications that choose to write about the brand, not because they are paid to do so, but because the company or its product is interesting and the organisation has a compelling story to tell.

“In terms of generating awareness through PR, there is a direct correlation with the brand building power of PR done right,” says David. “With the growth of social media, it is now easier and faster than ever for individuals to connect with one another and share their opinions on virtually every topic (and company) imaginable. When a company succeeds in getting their name inserted into a publication of any type through effective PR, then that story lives on perpetuity online, and individuals and companies can share that article and its information with an exponential number of contacts.”

At the end of the day or campaign, it all comes down to results. “To date, Headlines PR has never in the past 21 years fallen short of our guarantees or commitments to our clients and brands.”

As to the secret in continuing to keep her clients in the ‘Headlines,’ David states that it is the personal touch and attention to detail that have been the cornerstone of her success. “This is a hands-on business that makes or breaks reputations; there can never be any compromise on quality!”