Accidental communicator & pioneer of science-based reputation management

Today’s Luminaries series unveils the key moments from Ashwani Singla’s journey and his contributions to the development of public relations in India.

In this edition of our Luminaries series, we sit down with Ashwani Singla, the Founding & Managing Partner of Astrum Reputation Advisory, as he pulls back the curtain and reflects on key moments from his journey and his contributions to the development of public relations in India:

• How a chance encounter in 1994 made his shift from hospitality to public relations
• Why he believes traditional PR metrics are outdated, and how he’s rewriting the rules
• Setting new benchmarks for PR and public affairs
• His contribution in the historic 2014 Lok Sabha campaign for the BJP
• The birth Astrum, firm that are reshaping the industry landscape

 

Ashwani Singla is a thought leader in the world of reputation management, transforming how organizations safeguard and shape their public image. Singla in his two decades of experience advising CEOs, Boards, and Political leaders has applied his unique approach to reputation management, built on a foundation of deep stakeholder insights to shape strategic communication. Today, he is recognized amongst the most influential voices in public relations and corporate communication.

 

From Hospitality to PR: A Serendipitous Journey

Ashwani Singla’s entry into public relations was unexpected. Beginning his career at ITC Hotels, as a young Front Office Manager at ITC Hotels in 1993, he pursued an PG Diploma in Business to help him navigate India’s newly liberalized economy. On graduation, while planning to return to hospitality, a chance encounter with Mudra PR’s CEO changed the course of his career.

“I’m what you could call an ‘accidental communicator,’” Singla admits. “The industry’s growth and the opportunity to make a strategic impact drew me in,” he explains. His belief that public relations is a powerful tool for protecting and sustaining corporate reputation quickly shaped his approach to the profession.

Breaking Ground: Innovating PR Metrics with Impact

At Clea PR, Singla began experimenting with how PR success could be measured more meaningfully. He realized that conventional metrics like Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs) were inadequate in reflecting the true value of Public Relations. Later, at Genesis PR, he refined these ideas and by 2003, founded Impact Research & Measurement, an independent company serving the Indian PR industry. Aseem Sood is at the helm of this company.

“We moved beyond AVEs to focus on media metrics that actually helped clients make better sense of their media presence.” Singla notes.

Impact uses technology and talent extensively to monitor and analyze news and views and introduced globally recognized media metrics to inform the impact of media coverage on reputation and business outcomes, it has added digital economy media and social media platforms to its portfolio of services and most recently introduces AI driven products.

 These innovations set new standards for media measurement and shaped the thinking of the industry about measurement metrics beyond advertising value equivalence (AVE).

 

From Strategic Vision to Industry Transformation: through Genesis PR and PSB Insights

Singla’s career progressed with leadership roles at Genesis PR (now Genesis Burson) and PSB Insights, where his work further refined how public relations could be leveraged strategically. At Genesis PR, over a span of 15 years, he ascended from Partner to Chief Executive & Co-Promoter, where he led the company to become one of India’s top PR & A firms. His leadership led to WPP’s investment, a first in the Indian PR industry. Singla transformed Genesis PR by implementing strategic tools like the Balanced Scorecard, substituting AVEs with sensible media metrics, introducing integrated public relations, investing deeply in technology to drive service experience and sharply focused on talent development and set new industry benchmarks in public relations and consultancy management that saw the firm win global accolades.

“Serving on Burson’s Asia Pacific Board broadened my global perspective, particularly in cross-cultural communications,” Singla notes, highlighting the value of his international experience.

At PSB Insights as Asia MD (2010- 2015), Singla refined his expertise in research-based, data-driven strategic communication. “This role underscored the importance of proprietary insights in C-suite decision-making,” he explains. Under his guidance, PSB Insights pioneered stakeholder research to ethically shape public opinion, achieving notable successes in national elections and corporate reputation management.

 

The Data Driven Political Campaign: The Historic 2014 Lok Sabha Elections

Ashwani’s expertise reached a high point during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where he served as the campaign strategist and pollster for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). His data-driven strategy moved the BJP’s traditional vote share from 19-20% to over 30%, securing a historic victory.

“From creating voter archetypes to real-time voter sentiment tracking, our campaign redefined electoral strategies in India,” says Singla. His efforts were documented in Rajdeep Sardesai’s bestseller *2014: The Election That Changed India*.

 

The Birth of Astrum: Rooting Reputation Management in Science

After his successful tenures at Burson and PSB Insights, where he refined his data-driven approach, Singla founded Astrum in the summer of 2015. Astrum brought to life “The Science of Persuasion™,” a framework that integrates proprietary stakeholder insights with strategic communication. This science-based approach allows companies to create persuasive campaigns that deliver better returns and measure the tangible outcomes.

“Astrum was born out of a crying need for science-based reputation management,” Singla explains. The firm’s work has since helped numerous organizations ethically shape public opinion and successfully negotiate the reputation, risk and regulatory landscape.

 

His Secrets Behind Managing Reputation, Risk, and Regulation Effectively

When asked about his definition of Reputation, Ashwani interprets, “Reputation, rooted in the Latin ‘Reputare’ (to think over), is the sum of stakeholder perceptions and emotions towards an organization largely shaped by its conduct and communications.” As per him, reputation is earned, bit by bit, through consistency, meeting expectations, delivering on promises, and navigating challenges with grace.

When asked how he manages Reputation, Risk, and Regulation so effectively, Ashwani shared his three foundational principles. First, gaining “proprietary insights”, invaluable knowledge that provides a competitive edge and anticipate issues that may affect an organization’s standing. Second, ‘proactive planning’, by staying ahead of the curve, company well prepared for potential risks. Third, he champions ‘purpose centric leadership’ the cornerstone of any long-term success.

 “I prioritize actions based on understanding stakeholder expectations, anticipating risks, and aligning communications with the organization’s purpose and beliefs. The key to success is building trust through sustained stakeholder engagement, ensuring a resilient reputation that withstands challenges and capitalizes on opportunities.” 

However, managing reputation is no simple task, and to excel in this realm, Ashwani identifies five essential qualities for success, capability to generate insights using data and social science, capability to develop a big picture by connecting the dots, a strong written and verbal communication capability, ability to collaborate and result orientation, each one a vital ingredient in the recipe for effective reputation management.

 

Expanding Global Influence

As a Global Executive Council Member and Asia Pacific Chair of the International Public Relations Network (IPRN), Singla plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among member organizations across the Asia-Pacific region. He actively advocates for IPRN, encouraging independent PR firms to join the network and benefit from its global reach.

In his additional role as a Member of the Global Executive Council, Singla contributes to shaping IPRN’s global strategy, working to expand its multi-continent presence. His leadership has helped strengthen the organization’s influence, promoting cross-border cooperation and innovative practices in public relations. Previously he has been India Chapter Vice President of the IABC, founding member of the PRCAI and played a pivotal role in the development of ICCO.

 

The Core Principles of Success

Throughout his career, Singla has adhered to key principles that have guided his journey. His philosophy is built on continuous learning, building long term trust-based relationships and nurturing and developing his team.

“Staying hungry and staying lean is crucial to success and nurturing my people and investing in their growth is crucial for sustainable progress,” Singla emphasizes