Consultancy

Over the past twenty years, Farzana has helped governments, corporates and entrepreneurs with their communication, public relations and marketing needs. The focus of much of her work is strategic communications, helping to position clients for growth and success. Farzana’s other core specialisms include crisis communications, strategy, public affairs, capacity building and leadership storytelling.

Specialisms

STRATEGY

Strategy is critical to good PR. Without it, you might achieve results – but it can be something of a lottery.

In an age of multiple platforms, stakeholders, media and corporate risks, the need to think strategically about a campaign is of paramount importance. Strategy-light reactive or proactive PR may have sufficed in the past, but no more. Indeed, my own communications journey reflects the changing approach.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

It is rather ironic that a branch of communications synonymous with discreet influence should so often be associated with indiscretion. Done well public affairs is a very credible means of helping businesses achieve concrete objectives - yet over the years it has been undermined by numerous lobbying scandals. Which is why, I believe, public affairs must be more transparent in terms of process and more honest about its intentions. No just to allay the concerns of critics, but to operate more effectively.

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

Companies are more vulnerable to potential business threats than ever before. Yet in my experience they do not do enough to anticipate and prevent crises nor have in place sufficiently robust plans to mitigate their consequences.

Too often, I am approached by executives tackling a firestorm that might have been avoided had a strategy assessing corporate risks and mitigations been in place. Crisis communications, perversely, is arguably one of most overlooked branches of communications, only seemingly becoming a priority when a crisis occurs – when it is almost too late.