Sujit Patil

Chief Communications Officer
Godrej Industries
India

Popular and engaging, Sujit Patil has overseen a stellar communications evolution at Godrej Industries Group - one of India’s most diversified and trusted conglomerates. He and his team have one of the most comprehensive PR, reputation building and brand communications mandates in the country. All told, Patil and his team manage a wide portfolio of businesses ranging from FMCG, real estate, agriculture, animal feed, crop protection, chemicals, food, financial services, among others.

The operational scope spans across PR, digital PR, influencer engagement, managing key opinion leaders, building communities, government body relations, academic interventions, research-driven narratives, experiential owned media platforms, measurement and analytics, ORM & crisis, and reputation management. His philosophy of POEMS (Paid, owned, earned media strategies) for integrated communications has been institutionalized to tell the Godrej story to over 750 million consumers in India, and close to 1.2 billion across the world. He has also co-authored a book - ‘The Pursuit of Reputation’.

Those efforts have not escaped the attention of Patil’s peers, with Godrej winning the Diamond SABRE Award for excellence in reputation management in both South Asia and Asia- Pacific, along with Company of the Year at the former show.

Can you share a moment in your career when you saw PR's direct impact on business performance?
There have been many wow moments of PR creating delight for businesses. I see it all the time. Campaigns that have a good integration of POEMS – paid, owned, earned media strategies – have been the most impactful for us. An example of a recent effective brand PR campaign would be the launch of Yummiez, a snacking product where we used multiple brand PR tactics using research driven narratives, digital PR, KOL and influencer engagement, regional media focus and an insights driven approach. The integrated PR plan incorporated research data, key opinion leaders, doctors and government officials to sensitize customers around healthy snacking and breaking some myths. The outcomes exceeded the overall objectives of the campaign and launched the range effectively demonstrating business impact.

What are the communications industry's biggest challenges and opportunities in the year ahead?
With dwindling attention spans, the advent of technologies like generative AI, the explosion of data, the prevalence of fake news, weak macro indicators, the inherent need to be pompous in brand communications and increased attention towards authentic hyperlocal content, data analytics and need for researched narratives, communicators’ challenges and opportunities are at an all-time high.

What have you most admired about the communications industry over the past year, and what has disappointed you?
I do see the focus towards data and analytics increasing, which is great. The conversations around use of generative AI are on a rise and experimentation is visible. The hunger to stay relevant and constant need to upskill is something I admire. However, the pace is slow. The pace of acceptance of diversity, equity and inclusion could also be better. I feel the pandemic took the situation back by a couple of years.

What work from your team are you most proud of over the past year?
I am proud of some of the award-winning effective campaigns that we did using experiential PR, research and data driven narratives, and a comprehensive mix of techniques. This has given us the confidence to create a playbook of brand PR and established a process to enhance the effectiveness of PR in general.

How have you switched off from work and maintained wellness over the past year?
Nature in its full glory gives me a high. On weekends, I drive down to my farm in Karjat, about 100km from Mumbai, and spend time with my green friends and some fresh oxygen. Working on the farm or just sitting and reflecting under the shade of a mango tree with a mug of chilled liquid that comes in amber-colored bottles or cans is the best way to unwind. During the lockdown I, along with Amith Prabhu, a reputation scientist who wears many hats, wrote a best-selling book – The Pursuit of Reputation. It was launched this year by Westland Business. That added a lot of positivity in our life. Being an outdoor person, I also started practicing yoga and volunteering with NGOs in the space of education and sparrow conservation. These things truly energized me to do my professional work better with a lot of confidence.

Which book/movie/TV show/podcast/playlist/other cultural source has helped you get through the past year or provided inspiration?
My favorite book which I can read multiple times is ‘Shivaji: The great Maratha’ by Ranjit Desai. I would recommend it highly. It is a book that teaches you strategy, organization building, patriotism, humility, leadership, intelligence, and many other evergreen life facets through the story of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha King. On long drives I enjoy playlists curated with songs from my growing up times.

If I wasn't working in marketing/communications, I would be...
I started my career as a sales engineer selling high-end instrumentation products and services to chemical, pharmaceutical, petroleum and other process plants. Had the job rotation to the communications function (where I fell in love with marketing, communications and PR) not happened, I would have been a sales professional today. Being a weekend farmer, maybe at a later stage of my life, I will get into community farming.