An interview with Roshan Mohan, Managing Director, PEPPER Interactive Communications, a communications and Public Relations consultancy

Welcome to today’s interview with Roshan Mohan, the Managing Director of PEPPER Interactive Communications. With years of experience in the field of communications and public relations, Roshan has successfully led his consultancy to new heights, working with a diverse range of clients to craft impactful strategies and messages.

His insights into the evolving landscape of communications and the role of PR in shaping perceptions will provide invaluable perspectives for our audience.

Can you tell us about your journey and how you came to be the Managing Director of Pepper Interactive Communications?

Roshan Mohan: I began my journey in Event Management while I was still in college at 19. What started as a hobby and a way to earn extra money gradually became a full-time job. As I built a considerable network and identified the potential in the Bengaluru market, I eventually started my own event company.

One of our most noteworthy events was possibly India’s first Autocross racing event for motorcycles in the city. The event’s impact on that segment was eye-opening, and major factory teams later selected many participating riders. Successes like these firmly put me on the path to a professional career.

When Bengaluru emerged as the country’s IT hub in the early 2000s, we supported various large-scale summits and conferences for high-profile clients like Microsoft, Intel, Adobe, and others on the corporate side.

During this period, I got exposed to Corporate Outbound Training and L&D, which later proved valuable for building better team dynamics. One of our clients recommended a career in the Public Relations sector, which he thought I would excel in. I was intrigued by the idea and eventually made the switch.

After working in PR agencies for several years, I decided to take a break and quit my job. My plan then was to travel for a bit, not to start a PR firm. However, I continued to receive requests for independent projects from my contacts.

This kept happening for a few months until I realised I was already managing multiple clients on a retainer basis, which was like having a full-time job. Although I didn’t get the break I wanted, I saw it as an opportunity to bring my vision to life. So, in 2013, I founded PEPPER to create a niche for an integrated and technology-driven approach to communications.

What inspired you to establish Pepper Interactive Communications as an Integrated Communications Firm?

Roshan Mohan: As mentioned above, with PEPPER, I took a unique approach to Communications and how PR agencies functioned. I drew from related disciplines, such as advertising and marketing, and applied these approaches to the PR practice.

In 2013, Social Media was in its early stages of formal marketing and communications in India, but I envisioned its potential impact on communication. We offered Integrated Services from the very first year and had the privilege of having some brands trust us with their mandates early on.

An integrated multi-disciplinary practice was challenging to establish as the available talent in the market was accustomed to working in a fixed manner. As a result, we had to provide specific training to all our staff, which we continue to do to this day.

I had earlier found the extended decision-making process frustrating while working in larger PR firms. Additionally, I am aware that there is immense pressure on

the teams to deliver. Therefore, I wanted PEPPER to prioritise the overall well-being of the team. Our HR policies are designed around this principle, and we have discarded age-old redundant and unnecessary practices. We made several other adaptations and developed unique processes to establish the foundations of an integrated practice.

Creativity is another crucial aspect of the field of communications. As this field constantly evolves, professionals must understand the various types of media and how they relate to each other. Today, it is essential for brands to take a cross-disciplinary approach to grow. At PEPPER, this is precisely what we do.

In what ways does Pepper Interactive Communications differentiate itself from other communication firms in the industry?

Roshan Mohan: Our firm has been an Integrated Communications firm for most of our existence. We believe in applying cross-sector practices in our strategies for clients, avoiding the limitations of plain-jane media relations and traditional methods.

Our holistic approach focuses on the big picture and incorporates content strategy at the core of our planning. We then shape textual and visual content for various applications and platforms to achieve client objectives across different media vehicles and audience types. The key to achieving success in this approach is conducting effective research and application.

We possess expertise in multiple sectors and have a strong focus on technology. Our teams are well-versed in the latest technologies and use them effectively in communication. For example, we started training our employees in AI technologies in 2022, when AI was only beginning to make conversations in our industry.

We like challenging the status quo, and we infuse aspects of creativity in our campaigns. We encourage each team member from the trainee level to question and think differently.

Our tech and research-driven approach enables us to understand trends and better communication campaigns for our clients that are more impact-focused and not just quantitative coverage-focused. We work very closely with our clients to achieve their objectives while advising them on various possibilities to convey their message.

I’d like to add that we work under the framework of C.I.T.E – which stands for Collaboration, Integrity, Transparency, and Ethics. I firmly believe that communications professionals have a greater responsibility towards transparency and ethics as we act not only as advisors but also as the conduit for the communications and reputations of the companies they manage.

How do you ensure that Pepper Interactive Communications stays innovative and adaptable in a rapidly evolving communications landscape?

Roshan Mohan: Our culture is about being curious. We like to innovate and learn continually. We learn by doing. And that philosophy is embodied in everything that we do. Since L&D is a core part of our internal processes, we often train our teams to be well ahead of the game.

Technology is a tool that, when used well, can optimise work workload and open up creative possibilities, making us more effective. This is in our DNA, ensuring we stay relevant, agile, adaptable and ahead of the curve.

Our L&D workshops aid our employees in staying ahead and well adapted to changing industry trends and new technology tools. The diversity of our people encourages them to be ‘out-of-the-box & beyond’ creators. Our matrix structure helps team members learn on-the-job and share ideas, across geographies.

How do you foster a collaborative and creative work environment within Pepper Interactive Communications?

Roshan Mohan: Collaboration is one of our core values under C.I.T.E. Our teams are built into an efficient matrix structure, allowing cross geography reporting and hassle-free interteam communication to enable collaboration. This design also reinforces the open working culture that we believe in.

Being a tech-driven company; we use numerous software and AI tools that help us collaborate better and innovate collectively. We encourage individuality while building a team rapport via various internal activities that help foster deeper connections within the team.

Over the years, we have initiated several internal programmes, including a competitive annual tournament called ‘The Pep League’ that is designed to bring together all our employees across all our office locations. We have weekly meetings called ‘PepHuddle’ wherein the teams brainstorm ideas and discuss problem-solving and challenges.

We organise workshops with subject matter experts to help team members dive deep into areas critical to their professional knowledge.

Our people are our drivers of creativity. We believe in creativity in diversity – our talent pool includes individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, education fields, and areas of interest.

How do you see the role of technology shaping the future of communications, and how is Pepper Interactive Communications leveraging technology to stay ahead?

Roshan Mohan: Technology is a great enabler for us. Today, the data we seek is available at our fingertips, and much time is saved. Tools help shorten processes, automate repetitive tasks and provide workable suggestions to craft plans and streamline workflows.

Hence, our people are freed from repetitive tasks and have significant time to pursue mind-application tasks such as interpreting research data into strategies, campaigns, intelligence reports, etc.

We use several tools at PEPPER, many of them AI-enabled, to enhance our approach and work. As mentioned, all our teams are trained in using AI for content development – text or visual. For instance, prompt engineering is a fundamental and essential training provided here that has helped save countless man-hours in content development.

However, we also have built-in processes and checks to prevent over-dependency on generated content. We further run multiple-level quality checks to ensure quality and alignment with objectives.

Listening is another critical aspect of communications – and in a multi-lingual, diverse country like India – this is essential to crafting campaigns more relatable to diverse audience sets. We use several tools for listening, developing business intelligence reports, identifying negative sentiments, crafting preemptive strategies and more.

How do you approach talent acquisition and development within Pepper Interactive Communications to build a high-performing team?

Roshan Mohan: Talent acquisition is one of the biggest challenges faced by the industry. Our firm faced a similar challenge in hiring the right people while drawing from the industry. We found that many people in the industry knew only one aspect of the job – either traditional PR, social media, content, or visual communications – but failed to understand the interplay between these core components. We have trained many of our employees in each area to address this issue.

Our talent management strategy thrives on sourcing from relevant job portals and social media platforms, employee referrals, and campus hiring.

Our hiring process encompasses a thorough screening of applicant profiles for role fit and role expectations, followed by technical assessment, behaviour assessment, and culture fit. We believe in functioning as a tight-knit team (rather than a volume team) comprised of employees who are true reflections of our core values.

We continue to have training programmes that enable people with these skill sets. We look for self-motivated people who are curious to learn and have the vision to build more. We’ve also been recruiting from engineering schools for the last few years since these candidates are technology-oriented and have an analytical bent of mind, which has become a critical skill set as AI takes centre stage in the industry.

What advice would you give to aspiring professionals looking to establish themselves in the communications industry?

Roshan Mohan: Make a habit of learning every day. Expand your understanding and knowledge. Seek out innovative ways to approach tasks and take a moment to consider the broader implications before acting.

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages and employ second-order and third-order thinking to develop a comprehensive perspective. Consistent hard work, honesty, integrity, and diligence will yield substantial rewards in the long run.

In conclusion, our conversation with Roshan Mohan, Managing Director of PEPPER Interactive Communications, has shed light on the intricate workings of the communications and public relations industry.

Through his expertise and experience, Roshan has offered valuable insights into the importance of strategic communication in today’s fast-paced world. As businesses and individuals navigate through an increasingly complex media landscape, Roshan’s vision and leadership serve as guiding beacons for achieving effective communication and building lasting relationships with stakeholders. We extend our gratitude to Roshan for sharing his knowledge and expertise with us today.

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