Priyan DC: "Trust Cannot Be Created Through Messaging Alone"
Ten years into Star Squared PR, its founder on building an agency clients stay with.
Priyan DC has spent more than two decades in communications. He led Ogilvy PR's practice in South India before setting up Star Squared PR in Bengaluru, an agency he built around sharper counsel, stronger storytelling and long-term relationships. More than half its clients have now been with it for over five years.
As the agency enters its tenth year, he talks about where brands get the balance between attention and credibility wrong, why trust cannot be created through messaging alone, and the mistake he sees brands make again and again.
Two decades in
You've spent more than two decades in communications, across agency leadership, brand counsel and reputation management. What is one thing about communication that you understand differently today than you did when you started?
One of the most important shifts I've seen is the need for communication to be both consistent and deeply contextual. In today's multi-screen, always-on environment, brands must build a clear narrative that can travel seamlessly across traditional media, digital platforms and stakeholder conversations. At the same time, with the rise of AI and information overload, communication needs to be sharper, more insightful and more authentic to cut through the clutter. What has become increasingly clear to me is that effective communication is not just about messaging; it is about understanding the evolving consumer, the media ecosystem and the role media plays as a bridge between companies and their audiences.
You led Ogilvy PR's South India practice and went on to build Star Squared PR. What did you want to build differently when you started Star Squared?
When I set out to build Star Squared PR, I wanted to address some of the fundamental gaps I had observed in the industry. Before developing the blueprint for the company in 2015, we ran an audit with senior client leaders, journalists and editors. The feedback highlighted clear pain points: inadequate category understanding, limited ability to convert business priorities into compelling narratives, and the need for stronger communication and content-writing capabilities. The industry was also facing high attrition, which often resulted in fragmented relationships with brands and the media. We built Star Squared PR to respond to these challenges through sharper counsel, stronger storytelling and long-term relationship building. Today, our team includes former journalists and senior professionals who have been with the company for many years, including our first employee, who continues to be part of our journey.
What PR has become
PR has moved far beyond traditional media relations, with brands now dealing with creators, social platforms, real-time conversations and increasingly fragmented audiences. What part of PR's evolution has genuinely changed the way you think about the profession?
The most significant evolution in PR is that the profession is no longer defined only by media relations; it is now about reputation, trust and influence across multiple stakeholder ecosystems. Audiences today discover and evaluate brands through many touchpoints: news media, creators, social platforms, search, AI-generated summaries and direct conversations. This has changed the way I think about PR because the discipline now requires a much broader understanding of culture, technology, data and audience behaviour. The fundamentals haven't changed: credibility, clarity and storytelling. What has changed is the execution, which is far more integrated and real-time now. For me, the biggest shift is that PR professionals must now operate as strategic advisors who help brands build narratives that are not only visible, but also credible, defensible and consistent across platforms.
Trust cannot be created through messaging alone. It has to be earned through transparency, consistency and responsible action over time.
A lot of communication today is designed to get attention quickly. Where do you think brands are getting the balance between attention and credibility wrong?
Brands often lose the balance between attention and credibility when they prioritise speed, visibility or virality over relevance and substance. The real challenge is to choose the right medium for the right message while ensuring that the core narrative remains consistent. In a technology-driven environment where consumers use multiple sources to make decisions and media professionals increasingly rely on data and AI-led research, communication has to be customised for the audience and the platform. A message on Instagram, for instance, must be visual and immediate, while communication through traditional news media requires depth, context and strong storytelling. The formats may differ, but the underlying narrative must remain credible, compelling and aligned with the brand's values.
Earning trust
You've worked on both brand-building and crisis and reputation challenges. What have difficult situations taught you about the difference between communicating a message and actually earning trust?
Difficult situations have reinforced for me that trust cannot be created through messaging alone. It has to be earned through transparency, consistency and responsible action over time. A well-crafted message may help explain a situation, but trust is built when stakeholders see that the brand's words are aligned with its behaviour. We have, at times, advised brands against creating narratives that were not rooted in reality, because such approaches may deliver short-term attention but can damage credibility in the long run. Whether in brand-building or crisis communication, strong values and ethical decision-making are essential. Earning trust is hard work, and it requires brands to communicate honestly, demonstrate accountability and consistently reflect their stated values in every external engagement.
You've worked with brands at very different stages and moments. What is one mistake you repeatedly see brands make when they approach communication?
One recurring mistake I see is a lack of consistency in how brands approach communication. This can begin with the basics, such as the consistent use of logos, brand identity, colours and tone of voice, but it becomes even more critical in public relations. A company must have a clear and unified narrative that is understood and communicated across the organisation. Whether the spokesperson is from leadership, marketing, finance, operations or human resources, the brand's vision, values and purpose should remain consistent. I have also seen brands treat communication as a campaign-led function rather than a long-term reputation-building discipline. Strong communication requires continuity, clarity and alignment across every touchpoint.
Your work has received recognition, including acknowledgement at Cannes for the Apollo Hospitals anti-smoking campaign and a Gold at the Big Bang Advertising Awards. Looking back, what do you think made those pieces of work resonate beyond simply being "good campaigns"?
I believe the simplicity of the message made all the difference. In both cases, whether for Apollo Hospitals or Columbia Asia Hospitals (now part of Manipal Hospitals), the strength of the work lay in an idea that was easy for people to understand, relate to and remember. The campaigns were not limited to one format; they could be brought alive across advertising, billboards, public relations and broader stakeholder communication. That adaptability, combined with a clear human insight, helped the work resonate beyond simply being well-executed campaigns. I think that clarity of thought and relevance is what ultimately stood out to both audiences and juries.
The formats may differ, but the underlying narrative must remain credible, compelling and aligned with the brand's values.
Ten years of Star Squared
As Star Squared PR approaches its 10-year milestone, if you look back at the journey so far, what would you describe as the defining chapters of the agency's growth?
Looking back, one of the defining chapters of Star Squared PR's growth has been our focus on identifying, investing in and nurturing the right people at every stage of the agency's journey. Public relations is fundamentally a counsel-led business, especially when working with C-suite leaders and senior decision-makers. We recognised early on that delivering meaningful value to such clients required seasoned professionals who could combine strategic thinking with strong execution. Over the years, this emphasis on talent has helped us build a strong leadership team and a committed group of professionals who partner with leading global and Indian brands. Another defining chapter has been the longevity of our client relationships. One of the brands we partnered with in our year of inception continues to work with us, and over 50% of our clients have been with us for more than five years. For me, that reflects the trust we have built through consistency, quality counsel and a long-term approach to client partnerships.
Every agency has moments when things don't go according to plan. Was there a particular moment in Star Squared's journey that changed the way you approached the business or leadership?
Like any entrepreneurial journey, we have had moments that tested us and shaped the way we approached the business. In the early years, there were instances where we delivered strong campaigns but faced challenges with commercial commitments. Those experiences taught us the importance of clarity, discipline and transparency in how we define expectations with clients. They also reinforced the need to build the agency on quality rather than competing only on cost. We chose to focus on rigorous research, sound counsel, consistent execution and high standards across everyday deliverables. From a leadership perspective, those moments made us more resilient and more intentional about the kind of business we wanted to build: one rooted in credibility, professionalism and long-term value for clients.
As Star Squared PR enters its 10th year, what would you like the agency to be known for in the decade ahead?
In the decade ahead, I would like Star Squared PR to be known as a powerhouse of creative and professional talent. More importantly, I would like the agency to be seen as a credible, trustworthy partner that functions as a true extension of a company's marketing and communications team. As AI reshapes the communication landscape, our ambition is to build sharper, more disruptive and more meaningful narratives that are valued by both brands and the media fraternity. We want to continue being allies to journalists while providing brand-building communication that is strategic, engaging and rooted in credibility. Ultimately, I would like Star Squared PR to stand for strong counsel, creative thinking, ethical communication and enduring relationships.