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ANUP SHARMA is a veteran communication strategist with over 25 years of experience, has shaped India’s public discourse through the lens of reputation, trust, and digital storytelling. A trusted advisor to global institutions like the World Bank, WHO, UNICEF and various Indian ministries, he has also shaped impactful campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, Google India, and senior political leaders.

Recognized among the top 100 PR influencers globally, Anup brings strategic clarity, narrative depth, and a sharp understanding of trust-building in the digital age. Known for his strategic clarity and relatable wit, Anup currently serves on the board of Centre for Empowerment & Development Studies (CEDS India) and mentors young professionals and advises organisations on reputation and trust in the age of AI and attention deficit. An MBA in Advertising & PR, he is also a columnist, visiting faculty, and curator of events like TEDx and literary festivals.

Q. You started in advertising, dabbled in TV production, and then embraced PR and strategic communications. What made you commit to this profession?

A. I often say I didn’t choose organisations; it happened organically. In the late ‘90s, India was at the cusp of a media explosion. Satellite television was expanding, and dot-com start-ups were sprouting up every week. What fascinated me wasn’t just media creation—it was understanding audience psychology and insights. That curiosity led me through early stints at boutique advertising agencies and on television production houses. I later pursued an MBA in PR and Advertising to sharpen my strategic lens. The turning point was when I realised communications is the bridge between impact and intention. It’s where narratives shape reality.

Q. You’ve been part of various programs for WHO, the World Bank, and also the Ministry of Urban Development. What’s the strategic difference in working with the government, multilateral development organisations versus start-ups or corporates?

A. The difference lies in the goals and the storytelling architecture. Development organisations operate in a space where trust must be earned over time and across diverse geographies. Success metrics are long-term: policy shifts, behaviour change, stakeholder trust. Compare that with a start-up where communication needs to drive visibility, trust, user adoption, and investor faith—all at breakneck speed. Start-ups need to act like brands long before they become one. With every tweet, they’re writing their brand promise. With every pivot, they’re resetting stakeholder expectations.

Q. You’ve often emphasized storytelling as a corner- stone of campaigns. How do you balance traditional storytelling principles with the demands of fragmented digital platforms like social media, podcasts, and short-form video?

A. The essence of storytelling—emotional resonance and relatability—remains unchanged, but digital platforms

require modular, adaptable narratives. For instance, during the Rural Development Conference, we broke down complex policy themes into bite-sized stories. A farmer’s journey from debt to sustainability became a Sunday edition feature, a LinkedIn article, a X (Twitter) thread with infographics, and a 50 minute YouTube documentary and multiple 10 second Instagram reels. Each piece was tailored to the platform’s audience: News featured targeted policymakers with

data-driven success metrics, Instagram engaged younger audiences with quick visuals, and YouTube focused on emotional storytelling. The key is to maintain a cohesive core message while adapting tone, format, and depth. In India, where language and cultural nuances vary dramatically, hyper-localization is critical. For a national hygiene campaign, we created Marathi memes for Maharashtra, Bengali folk songs for West Bengal, and WhatsApp voice notes in Bhojpuri for Bihar. This ensures the story feels *personal*, not just *regional*.

Q. The public behaviour change campaigns of Swachh Bharat & Polio eradication are widely recognized. What are the key lessons in communication for changing societal behaviour?

A. Behavioural change requires understanding the

audience’s worldview. It doesn’t happen through slogans—it happens when people see people like them making that change. India’s diverse demography means no single message fits all. You must build hyper-local narratives on a national foundation. For Swachh Bharat, multiple storytelling formats that suited each community were used — from demonstrative celebrity endorsement to seeding messages in folk music, street plays, WhatsApp videos.

Q. You’ve often spoken about the ‘Trust Economy’. Can you explain what it means and how it applies across sectors?

A. Trust gives the best ROI. Look at the Tata Group. Their brand trust wasn’t built on jingles but decades of doing the right thing—paying staff during crises, supporting communities, being ethical in global acquisitions. Communication followed action—they didn’t need slogans because their deeds spoke louder. For modern brands, this means embedding trust into operations, not just optics. Consumers now value transparency more than advertising. In this new trust economy, even a refund policy or a CEO’s tweet contributes to your brand’s equity.

Q. CEOs and founders are now seen as extensions of the brand. How do you guide them through this delicate dance of visibility and responsibility?

A. The Indian market’s complexity—linguistic diversity, cultural nuance—means every message must be multi-layered. We build personal brand charters for founders—aligning their visibility with business values. One founder I worked with issued a candid video after a delay in product delivery. That transparency improved user retention. Today, being vulnerable and authentic is strength, not a liability.

Q. You’ve mentioned the Tata Group often as a model of trust. Could you elaborate on how Tata has built its brand over the decades?

A. The Tata Group is one of the most consistent examples of purpose-driven branding in India. Their success wasn’t built overnight or through flashy campaigns. It was earned through institutional behaviour—taking care of employees, investing in nation-building and putting ethics before margins. Tata’s trust is rooted in quiet consistency over loud marketing. Their communication celebrates collective achievement, not individual heroism. For instance, the Tata Nano’s launch was initially positioned as “the people’s car,” but when safety concerns arose, they recalibrated messaging to highlight engineering rigor and customer feedback loops, even admitting imperfections. Their CSR communication avoids grandstanding. When Tata Trusts built cancer hospitals, they didn’t host splashy inaugurations. Instead, they shared patient recovery stories through community radio, emphasizing access over charity. This humility resonates in a market weary of corporate performativity. A great example is during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, where the Taj Hotel, owned by Tata, was targeted. Tata didn’t just repair the property—they took care of every employee and their family members affected by the tragedy. No legal obligation, just a moral one. That story continues to echo in public memory. They’ve positioned themselves as a group that stands for reliability, not just profitability. That’s a masterclass in stakeholder-first branding.

Q. You’ve advised political leaders. How does political brand-building differ from corporate PR?

 A. Political communication is high-stakes and personality-driven. While corporate brands sell products, politicians work on *hope* and *identity*. During a state election campaign, we focussed on manifesto bullet points to highlight the vision of the leader besides working on showcasing the human side of the leader. We documented his lived experience - his modest childhood, his struggle balancing his education amidst mentary challenges and his journey to becoming an MLA—a story of resilience that mirrored constituents’ aspirations - someone who understands the voters. However, political trust is fragile. During a crisis where a leader faced corruption allegations, we orchestrated a “Town Hall Tour”—live unscripted Q&A session in public squares. This raw transparency rebuilt credibility better than scripted press conferences. Unlike corporate brand campaigns, political communication thrives on immediacy and emotional authenticity.