Account Manager / Senior Account Manager - Brands (Public Relations)

More about the role:

Burson is looking for a Public Relations Manager / Senior Manager – Brands to join our Gurugram office. The role will be part of our Brands, Sports & Entertainment practice, a team of specialised communications professionals delivering integrated campaigns across FMCG, lifestyle and luxury, hospitality, F&B, retail, entertainment, and sports. The team works at the intersection of brands, culture, and communications - building and strengthening brands through impactful storytelling and integrated campaigns that enhance reputation, shape culture, and influence consumer behaviour.

As a Public Relations Manager, you are expected to support day-to-day client activities and provide guidance to junior team members through ongoing counsel and effective delegation. You will contribute to Burson’s performance by managing client relationships and integrated communication (IC) programs, satisfying, and delighting clients, helping, generate new business and growing existing accounts.  You are required to support our corporate strategy and your practice or office to help ensure superior client service, a winning culture and profitability.

What you'll do:

CORE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

 Client Service:

• Stay current on your clients’ businesses, industries and competitors and use your knowledge to develop comprehensive, strategic, and integrated communications programs that complement the client’s business objectives and deliver results.
• Act as a day-to-day client leader and maintain a clear and consistent communication channel between the client and the account team.
• Be actively involved and oversee quality implementation for one or a group of accounts within time and budget constraints.
• Manage client relationships and be the client’s key contact, counselor, and strategic thinker.
• Timely Decision Making – The ability to identify a problem and find solutions. Make decisions in a timely manner, using available information and under tight deadlines.
• Have strong verbal and written communication skills including development of various types of materials such as Q&A, key messages, holding statements, press release etc.
• Be able to support the senior managers and leaders in resolving client issues.
• Maintain a strong rapport with journalists/bloggers/media members who cover your clients’ industries and businesses to optimize channels.
• Help develop media strategies, write pitch letters, and respond to media queries.
• Stay updated on social media channels, trends and analytical tools and make recommendations to strengthen our capabilities.
• Support the digital media strategy implementation.
• Stay updated on social media trends and build relationships with key influencers and community contacts to optimize channels.
• You must possess a strong familiarity with how Generative AI tools are used across communications programmes, especially in planning, research, ideation, content creation, and daily operations to drive relevance and efficiency.

 Business Development:

• Support the Directors and other senior leaders to identify new business opportunities within existing and potential clients.
• Be proactive during new business brainstorms and take ownership of portions of new business proposals under the guidance of Directors and senior leaders.

Experience that contributes to success:

• Postgraduate degree in any discipline, or a professional qualification in public relations or marketing communications.
• Minimum 4+ years of work experience in public relations or the communications industry. with at least one year leading a team.
• Prior experience of managing clients across FMCG, Food & Beverage, Lifestyle, Hospitality, Travel, and related sectors is must.
• You must possess a strong familiarity with how Generative AI tools are used across communications programmes, especially in planning, research, ideation and daily operations to drive relevance and efficiency.