BTS of the PR world: Jigar Chatwani on navigating reputation in the age of real-time narratives

In this era, when people and celebrities care about internet reputation, Jigar Chatwani, Co-Founder, Vicara PR, shares what PR actually does when the internet loses its mind.

PR today feels less like storytelling and more like crowd psychology. You’re not sitting in a room crafting the “perfect narrative” anymore. You’re watching how people react, what they latch onto and what they completely ignore. Social media doesn’t wait for approval and it definitely doesn’t care about brand decks. The role has become about understanding behaviour and not just messaging. If you don’t understand how the internet thinks, you’re already late.

Recently, we have seen how social media crises can erupt overnight, case in point, Rebel Kid’s breakup, Kartik Aaryan’s dating rumours, or memes on Varun Dhawan’s acting. This shows how it has become more than important for artists and celebrities to have their own reputation management team as compared to a few years ago. Jigar Chatwani notices how earlier, reputation management was slow and predictable when people had time to assess, draft, and respond. "Today, things explode before breakfast. One post, one comment, one clip taken out of context and suddenly everyone’s an expert." Reputation management now is about staying calm when the internet isn’t. It’s about knowing what’s actually damaging versus what’s just trending for 24 hours. Not everything needs fixing and that’s a hard lesson people are still learning.

Also Read: When alignment beats algorithms in brand-creator partnerships!

So what does it look like behind the scenes when content creators or celebrities face an online backlash or sudden crisis? According to Jigar, behind the scenes of a PR is not chaos, but about control. "The first thing we do is stop everyone from reacting emotionally, including ourselves. We track where the backlash started, how fast it’s spreading, and who’s shaping the narrative. Then we talk to the creator or celebrity, because they’re usually seeing things in real time and spiralling."

A lot of PR work is actually therapy, minus the couch. Only once things slow down do we decide if and how to respond publicly. - Jigar Chatwani

Given how people tend to view PR through their own one-dimensional lens, common misconceptions exist about the reality of the work involved, especially during a social media crisis. And people from the industry are well aware of that. "The biggest misconception is that PR can clean up anything. We can’t. We don’t delete the internet and we don’t hypnotise audiences. PR isn’t damage control, it’s damage limitation." Another misconception Jigar has noticed is when people believe that there is always a formula. "There isn’t. What worked for one creator will completely fail for another. Context matters more than tactics."

Then how do PR professionals balance speed with sensitivity and accuracy in moments of digital outrage? "Honestly, speed is overrated. Everyone wants to be first, but being right matters more." A rushed response usually creates a second wave of outrage, and that’s harder to manage. The balance comes from experience and preparation. "When you understand the person, their audience, and their history, you don’t need to scramble. You respond with intention, not panic." PR teams work closely with their internal stakeholders, creators, and platforms during reputation-sensitive moments. These situations aren’t handled in isolation anymore. "You’re working with managers, legal teams, digital teams, and sometimes platforms themselves. With creators, especially, the relationship has to be built on trust." He emphasised how the response never lands if the creators feel controlled instead of supported. "You’re managing reputation, but you’re also managing pressure."

Skills PR professionals need today

Things weren’t as critical in the pre-social media era. Today the stakes are always high and on record, in the online space forever. One skill that PR professionals need today is internet literacy. Not just knowing platforms, but understanding humour, irony, outrage cycles, and how quickly public opinion flips. "Emotional intelligence is huge, because you’re dealing with people under stress." Data matters more now, but instinct still matters more than dashboards. And you need the confidence to say “let’s not respond” when everyone else wants noise.

As a professional who has come to see this world closely, Jigar has noticed certain learnings and patterns from recent social media crises that are also shaping PR strategies. "Audiences hate being talked down to. They see through it and find over-explaining as defensive and fake. Apologies without accountability don’t work. "Also, creators who engage with their audience regularly don’t feel like strangers when things go wrong. That relationship carries them through backlash far better than any statement ever could."

Measuring success in reputation management

Success isn’t a viral redemption arc; instead, it’s when the anger cools, the narrative softens, and people move on. "When brands still want to work with you and audiences stop defining you by one incident, that’s success. It’s subtle, but it’s real." For young professionals entering PR today, Jigar highlights a few things that they realistically should be prepared for in a digital-first, always-on landscape. "They’ll need to unlearn most of what they think PR is. It’s no longer just about press releases and chasing the “perfect” headline. The job is messy, fast-paced, and occasionally humbling. Curiosity and resilience are non-negotiable, a thick skin helps, and empathy is essential. If you genuinely enjoy understanding people, reading the room, and staying plugged into culture, PR can be deeply rewarding. If you’re looking for predictability and neat 9–5 days, this might not be your calling."

As celebrities and creators become growingly closer to their audiences with social media even the smallest mishap turns into a viral moment, either building or breaking their image. In this landscape, the role of a strong PR team has never been more relevant. Although they sound like a mere clean-up crew, PR today is about professionalism under pressure as they navigate through situations and protect a person’s image.

In this time when you prefer transparency, how do you look at PR? Let us know your thoughts.