About Earned First

'A good reputation is hard to earn'

Earned First is a groundbreaking media and events platform dedicated to elevating public relations and corporate affairs professionals across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Born from recognizing a critical gap in the industry, Earned First aims to be the definitive voice for PR practitioners in regions that represent over 75% of the world's population — establishing them as thought leaders, rather than followers, on the global stage.

As Western economies turn inward, the APACMEA region is rapidly emerging as a crucial source of innovation, creativity, and cultural intelligence for the global public relations sector. Despite this shift, these regions have historically been underserved by Western-centric media platforms that fail to understand their unique communications cultures and challenges.

Earned First is led by respected industry journalist Arun Sudhaman, in conjunction with The PRomise Foundation — best known for its acclaimed PRAXIS community platform. In addition to operating The PRomise Foundation’s events and properties outside India, Earned First serves as a crucial voice for PR markets across the Global South, providing industry analysis, research/consulting, thought leadership and peer networking.

Earned First is not just another industry platform — it's a movement to rebalance the global PR narrative, spotlight innovation from emerging markets, and create meaningful connections across the fastest-growing communications markets in the world. Ultimately, our shared community will be built on the enduring truth that underpins the resilience and vibrancy of these regions: trust, influence and reputation must be 'earned first'.

About Arun Sudhaman

I'm a global media entrepreneur, journalist and industry analyst with a unique track record of connecting the PR and communications sector across established and emerging markets. You can contact me here.

In addition to my roles as PRomise Foundation CEO and Earned First founding editor, I also serve as an Advisory Board member at the Asian Communications Network, a Trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and an independent advisor at Folgate Advisors.

Over two decades, I've built and led international media platforms that serve the public relations and marketing sectors, most recently spending 14 years transforming PRovoke Media into the industry's foremost source of insight and analysis.

As CEO & Editor-in-Chief of PRovoke Media, I led the company's evolution from its Holmes Report origins into a modern digital-first platform. This journey included launching industry-defining products like the Influence 100, Global PR Agency Rankings, and our flagship Global PR Summit - featuring speakers from Jen Psaki to Sir Martin Sorrell to Marc Pritchard.

My career has taken me from Hong Kong to London, Singapore to New York, and many points in between — giving me unique insight into the crucial intersection between culture, reputation and communications. I've built enduring relationships with PR leaders across markets like India, China, Southeast Asia and Africa, while maintaining strong connections with global industry hubs in New York, London, Washington DC and Brussels. This distinctive perspective has informed my commentary for media outlets including the BBC, Washington Post and Guardian, along with speaking engagements at events such as the Cannes Lions and World Economic Forum in Davos.

Prior to PRovoke Media, I held senior editorial roles at Haymarket Media across Asia and Europe, after starting my career at the South China Morning Post. Today, I serve as a Trustee of the Institute for Public Relations, and also provide strategic counsel as an independent advisor to organizations navigating the complex intersection of geopolitics, technology and reputation.

Industry recognition includes becoming the youngest-ever inductee into the ICCO Hall of Fame (2015) and being named PRCA Asia-Pacific Journalist of the Year (2022).