Interview with Marina Slobodyanik

“PR is always about relationships and trust. Therefore, no AI will replace humans”. Interview with Marina Slobodyanik

Recent global events have demonstrated the importance of quick strategic decisions. As a result, the attitude towards PR and communications has changed. Marina Slobodyanik, an international PR expert with many years of experience in this field, tells how PR goals have transformed and what is vital today in the cooperation between businesses and PR professionals.

What makes PR a valuable promotion tool for brands and companies in 2023?

The previous year showed the world the importance of flexibility and speed in all spheres of life. In a time of constant change and an unstoppable flow of news, it is difficult for people to keep track of everything happening around them. That’s why communications have become the connecting link that helped and continues to help businesses maintain contact with their key audiences. Clients, partners, teams — communications at different levels, external and internal, have become a reliable tool that forms the community of a brand or company and further directs it. PR helps to convey the values and mission of the business to broad audiences, to reach every representative of the target audience. This forms a great deal.

Which business sectors need to strengthen their PR activities? How can they do it?

All businesses today need high-quality PR support. But if we talk about particular sectors, I advise the hospitality industry, medical centres, and clinics to focus on this direction. It is especially painful for me to hear stories about the problems of this business because I have been actively working with such clients for the past several years. Unfortunately, the pandemic and then the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its global impact significantly influenced their operations and resilience in the face of the crisis. I enjoy working with hotels the most — I see many opportunities and formats: from media promotion and working with bloggers to holding large-scale events with the most exciting guests.

From my experience, I see that communications through people — leaders of public opinion — prevail today. Recent research often emphasizes the high level of trust audiences place in influencers’ experience, expertise, and view. It seems that cooperation with bloggers and celebrities can now become the tool that will help open a “second wind” for business. But it should not be a soulless advertisement — but live, native stories. After all, brand communications should support and unite, promoting services or products and significant and core values.

What other key trends in PR for 2023 may you highlight?

The key trend is, of course, the strengthening of the role of PR and communications in general. As a result, PR teams have increased, and top marketing, PR, and communications management have been transferred directly to the CEO. Expanding the area of responsibility also contributes to strengthening educational activities for specialists of even the highest rank — because the more skills and knowledge a specialist acquires today, the more effective and flexible a specialist will be.

The local context has become an essential factor influencing brand communications. If all of us are now constantly stuck in the news stream and have an over-saturated information space, then for communicators, constant monitoring of the information space and continuous research of the state of the market, the needs and goals of the audience, and responding to all this is a must-have.

A noticeable trend is a social commerce (for European and US markets) and the introduction of social initiatives and large-scale corporate social responsibility programs. Such projects help rally the target core of its supporters around the brand.

Will digitalization dominate traditional PR tools?

Undoubtedly, digital today is actively developing and capturing a larger and larger share of the budget for marketing and PR. Look at how much noise the appearance of ChatGPT has caused! Many specialists are already loudly declaring that AI will soon become a real competitor for individual specialists in implementing at least simple tasks.

However, when it comes to the competition between digital tools and traditional PR tools, I believe that when brand audiences are susceptible, communication from people and through people is more important. This applies to the increase in publicity of the CEO and top management of companies and the increase in trust in the formats of reviews and blogger recommendations. Influencers are looked up to and inspired by them, and their opinion is trusted. And no artificial intelligence or automated tool can replace this communication. Eventually, PR is always about relationships and trust.

How will cooperation with an agency, collaboration with an individual PR specialist, and working with an in-house team differ for business?

PR people are a kind of “grey cardinals” of companies. Everyone understands that they exist and work, and everyone sees the results of their work. Still, it is optional to talk about it out loud. At least, this is the approach I see from many business owners and managers.

Any format of cooperation has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, the in-house team is good because it “experiences” a shared history with brands, sees the “inside”, feels the context, and carries brand values and messages. On the other hand, businesses only sometimes have the budget to permanently hire a sufficient number of specialists. Therefore, there is a practice of turning to external specialists or agencies.

I like to work with brands directly as a PR specialist or PR consultant. Thus, I can immerse myself in the corporate culture and history of the company almost as an internal specialist. Still, I also can see the perspective and have a helicopter view. In addition, PR is a 24/7 job, whether the professional wants it or not. Even if I’m not currently working on project tasks but simply attending professional meetings or events, I always find new opportunities for my clients in these activities. This is a specialist’s one hundred per cent involvement in the work.

How can PR specialists develop and build their brands?

Firstly, word of mouth and personal recommendations work well in our field. Promoting yourself as a specialist is essential to a PR career, which requires time and often financial resources. It is difficult to win the market’s trust and even more challenging. Therefore, talking about yourself and your work systematically and taking action is necessary.

There are many ways to build your brand in social networks, create and maintain expert Telegram channels, regularly publish your cases on professional platforms or publish columns in the media. Each expert will find a format and manifestation that will be as organic as possible and help demonstrate professionalism at the highest level. And an attractive, positive public image will help accumulate valuable connections and show a potential employer immersion in the market, understanding of trends, a creative vision, and sincere interest in the profession.