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Spotlight on PR from Russia
An interview with Dmitry Krivtsov, Development Director of Omnes Imperium Group in Moscow
Omnes Imperium Group is a new member of Public Relations Boutiques International, the global PR agency network which Bridge helped found. Among the firm's areas of expertise are financial PR, government relations, corporate social responsibility and media relations. Bridge interviewed Dmitry Krivtsov, the firm's development director, about how PR is practiced in Russia:
Bridge: How and when did PR emerge in Russia?
Dmitry Krivtsov: PR activities began emerging here at the very end of the 1980s. The first PR agencies were established in '92-'93. At about that time larger businesses also started to establish their own in-house PR/information departments.
In the beginning the process was quite chaotic: companies did not quite understand how to deal with the media and their target audiences. But with time, companies realized that advertising is not the only communications tool. In the beginning of the 90s, PR agencies in Russia almost always were created as departments of advertising firms. In most cases, companies were seeking advertising services and afterwards realized that PR services also could be useful. PR became a more or less independent market in the second half of the 90's.
Bridge: How does PR in Russia differ from other countries?
DK: Russian PR is now closer and closer to European and American standards.
The time when PR in Russia meant only placing articles in the media for money are long gone.
Some specifically Russian features of PR include the fact that in Russia there are still not that many communication channels because Internet technologies are still relatively undeveloped and are not covering the whole country. Secondly, large businesses are still "looking back" at the state in their public activities (although less than they were just five years ago). Third, mid-size businesses have just begun to understand the importance of PR.
From the audience point of view, the level of trust towards information from the mass media in Russia is still very high. Many Russians still tend to take the mass media as the voice of the state even when the state has nothing to do with it. This isn't just true for the general public, but also for specific groups such as businessmen, public servants, private employees, etc.
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We will have more in our next issue about PR in Russia, including:
- A look at the competitive landscape for marketing PR and new product launches
- A short overview of the media in Russia
Bridge Hosts First Meeting of PR Boutiques International
In May, New York City was the site of the first-ever gathering of Public Relations Boutiques International (PRBI), the new global network of PR firms that Bridge helped found. Bridge CEO Lucy Siegel (second from left, front row) is president of PRBI. All but three of the network companies were represented at the meeting, coming from as far away as Moscow to attend. The network, which was launched in February with a dozen firms, is growing rapidly.
"Since the launch announcement, we've had inquiries from nearly 50 firms about joining, from all corners of the world," said Lucy Siegel. "We have added seven of those companies as new members to the network to bring the total to 19. We now have network members in countries stretching from China to Israel and many key locations in between."
Bridge INtern Participates in PRISM
Julia Budnick, a senior at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., has joined Bridge Global Strategies as a summer intern and a participant in the Public Relations Internship Summer in Manhattan (PRISM) program. Julia expects to graduate next spring with a B.A. in Psychology and Writing and Rhetoric.
PRISM is a new program founded by Bridge Global Strategies. Four small public relations firms teamed up to establish PRISM, with the objective of giving their summer interns a broader range of PR experience than they could get within their own firms. The program includes weekly lectures by journalists and PR industry executives. PRISM also provides the interns with a hands-on pro-bono PR project. This summer the intern group is working together to promote an upcoming fundraising benefit for the non-profit organization, Just Food.
Julia shares her excitement about her internship: "This is an incredible and rare opportunity for college students. The fact that I am working with three other interns on our very own account is a huge responsibility and a great honor. Also it is fantastic that we are providing our services to Just Food, an organization that promotes sustainable agriculture."
Bridge sends a warm "Thank You" to Susan Lee, who recently completed a spring internship with Bridge. Susan, who also just received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Fordham University, came to Bridge with a strong desire to explore a totally different area from her major. From writing to the media for consumer clients' accounts, to helping with events for our pharmaceutical association client, to brainstorming PR ideas with the rest of the team, Susan's internship opened up new vistas for her in an area she couldn't explore academically.
Lucy Seigel Co-Authors New Book
Lucy Siegel, President & CEO of Bridge Global Strategies, is the co-author of "Building Customer Relationships through Public Relations: Industry Leaders on Creating a Reputation, Maintaining Your Brand, and Establishing Awareness and Relevance in the Marketplace" (Aspatore Books, 2008).
The book, written by a group of PR industry leaders, is available for sale on Amazon and other bookstores online and across the country for $65. However, readers of this newsletter can access a chapter written by Lucy Siegel in Bridge Global Strategies' online newsroom.
Bridge Has Moved!
Bridge Global Strategies moved to a new location on April 1st.
The new office location is:
Bridge Global Strategies
16 W. 36th Street
Suite 1002
New York, NY 10018
Our telephone number remains the same, but please note our new fax number:
(212) 967-1311
We are enjoying our new office, filled with sunshine and views of the nearby Empire State Building. We're centrally located, just a block from Herald Square, a short walk from Penn Station or Grand Central. Come see us!
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