Going deeper into the origins of history, we learn that the first attempts at PR were made in the XI century. It is believed that the PR manager was… Pope Urban II. Back in 1095, he held the first press conference, or rather – convened the Council of Clermont, which had all the features modern press conference. Elements of PR-technologies were used later, more often – unconsciously, pursuing a certain goal.
Now, in the digital age, PR has become an integral part of successful communications. Behind every popular brand is a well-thought-out PR-campaign. Agree, although PR managers are sometimes in the shadow, however, it is their professionalism that determines the success of those they represent.
As you may have guessed, today’s interview is dedicated to the day of the PR specialist. We spoke with Yurii Halushchak, a graduate of the Department of Marketing and Logistics, now a successful PR manager at !FESTrepublic, about the peculiarities of his work, the secrets of a successful start and career growth and the first experience in PR during university years.
Authors’ note: The day of the PR specialist is celebrated in Ukraine on July 28. It was first celebrated in 2004, and in 2005 – the profession of PR specialist was officially approved. At the same time, the first national professional public organization of PR specialists – the Ukrainian Public Relations League – was created.
– «Alumni Forum. Reboot»: memories of student years, interesting teachers and stories when you feel nostalgic.
– Yes, I often think about Polytechnic. Firstly, because I live next to the University (smiles). Secondly, we closely communicate with group mates, both in work and in social issues. Every meeting always touches on pleasant memories from the past, we have a lot of them. These are trips to the Carpathians, which we always organized twice a year. These are exams and preparations for them. These are our favorite teachers, whose names and patronymics we still remember, as well as their key phrases. These are the prices in the canteen and for the photocopier, because then they were really funny, compared to today ones.
– Why did you choose PR? How did your journey in this field begin?
– Entering the Department of Marketing and Logistics, and delving into the basics of this science, I realized – we are together on the road. I remember the first presentation we did as a team in the 3rd year of study. The task was to choose any product and make a presentation for it. Usually everyone created a slideshow, commenting on the pictures on the screen. To stand out from the others, we shot a video on a professional camera, recorded audio, and made subtitles. It was very impressive! The video can still be found on YouTube under the title «Презентація суперкару «ЛЮТіК» (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGRzSwrXBM8 – author’s note). Now it looks primitive, but 10 years ago it was «WOW». Modern marketing is changing very quickly – and this feature has drawn me into this area. Also PR harmoniously combines digital, advertising, creativity, copywriting, and strategy. And this motivates me to move and develop.
– How would you describe the significance of your work for other people?
– While working with communications, the most important thing for me is to evoke the right emotion in the consumer. If it is right – then the person is satisfied, and the business thrives.
