On July 28th, PR specialists, whose creative work is closely related to advertising, celebrate their professional holiday. The leading specialist at SUSU in this field is Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Head of the Marketing and Strategic Communications Department, Professor Lidiya Lobodenko. Lidiya Kamilovna speaks about how graduates in this field become in-demand in the labor market.
– How did this profession appear in Russia?
– The last two decades have been marked both by changes in the economy and in lifestyles, as well as by emerging of totally new fields. Internationally, many of these fields have existed for a long time already, but they have come to us only with the development of market relations. One such profession is advertising and public relations, which appeared in Russia in the 2000s as an independent activity, whereas in foreign countries it has existed for more than 200 years.
– What significance do public relations and advertising have for society?
– A huge significance! The profession of a specialist in advertising and public relations is one of the most in-demand professions in the modern market. Advertising and PR techniques are actively used to solve various management tasks in commercial and governmental structures, as well as in social organisations. They aim at forming and supporting a positive image of an organisation, strengthening customer loyalty, increasing competitiveness, and more. Companies need to be recognized, trusted, and that consumers prefer their products and services. At the same time, advertising and public relations must support a positive image for the business and promote it in a competitive environment.
– When did SUSU begin to offer training for specialists in advertising and public relations?
– SUSU was the first university in the Ural Federal District to offer training for students in the public relations field (in 2000), and in advertising (in 2002). In 2011, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation approved a new Bachelor’s program 42.03.01 – Advertising and Public Relations. Thanks to the unification of these specialties, the students form a number of professional skills which allow them to work effectively in the fields of integrated communications and promotion. Given the realities of the current period of development in the media space, the SUSU Department of Journalism and Mass Communications trains specialists in Advertising and Public Relations in New Media.
– Where do students of the advertising and public relations field gain practical training?
– At present, the department has signed more than one hundred agreements with communications agencies, offices of marketing, advertising, and PR, and press services at various organisations. Students also gain practical experience at the SUSU-TV television and radio channel, and at the SUSU Marketing and Strategic Communications Department. Our office was created in March 2017 per decree from Rector A.L. Shestakov with the goal of developing and executing programs on promoting the university aimed at forming and increasing brand awareness for the university and strengthening its image in the global research and academic space.
In various office of the Department, students have the opportunity to more deeply plunge in to their professional activities. For example, in the Office of Marketing, students complete marketing research, participate in the development of programs to promote the university’s brand; in the Press Service and the Office of Strategic Communications, they aid in the work between regional, federal, and international media; in the Office of Internet Broadcasting, they master techniques for working with corporate website, social networking pages, and various relevant Internet resources; in the Center for Advertising Technologies, they design advertising and informational materials and create souvenirs.
I must stress that today, SUSU graduates are working in our Department – these are specialists in the fields of marketing, advertising and public relations, journalism and philology, design and print.
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– The applicants who are currently choosing their path in life should probably understand what the benefits of studying at SUSU as a specialist in public relations and advertising are?
– For applicants who decide to become specialists in advertising and PR, it is very important to not make a mistake when choosing their university. To gain a truly high-quality education and, as a result, have a chance to get a job in their field, they must answer the question: “What can this university give me?” It’s best to choose one of the well-known Russian universities where they offer education in this field, and which has unique materials and technology, and practicing professors. Students of leading universities are always in demand in the labor market. For example, employers begin “hunting” after our students while they’re still in school; before graduation, many of our students secure employment.
– And in terms of fulfilling one’s potential, what opportunities will they have?
– In terms of fulfilling your potential, SUSU offers a unique opportunity to obtain your degree with a universal range of professional skills from creative development of an idea to managing a large-scale communications project. One benefit of this profession is that it is never monotonous or drab. Each project is unique in its own way, it differs from those that came before it, and requires new solutions. Specialists in PR and advertising can be sure that their intellectual and creative potential will remain in-demand. To successfully cope with this work, it is necessary to have a lot of knowledge in marketing and marketing research, be able to carry out strategic planning, manage projects, speak and write one’s thoughts clearly, speak to the media, and have skills in design and knowledge for the design and production of media products.
At the same time, a good specialist in PR and advertising must have such personal qualities as communication skills, creativity, organization, resistance to stress, and, of course, a sense of humor.
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– What is the main secret of specialists in advertising and public relations?
– You must understand that the time of narrowly-specialized professionals in advertising and PR is passing. The modern media space is transforming more and more actively – thanks to network technologies, information has become more accessible, and the population has begun using internet resources more often. Today, companies build their communications strategies based on the complex use of traditional and new media, increasing their expenses on online promotion.
Now, professionals must actively use internet marketing and new media technologies: web sites, SEO and contextual advertising, SMM and communications projects for social media, viral marketing, technologies of virtual and augmented reality and more. In the current conditions of the digital transformation of the media space, Internet technologies from the field of entertainment are turning into a professional means of organizing communication between specialists and consumers.
– What would you like to say in honor of PR Specialist Day?
I hope that specialists in advertising and PR will always keep up with the times or even be one step ahead. For young specialists – I recommend you never fear non-standard or interesting solutions and experiments. Using your mastery and talent, make life and events bright, original, and memorable!.jpg)