ProPR: Jumbo PR&BTL is going to celebrate its 2d anniversary in October 2009. You can be considered a young agency. What did u manage to achieve for such a short period of time?
Olga Kovtun: Let’s define the specialization of the agencies. PR team, which had previously worked for JUMBO, was assigned into a separate department, which works under the name of Сohn&Wolfe Ukraine as a member of WPP Group. JUMBO BTL is focused on marketing services, and PR is not included into this list.
ProPR: Various sources say that there are 160 PR-agencies in Ukraine for the time being. What do you do to stand out?
О.К.: Not really sure about 160. In reality, I suppose there 20. All the rest are mixed agencies, which mainly deal with Event and BTL directions and provide alongside some PR services. It is not difficult to stand out. You just need to be professional and give your clients the result which meets their tasks.
ProPR: Lately, the PR-field in Ukraine is developing quite dynamic. Accordingly, clients of PR-agencies get better understanding of what is included into the tasks of public relations. Do your clients understand the specifics of PR?
О.К.: Someone does, if there was some previous experience of this kind. Someone considers PR as just placing of the pre-paid articles in magazines and is waiting for immediate sales. It is very individual and as expected from such a young industry as PR, very chaotic and spontaneous.
ProPR: Jumbo PR&BTL is a collective member of UAPR. Are there any privileges that you get from this?
О.К.: We receive important industry information and have opportunity to take part in round table discussions, educational programs.
ProPR: For the company to be successful you need a good team and some incentives. By means of what do you motivate your employees?
О.К.: Our employees have already chosen the professional field and their main motivation is that here and now before their eyes and with their own hands the PR industry is being built. This is a unique case for Europe, for example. And of course, their job is adequately rewarded, by means of bonus system as well. For example, once in a year, when it is a birthday of our agency in October, we all together leave for a warm, beautiful country. To celebrate and get some new knowledge and impressions.
ProPR: Would you share with us the most interesting, in your opinion, projects carried out by Jumbo PR&BTL over the last year.
О.К.: Brand Launch Velkopopovickiy Kozel. Joint project Grey Ukraine, Cohn&Wolfe Ukraine and Jumbo BTL.
Cohn&Wolfe Ukraine created a PR strategy and performed media communication. Jumbo BTL was responsible for technical and art implementation of the mass 2-days brand launch event in Pirogovo. What was the result? 65 branding posts, news blocks on the national TV channels.
ProPR: Did the economic crisis reflect of your clients and on the work of agency correspondingly?
О.К.: First 2 years for a newly-born agency is just the time to get some portfolio. Our business plan corresponded to that period. I have no idea what would happen if there was no crisis. And even taking into consideration all the economic difficulties – we are 2 steps before the plan.
ProPR: What is your forecast for PR market development in the nearest future?
О.К.: We don’t have PR market. I just hope there will be some, one day.
ProPR: In your opinion, who out of all politicians has the strongest PR team and who has the weakest one?
О.К.: If those working for Yatsenyuk are subversives – they are the strongest. Otherwise – they are the weakest.
ProPR: What you think can and should be done in order to improve public image of Ukraine both internally and outside the borders?
О.К.: I believe it is necessary to create an integrated strategy program and stick to it, first of all. Not for the sake of kickback form phony companies but for prosperity of our country. But I do not really believe in it. The corruption in Ukraine oppresses professionalism and makes it absolutely unnecessary in terms of activity evaluation criteria.
ProPR: What is the way the friendly team of Jumbo PR&BTL conducts some corporate holiday?
О.К.: 18 women work for our agencies. Each of them is a bright individual. We found some common basis which unites us besides work - this is our passion for traveling and learning something new. That’s how our corporate rest looks like – beautiful, stylish, informative. Last year it was Istanbul, Turkey and the sea-side and this year we plan – Montenegro.
