«PR Days 2024»: Charting the Industry's Future in an Era of Turbulence
The 28th annual RPRA "PR Days 2024" communications forum was held in Moscow at the RSPP headquarters, and also featured the presentation of the "Hamburg Score" award for political technology.
The forum kicked off with a rapid-fire panel discussion on "What to Prepare for in 2025." In a series of short presentations, RPRA experts outlined key trends in technology, economics, politics, and social dynamics, setting the stage for the day's subsequent sessions.
Evgeny Minchenko, President of RPRA and Minchenko Consulting, opened the discussion. He noted that in political consulting, the U.S. election and Donald Trump's victory signify a societal demand for a "superhero team." Minchenko compared the future U.S. president's team to archetypal figures in modern culture, and Trump himself to the popular animated character Wolverine—a rebel who is transformed into a hero in the public consciousness after a failed assassination attempt.
Alexey Firsov, Vice President of RPRA and CEO of the "Platform" Social Design Center, spoke about the crisis in the media landscape and the rising demand for expert-led communication, or "expert relations." He argued that the role of research is growing, not merely as a news hook to engage with target audiences, but as a way to create the conditions for genuine stakeholder interaction.
Oleg Mukovozov, a member of the RPRA Executive Council and Managing Partner at the Prognosis analytical agency, also addressed the loss of trust in business communication. He predicted that the demand for analytics that enable businesses to make sound decisions will grow in the coming year, which will in turn expand the requirements for analysts, who must master project management and maintain a sharp focus on client objectives.
Strategies for overcoming the communication crisis were presented by Lilia Glazova, a member of the RPRA Executive Council and CEO of PR News. She shared findings from a joint study with Rambler, which revealed that according to 500,000 users, the reputation profile of the company of the future is built on technology, security, quality, and ethics. "One of the ways to break through and reach the consumer is to integrate into their worldview," she said.
The transformation of the legal and tax consulting professions was the focus for Evgeny Kovalev, a RPRA Executive Council member and CMBDO at the Moscow law firm Kovalev, Tugushi & Partners. He explained that sanctions and the exit of Western players have led domestic companies to build their in-house legal departments and rely less on outsourced consultants. This trend can be countered by law firms creating their own LegalTech platforms and startups.
Leonid Khomeriki, a member of the RPRA Executive Council and founder of the PR Company content marketing agency, dedicated his presentation to the expanding toolkit for PR specialists and the future of neural networks. He noted that 85% of PR professionals already use AI, and 40% plan to pursue further training. "Neural networks are part of a larger global trend. Every PR specialist must learn prompt engineering and continuously perfect their skills with these new tools," he stressed.
This opening discussion set the agenda for the day's other sessions, which covered topics such as PR specialist certification, the competition for talent among corporate cultures and HR brands, risk management, and Russia's engagement with BRICS and the Global South.
"PR Days 2024" was a landmark event for the professional community, not only highlighting future trends but also defining pathways for the industry to evolve and navigate the communication crisis in an era of turbulence.
The forum kicked off with a rapid-fire panel discussion on "What to Prepare for in 2025." In a series of short presentations, RPRA experts outlined key trends in technology, economics, politics, and social dynamics, setting the stage for the day's subsequent sessions.
Evgeny Minchenko, President of RPRA and Minchenko Consulting, opened the discussion. He noted that in political consulting, the U.S. election and Donald Trump's victory signify a societal demand for a "superhero team." Minchenko compared the future U.S. president's team to archetypal figures in modern culture, and Trump himself to the popular animated character Wolverine—a rebel who is transformed into a hero in the public consciousness after a failed assassination attempt.
Alexey Firsov, Vice President of RPRA and CEO of the "Platform" Social Design Center, spoke about the crisis in the media landscape and the rising demand for expert-led communication, or "expert relations." He argued that the role of research is growing, not merely as a news hook to engage with target audiences, but as a way to create the conditions for genuine stakeholder interaction.
Oleg Mukovozov, a member of the RPRA Executive Council and Managing Partner at the Prognosis analytical agency, also addressed the loss of trust in business communication. He predicted that the demand for analytics that enable businesses to make sound decisions will grow in the coming year, which will in turn expand the requirements for analysts, who must master project management and maintain a sharp focus on client objectives.
Strategies for overcoming the communication crisis were presented by Lilia Glazova, a member of the RPRA Executive Council and CEO of PR News. She shared findings from a joint study with Rambler, which revealed that according to 500,000 users, the reputation profile of the company of the future is built on technology, security, quality, and ethics. "One of the ways to break through and reach the consumer is to integrate into their worldview," she said.
The transformation of the legal and tax consulting professions was the focus for Evgeny Kovalev, a RPRA Executive Council member and CMBDO at the Moscow law firm Kovalev, Tugushi & Partners. He explained that sanctions and the exit of Western players have led domestic companies to build their in-house legal departments and rely less on outsourced consultants. This trend can be countered by law firms creating their own LegalTech platforms and startups.
Leonid Khomeriki, a member of the RPRA Executive Council and founder of the PR Company content marketing agency, dedicated his presentation to the expanding toolkit for PR specialists and the future of neural networks. He noted that 85% of PR professionals already use AI, and 40% plan to pursue further training. "Neural networks are part of a larger global trend. Every PR specialist must learn prompt engineering and continuously perfect their skills with these new tools," he stressed.
This opening discussion set the agenda for the day's other sessions, which covered topics such as PR specialist certification, the competition for talent among corporate cultures and HR brands, risk management, and Russia's engagement with BRICS and the Global South.
"PR Days 2024" was a landmark event for the professional community, not only highlighting future trends but also defining pathways for the industry to evolve and navigate the communication crisis in an era of turbulence.