Catalina Rousseau (BDR Associates): Our communication industry reached a peak of development, becoming a credible and respected voice

2023 was a very dynamic and full year, until its end. But what should we desire from this year’s reality? BR sat down with Catalina Rousseau, President and CEO, BDR Associates Romania & Republic of Moldova/Hill & Knowlton Strategies Partner, in another series of interviews and talked about the Romanian PR industry, its evolution and what to be expected from 2024, at the same time not forgetting to touch the trends and agency’s side as well.

By Romanita Oprea

How would you characterize the evolution of the Romanian PR industry?

It is remarkable. The Romanian PR industry has become one of the most powerful and creative industries at international level. Its strong contribution to the global development of our profession is recognized and confirmed today by many international awards, or membership of Romanian specialists in international juries evaluating projects in prestigious European or global PR competition. Looking back to the 90’s when the first pioneering agencies in the field, such as BDR Associates, were born in Romania, we can be proud of where we are now. The road was hard, but successful. At the same time, it was a continuous learning process, positioning today the PR specialists among the most valuable strategic advisers for the business sector. The PR strategist accumulates today high educational values, know how, articulate speech, creativity and strategic thinking, and understands global trends and newest technologies. A value added brought by the PR agencies is the direct contribution to the progress of society by being a deeply and constantly involved in creating and developing community-oriented programs.

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How would you characterize the industry right now (creativity, budgets, strategy, etc)?

Looking at its fast evolution, I think that our communication industry reached a peak of development, becoming a credible and respected voice. Creativity and strategic thinking are simply brilliant in the landscape of communication, in Romania. From the financial perspective, allocated budgets are reasonable for the PR industry. However, we notice a visible difference depending on various types of communication. Budgets allocated for brand PR are by far more consistent than those dedicated to corporate communication, mainly in industries like retail FMCG, white goods or pharmaceuticals, for example. On the other hand, crisis situations generate increased budgets that vary in turn, depending on the type of crisis that must be managed, by the emergency of the situation, the resolution time and the resources involved by the agency to solve it.

What would you change in the industry and why?

The industry as a whole is in a moment of effervescent development, heading in the right direction, with respect for professional values and ethics. It has become very competitive at international level.  Most consultants in strategic communication secure performance and deliver quality, in support of their clients.  Why change something that works so well?

What are the main challenges right now in your opinion, in the industry?

Remaining competitive in an increasingly demanding market by successfully maintaining high professional standard. Learn new communication tools, aligning yourself ahead of time, to the future. Find effective ways to combat against fake news and deepfake phenomena, as part of our mission.

What still inspires you and gives you drive and joy in PR and why?

The market itself is a permanent inspiration in our effort to help clients reach their goals, despite realities such as the unpredictable economic environment, the vulnerable geopolitical context, plus several rounds of elections, in 2024. The political context influences and impacts the business environment. Therefore, there is a deep need for honest and continues dialogue between state institutions and the private sector, hence one of the major challenges for the activity of our public affairs division. Every successful PR or PA project that we implement brings us joy.

What trends did you notice on the local market/and how do you intend to represent them in your agency?

Innovative communication tools like ChatGPT or AI capture widely both the interest and the concerns of the communications industry. But will these new tools be able to deliver results without the intervention of the communication specialist? When we first tried ChatGPT as an innovative tool in copywriting for example, our consultants had to correct sometimes hilarious errors. However, the time saved is quite valuable.

Influencers represent another aspect that has recently grown in communication for distributing messages to the target audience. We were privileged to work with personalities as opinion makers who helped us better communicate for brands or in community-oriented programs.

What are the agency’s main services required by the clients and why?

We cover the whole range of professional services in the field of strategic communication, including PR ad PA, and with a specialization in crisis management and crisis communication, as one of the situations that ar more often encountered by companies in Romania. The majority of our team is formed of highly trained senior consultants.

How was 2023 in terms of creativity and projects, turnover, etc?

We were busy, indeed, in 2023. We concluded several European campaigns together with our international partners, we helped foreign investments to settle in the local market, we continued to provide our PR and PA specialised services to our multinational clients. We developed significant activity in the Republic of Moldova, as well.

What was so far the impact of AI?

As far as AI is concerned, we do not see a significant impact in our work so far. It is too early to speak about the use of AI tools in communication, we are still learning about it.

What about the pitches you entered?

One remark I can make here is an unusual approach that we unfortunately, experienced several times, in 2023, in the case of several tenders launched by some reputable companies, or state institutions, which benefited from donor funds. After lengthy procedures, involving several postponements of the date for announcing the winner, the respective pitches were simply cancelled, without any respect for the resources consumed by the participating agencies in the process. In each such situation, we have tried to understand the reasons behind such decision, and transparently submitted requests for clarifications. We are still waiting for answers.

What are your goals for the agency in 2024?

Taking into account the vulnerable political and geopolitical context, our main objective is to preserve and increase our portfolio of clients and, to this end, we look at most innovative trends and communication tools, which can make the difference in our work. Also, we are getting ready to launch the next edition of the Superbrands programme for Romania, and now we are finalizing the preliminary stages.

What are the changes you intend to bring in the agency in 2024 and why?

We are looking at how to align with world trends regarding new technologies and sustainability.

Where do you see the Romanian PR industry compared to the European one?

The Romanian PR industry and the European one are equal in terms of efficiency. We are witnessing a balanced transfer of know-how, and we should be proud of the high level of PR performance in Romania.