Cristina Butunoi (Golin): „ I still strongly believe that PR can change the world and make a difference”

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 Cristina Butunoi, executive director Golin, 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?

There have been continuous shifts in how PR is done as a result of technological developments, polarizing issues driving from geo-political risks and questions still without answers in a post pandemic world. These forces have shaped the way we communicated lately and will continue to do so in the coming years. Moreover, 2024 is THE election year, as half of the people of the world, more than ever in world history, will head to the polls in 64 countries. In this context, PR evolves and adapts to all these changing needs of organizations and their stakeholders.

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Golin Romania announces the appointment of Cristina Butunoi as Executive Director

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

There is room for improvement as few of the last years’ campaigns stood out of the clutter. All clients want earned media and organic reach, but this means they need to approve disruptive, bold, brave ideas. Corporate slang means nothing outside the business setup. On the other hand, it is our job, the agencies, to explain and keep the clients informed of all the changes in consumers’ behavior and in ways they interact with brands. We need to support them with arguments and interpreted data so that they cand further sell ideas internally. But, in a day to day working environment, we often end up riding on beaten paths.

Regarding the budgets I am thinking of something that I’ve learned in the early days of my career and is still valid: creative work and fast will not be cheap; fast and cheap will not be creative, creative and cheap will not be fast.  Now everything depends on what you want and what you have resources for.

What would you change in the industry and why?

The ethics in pitch processing. Agencies invest a considerable amount of time, effort, and money in a new business pitch as we are players of a hyper-competitive industry. Clients want the best ideas at lowest budgets. Somehow these ingredients steered the perception that there are no rules to be considered. As such we have pitches lacking transparency, won pitches and no project to follow, or pitches where all participants are declared winners. And these are only a few of the latest anomalies we witnessed. Perhaps the agencies can find ways to make the process transparent through ethical autoregulation.

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

By far, lack of talents. It’s becoming harder and harder to find talented people willing to build a career in a PR agency. With the right people on your boat, you can do anything.  

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

After more than 20 years of experience in communication, I still strongly believe that PR can change the world and make a difference. Sometimes huge differences. Just think about it: we are the ones that educate people, we can change laws with the right approach, we can change systems to the benefit of communities, we inform, and we entertain. As Joey in Friends would say: what’s not to like?

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

We actually do not look at trends to follow them. We try to anticipate them and be ready when they come. Our data unit, Path, gives us a good hand here.

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

We have a balanced mix between consumer, corporate expertise and digital seasoned with a strong creative team, a data unit and BTL know-how. The solutions that we deliver to our clients are round, customized to their needs, able to answer their business objectives and can cover anything: from the strategic approach to the execution of the creative idea.

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

2023 was a full year for Golin, from so many perspectives. In terms of client projects, we had one of the most fruitful years in a while, launching strong communication campaigns for our clients.

One example is Tomorrow’s Menu, recently awarded at European Excellence Awards. Sphera Group’s CSR platform was launched in KFC by creating a new kind of menu: Tomorrow’s Menu. A social cause menu for people in underprivileged communities. The platform was introduced through the first plate ever in a KFC restaurant. A plate you can scan to access the life stories of people who don’t have food to put on their table.

Another example is ‘Joaca, nu jocuri’, for Salvati Copiii. A campaign meant to address in a bold manner the impact of gambling on minors, and that used an unprecedented move: the school buildings became the display of our campaign’s banners. Not to mention that we reinvented, together with Electrolux, the most popular dish from the Danube Delta, in a recipe with ingredients that do not expire: Ciorba PETscareasca.

As a thought leadership material, we launched EXPUS, together with PATH and iSense Solutions, showcasing the relationship between a consumer and a brand and the factors that influence it.

What are your goals for the agency in 2024?

As a top PR agency for 18 years now, Golin has a local legacy. To go next level, the most important thing for me is my team. Golin is renowned for the good vibe of its team, but we work in an industry where there is much pressure, coming from day-to-day work. I would like to see more joy while doing our job and I will do my best to maintain this. And I am sure the rest will come: good campaigns and happy clients.

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

At the moment we are evaluating in several teams flows that help us jump ahead of the trends. Our industry has been constantly transforming since its existence. We work now to anticipate what will be the impact in communication of trends like the AI adoption growth, climate change risks, or increased disinformation.

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

We regularly have calls with the Golin network and what we see in the meetings with other Golin offices in Europe shows similar challenges: lack of talent, fragmented market, complicated pitches lacking transparency, pressure on budgets, tight deadlines. The main difference is that all of these are happening on incomparably bigger budgets than in Romania.