PR NEEDS YOUNG, TALENTED AND BRAVE PEOPLE

Interview with Szymon Dziewięcki

Interview published at the aboutMarketing editorial.

I believe that young leaders can bring to our industry a creative approach combined with a strong understanding of the digital environment and great adaptability to the new challenges facing the PR industry – we talk to Szymon Dziewięcki, project manager at SEC Newgate CEE, about the successes and awards, the importance of values in the PR industry, and the challenges facing the young generation in the industry.

You were recently awarded in the ICCO Global Awards 2024 in the Rising Star of the Year category. How do you view this award in the context of your career so far? What does this award mean to you as a young PR professional?

This is my first individual award at the international level, so it has special meaning for me. It’s the first time I’ve been recognized for the totality of my activities, and not for individual ideas and campaigns. So far, I’ve received awards for competitions and projects I’ve implemented in pairs, with Ewa Grabek or Agata Nowotnik, or as a team, as in the case of the Zloty Spinacz Award we recently won for the DEI report for TVN Warner Bros. Discovery.

Team awards recognize the good work of a group of people and an effectively executed strategy. Individual awards, on the other hand, in my opinion, are an excellent platform to speak out on issues important to the industry and, especially importantly, to the younger generation. Already at the gala in London, I encouraged industry leaders, CEOs and other awardees to submit their brightest younger employees and colleagues to such competitions. PR needs young, capable and courageous heads. I hope my appeal was heard there and will be heard in Poland as well.

Among other things, the jury recognized your leading role in the “Saving Free Media in Poland” campaign, which won two main awards in the same competition. How did the concept of this campaign come about, where did the idea, the concept come from?

It’s hard to talk about a concept or an idea here – rather, the values we share with our client, TVN Warner Bros. Discovery. The campaign took its cue from the difficult situation facing the media in Poland, particularly TVN. In this sense, it was not a product of anyone’s creativity or a response to a contrived problem. It was a consistent defense of certain values – the independence of the media in Poland in response to the actions of the political class. These are universal values, understood on every continent and protected in every democracy, and we successfully defended them in the very center of Europe. That’s why the campaign has received so much international recognition.

How do you assess the impact of the “Saving Free Media in Poland” campaign on defending values such as media freedom, journalistic independence, and pluralism in the media market? Can such projects spur change in other countries facing similar challenges? What universal lessons can be drawn from this campaign?

The values you mentioned have been successfully protected and even strengthened in this case by building public awareness and thus emphasizing the role of free media in democratic states. Today the media, even in Europe, face similar challenges. Let’s look at Slovakia or Hungary. The campaign, of course, cannot be directly transferred to another market, but it can certainly be a compass for all media outlets subjected to external, political pressure.

As I mentioned, we are talking about universal values that do not need additional explanation. Thanks to the broad public support and solidarity of the journalistic world, the topic of the media in Poland did not pass unnoticed in the world, especially in the US or the European Commission. The Hungarian media, which were successively taken over by the political and business circles of the ruling party, were not similarly lucky. Nevertheless, I think the lessons from Poland show that perseverance, solidarity and professional communication can effectively help the media in the uneven fight against the temptations of politicians.

Looking at your experience, how can young leaders use their fresh approach to make a real impact on the PR industry? What qualities set young leaders apart when working on projects of such high public importance?

In my work I combined two diametrically opposed approaches. On the one hand, creativity, which has allowed me to win numerous industry competitions. On the other hand, analytical skills and conscientiousness, which are much more valuable when working on projects with, as you put it, high social relevance and PA-specificity. I know that “being versatile” is no advice. On the other hand, there is some truth to this that I draw from my experience. As a younger generation, raised in the digital age, we have no problem stepping outside the box and adapting dynamic changes. The digital space is highly changeable in nature. Therefore, I believe that young leaders can bring to our industry a creative approach combined with a strong understanding of the digital environment and great adaptability to the new challenges facing the PR industry.

These qualities should be complemented precisely by conscientiousness and interests that go beyond our industry. I’m not saying that everyone needs to get a PhD in law, economics and sociology, but surely a general curiosity about the world and taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available to us on the Internet will not prevent us from finding recognition in the industry more quickly.

You founded the largest organization of young PR professionals in Poland, the UW Public Relations Student Association. What is the importance of such initiatives for developing new talent in the industry?

Indeed, it’s a project that I launched in my first year of study, and I’m really proud that dozens of students continue to be active in the Association, and hundreds have come through the organization. Suffice it to say that representatives of our Association and the entire UW, Emilka Sala and Michalina Wojcik, took second place in the academic PR world championships a year ago, and almost all of the people who have ever co-founded the Circle’s board have found their way into the industry and are thriving.

The very fact that I know how the fate of the following year’s members who are active in the Circle is going has just made me realize one more thing – how valuable this experience is in terms of building community and acquaintances in the industry. From my position myself, I try to advise the younger ones and participate in the life of the Association. And to put it a bit more generally – the Association also allows you to discover what this enigmatic PR actually is. Using the experience of guests whom the organization invites, or now even the experience of older students, students can more accurately choose the path they want to follow. This is valuable, because from my perspective there is nothing more frustrating than misguided choices and work that does not bring satisfaction.

Generation Z has entered the job market strongly. In your opinion, is it currently worth starting a career in PR being a representative of this generation?

Definitely yes, although I am fully aware that this is not a job for everyone. A while ago we talked about the qualities that are needed in the industry. I will stay in my position. I believe that this industry requires a willingness to learn, conscientiousness and sometimes availability after hours. These are the realities. However, from the perspective of Generation Z, we can get something extremely valuable in return – proficiency. Young people are increasingly willing to engage in social activism, want to change the world, and are demanding more and more from business on the ethical side. PR in this regard has a great deal to offer, as it provides a unique opportunity to educate business from the inside and create campaigns that will address the challenges of today’s world that my generation faces.

What are the biggest challenges facing young professionals in the PR industry? What competencies are important to deal with these difficulties?

They certainly face a lot of uncertainty. The number of paths to choose from and topics in which to specialize is enormous. It’s a simultaneous blessing and an affliction to find oneself in. You have to ask around, try things out, get to know the specifics of working in a particular area and evaluate whether it suits you.

In addition, good relations with various circles – social, media, business or political – often play a big role in PR. It takes time to build such relationships – similarly, it takes time to understand the rules that govern this world. Therefore, I would suggest not to break the wall with our heads, but to find a path that will give us, young professionals, an advantage.

We can build relationships and learn the world of media all the time, but creativity and courage should be here and now. These are qualities that, combined with an understanding of new technologies, can bring freshness to the industry. I will say more – if we have interesting and bold ideas, these relationships will come to us by themselves.

What advice would you give to young people who are considering a career in PR, but don’t know where to start? What first steps can they take?

It’s certainly worth screwing around with initiatives such as the aforementioned PR Scientific Circle, but it’s also worth visiting the industry job fair for PRosto do Pracy students, which takes place at the UW’s Department of Information Journalism and Bibliology in June. This is an initiative we came up with at the Circle a few years ago precisely to introduce students to potential job prospects in the industry. The PRCrush initiative of the Association of PR Firms, of which I was an ambassador, can also be helpful. This is not sponsored content – I sincerely recommend the test that is available on the website of this project. You can learn about the industry and explore possible paths for your own development. And since I’m already giving such advice and perhaps someone from the younger generation will read this – also write to me or others who, despite their young age, have already spent a few years in the industry. I always answer!

And how can young people effectively plan and develop their career in PR?

Again, it largely depends on what path one wants to follow. So that, as a first step, I would suggest to take a good look around, try different things and find the direction of development that is optimal for you. On the other hand, regardless of the course taken, I would suggest entering creative competitions, such as Young Creatives or The Next Gen of PR. It’s always a good head-opening challenge, forcing you to produce a creative PR campaign in just a few dozen hours.

What’s more, we work in pairs, so we can confront our ideas with the other person, learn their point of view, propel each other in this adventure. Every competition is a good lesson, and a potential victory a springboard in one’s career – I know what I’m saying, because I’ve won both competitions in the space of a year, and YC even twice already.

I invariably encourage every person who is planning or starting a career in the industry to keep the competitions in mind and urge their employers to field as many teams as possible. As SEC Newgate CEE, we regularly field several strong teams, sometimes mixing up our competition pairs. This is really a great value and I would like every young person in the industry to remember this. Let this be a thought that stays with them!

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