One of the forum's key themes was the reputation of technology brands in the era of AI hype. Panel discussion participants agreed: inflated expectations can harm a business more than the absence of loud statements.
Yulia Zaitseva, Marketing and External Communications Director at "Platforma Tretye Mnenie", emphasized the importance of transparency: companies must clearly explain what product features are currently available, what will be available in the future, and what still requires refinement. This approach helps avoid a gap between client expectations and actual results.
This thesis was further developed by participants in the "AI without Hype" blitz discussion. Ksenia Alekseeva (Fresh Russian Communications), Alexander Thomas (MWS), and Nina Matvienko (Beeline Business) discussed how to promote technological solutions when the market has become more demanding of proof of effectiveness, and the media are tired of endless AI news.
Practical aspects of communications were covered in master classes. Svetlana Beregulina (Go-to-Market Academy) showed how the combination of PR and product marketing affects the business performance of technology companies. Evgenia Zaslavskaya (ZECOMMS Agency) shared approaches to building an investor story – this is especially relevant for startups seeking investments and wanting to attract investors' attention.
The panel discussion "PR in the Era of AI Search and Answer Engines" revealed how information retrieval is changing and why it is important for brands to be present in AI responses. The discussion included Ksenia Alekseeva (Fresh Russian Communications), Veronika Goryacheva (Servicepipe and "Spikatel"), Semen Selivanov (YuMoney), Evgeny Meo (Astral-Soft), Dmitry Lushnikov (VKontakte), Maria Milyukhina (IBS), and Konstantin Sukhachev (Overgear.com). Experts noted: for content to appear in search results, it is necessary to consider not only the format but also the distribution strategy.
Semen Selivanov, PR Director of YuMoney, noted: materials about their own products, technologies, and achievements, which were previously published only when there was a strong news hook, are now becoming sought-after content for neural networks.
In the afternoon, Daria Kertsenbaum (Kept) presented a case study on creating a conveyor belt of news hooks in B2B communications. The speaker explained how to systematically work with expert content, even if the company does not have big news.
Other important aspects of PR in the technology sector were highlighted:
- Alexander Baranov (ATOL) – on company reputation and new challenges related to security and audience trust;
- Anna Babanina (Arenadata) – on the specifics of B2B tech PR: how communications support a long sales cycle and influence client decisions.
The business program concluded with the discussion "Battle for Media Attention: New Approaches in Media Relations". Among the discussion participants were Alexander Levashov (TAdviser), Evgenia Dmitrieva (Naumen), Polina Melman (Tsian), Olga Rodicheva (Kaspersky), Anton Bely (Izvestia), Kirill Kashtanov (Rossiyskaya Gazeta), and Stanislav Grushevsky (Pressfeed). Representatives of media and technology companies discussed:
- changes in media operations;
- new demands of journalists for expert content;
- strategies for building effective relationships with publications in conditions of information overload.
After the business program, guests enjoyed a wine hour with Maria Saulina (Taste&Talk) and networking for informal professional communication.
The forum organizer is the communication agency Fresh Russian Communications (FRC), specializing in PR and marketing communications for B2B companies. Among the event partners are AO "DKS", the gastronomic experience agency Taste&Talk, the flower studio Veresk, and Bankatering catering.