These three women that have quite different temperaments are united by positive energy, care and determination towards the work. These features joined them around the idea to establish PR agency early in 2009 and the agency has been successfully operating in Armenia for already 6 years.

Banks.am had an interview with SPRING PR founders, Tatevik Simonyan, Nvard Melkonyan and Marianna Musoyan and spoke about the company’s success story.

Convincing Proposal

In 2009, the PR specialists working in the fields of commercial, political, social PR and management were united around the idea of founding a PR company.

“During that period time, the communications had more advertising – marketing characters, and PR communications were not so active in Armenia,” remembers Tatevik Simonyan, one of the founders of SPRING PR, who headed the marketing department of an international company at that time.

“Due to the overloading works of the department, there was a need to attract additional resources, but the field did not have the relevant experienced PR company we could apply to,” she notes.

“The idea of creating a PR-company was spontaneous and seductive, there was a vision, but still practical steps were being discussed. The future team was serious, a very creative atmosphere was formed and it was getting more and more contagious,” Nvard Melkonyan tells.

“We all got involved in the process very quickly, we infected with our idea also our partners, the leading specialists working in this field, and when team was already formalised, we passed to the naming and branding process. As a result, we have SPRING PR now,” Marianna Musoyan states.

Packaging of Company

Being unique in PR services of Armenia and one of the first research and consulting organizations, the team was confident that the company name should also correspond to the mission of the company i.e. to bring new breath and approaches to the field. As a result, today SPRING has strict corporate logo to which the team remained true even after re-branding because, as they say, “it is a history - their history”.

When PR needs PR

SPRING PR-founders state unanimously that a significant increase and re-profiling were established in the communication field in recent 6-7 years in Armenia.

“If we spoke about this issue 7-8 years ago, I will state definitely that PR is needed in PR. But the time is passing and since 2011-2012 we have accelerating growth of this sector,” Nvard Melkonyan determines.

The specialists state that it is contributed to a number of factors such as appropriate education in Armenian universities, increasing the number of specialised staff in this field, entry of foreign companies to the local market and collaboration of local companies with the foreign ones, awareness of necessity to increase the visibility and the reputation of organisations from different sectors.

The partners state that the PR agency that supports organizations in communications should be familiar with that organization from the inside. Therefore, being also a research company, SPRING PR starts all its campaigns from research. The level of communication of the organization is estimated due to results of diagnostics stage based on various research methods; afterwards an appropriate strategy is being developed.

Competition VS Cooperation

Marianna Musoyan is sure that due to the success of recent years in PR, there is a very active field of competition today.

However, the company tends to keep partnership with professionals working in the field.

“We have very good partners who crossed with some of our company activities in the framework of their services. There are professionals working in many other organizations who started their professional experience in SPRING PR, they were trained by us or have been our students,” Tatevik Simonyan notes.

“In fact, the relationship is more cooperative than competitive. Although we objectively compete in terms of customer attraction, we are more of partners in terms of activity,” Nvard Melkonyan assures.

Moreover, in accordance with industry specifications there are times when PR network mobilizes its efforts for a common goal.

Reputation Brand on Top of Pyramid

Working to increase the brand awareness and reputation of other companies, SPRING PR team first and foremost cares about its reputation, it is above everything.

Marianna Musoyan says there were cases when they refused to cooperate, knowing that the PR campaign will not be effective at that stage.

In other cases, they just refused not willing to link their brand with the potential client’s brand or project.

“We try to be extremely honest and it brings results, because of the reputation you gain more dividends than the amount you’ll take and give no benefit to the customer,” Tatevik Simonyan states.

From Business Projects to Social Content

The corporate social responsibility concept of SPRING PR company was developed in 2011, in the framework of which the team of the company implements the “Let's care, Armenia” project, which aims to attract public attention to important social issues.

SPRING PR company founders point out that 30-40% of their orders are addressed to the social sphere. They consider such projects very special and responsible, because they understand that they solve serious social problems.

SPRING PR team could not emphasize any particular project implemented by company and say which one is the most favourite.

“We have no other project that is similar to others. We have very interesting, vivid memories and experience, fun and adventures in some cases, regarding which we can even shoot a film,” Tatevik Simonyan underlines.

SPRING PR-company is currently working with the financial, commercial, health, social, international organizations and state bodies, and has more than 150 various implemented projects. The company’s activity has wide geography extending from throughout the Republic of Armenia and outside of its boarders.
 
SPRING PR-company is also the qualified consultant of EBRD “Advice for Small Businesses” project, in the framework of which the company provides consulting services to local SMEs and supports development of Small and Medium Enterprises.

The Right Team, Guarantee of Success

“We’re a family, a big family, if we aren’t friends, we cannot work,” says Marianna Musoyan, pointing out that they have been working with almost the same team starting from the beginning.

According to Nvard Melkonyan, SPRING PR family is ruled by a creative atmosphere where there is no subordination.

“Each idea is discussed within our team, the team implements the projects, and the team carries the responsibility,” Tatevik Simonyan says.

Woman and Business

Marianna Musoyan believes that being a woman in business does not cause difficulties in Armenian reality both men and women can face the same obstacle equally.

“During working negotiations it becomes clear with whom you’re dealing with. You are considered a professional, and it is not important you are a woman or a man,” says the young entrepreneur.

Tatevik Simonyan agrees with her colleague, noting that despite some stereotypes, they are being appreciated for their work, and as a result, professionalism always wins.

As for being a female leader, Nvard Melkonyan thinks that a woman’s emotional intelligence allows her to “enter into the situation” and even intuitively feel and foresee a situation.

“I became sure within working experience that time and resource management is always more effective among women, perhaps it is one of the secrets of our success,” Nvard Melkonyan notes.

Family as the best Supporter

The partners are sure that work and family will not contradict if there is a proper time management.

“In fact, everything is done mainly at the expense of sleep, but it can be done so that neither the family suffers, nor the career. And of course, if you have someone next to you, with whom you share the same values and goals, you approach with an understanding to his work, and he does the same, of course,” Nvard Melkonyan says.

In case of the founders of SPRING PR, the family not only does not hinder the work, but also helps as well.

Tatevik Simonyan tells that sometimes family members not only understand, but also very often help and support as most reliable partners during major events and overloaded periods.

Victoria Andreasyan