Ads are still a new thing in Russia, historically speaking. Svetlana Shupe of United Campaigns/ Publicis speaks about making her way in the field.

Svetlana Shupe is director of the United Campaigns/Publicis advertising agency in Moscow. She spoke with The Leader about her career and the skills vital for managers in the advertising industry

Please tell us about your career.

I never planned my career. It just happened to come out as it did. I came to Russia as a foreigner with no plans to make a career here. I arrived with my husband, who got a four-year placement here, and I wasn’t supposed to work, I was supposed to stay home and raise children.
Fortunately — or, maybe, unfortunately — I’m not that type of person. So, I’ve made a career in the advertising business. And I’ve been in the advertising business here as long as it has been in existence, because I came to Russia in 1989.

What are you by training?

I’m an economist, a specialist in marketing. Before coming here I worked as marketing director [for a Yugoslav company back home].

How did you enter the Russian advertising business?

I met people who were distributing products of Cadbury, Revlona and Schweppes here. That was in 1992, the year when the advertising business took off in Russia. There were two factors that helped me. First, I’m from Yugoslavia, and that helped me better understand the situation in Russia than Western people did. Second, the market developed in Russia in such a way that advertising had a greater impact on sales and distribution than any other marketing tool. If it were not for advertising, no firm would have been able to sell anything at those times. On the one hand, the stores were empty, but, on the other hand, there was no distribution system because the previous centralized system had collapsed. The role of advertising was vital, and the marketing skills I had helped me.

So, you headed the marketing department of a distribution company. What happened next?

The marketing department developed into an in-house advertising agency, which gradually turned into an independent ad agency, United Campaigns, which, after the [1998] crisis, merged with the international network agency Publicis.

Let’s go back to the early 1990s. Were there any important ad agencies at that time on the Russian market?

There were some international network agencies. But we worked with internationally recognized brands from the very beginning, and that was important. Once you understand you’ve been successful working with famous brands, you can try to broaden the scope of your business. In 1995, there was a decision to become an independent ad agency. Two years later, we were already among the top five in Russia. In the advertising business, it is important to be part of a network agency, and, if you operate independently, you have to be good to attract major clients.

How did your education and marketing experience help you?

It’s good to have some expertise in marketing, so that you don’t have to start from scratch. But, as I said, originating from Yugoslavia was also important, because it was in a way similar to Russia. But Yugoslavia was neither fully socialist nor capitalist. So, I understood things about Russia better. For example, I understood that [the centralized-distribution system] Sovintorg would cease to exist. It was clear to me then, but not to those who did not understand the specifics of a [planned economy]. In the West, everything is pretty much stable and the unexpected things that happen in Russia do not happen there. So, it wasn’t just about expertise in marketing. There are people who know much more about marketing than I do.

What personal qualities do you think are important to successfully operate in the advertising business in Russia?

First, you have to be a good manager, as in any other business. You have to be a leader, you have to be able to organize people, to make them trust you. As for the specifics of the advertising business, this is a very high-risk business, there is a lot of stress involved. It’s in a way similar to journalism: Every day you start with a blank page. What you wrote the previous day was alright, but you have to do something again. The same applies to our business. You’re always in touch with your clients, you always makes presentations to them. As for other peculiarities of the advertising business, you should be able to meet tough deadlines.
Also, this is a seasonal business. There are periods when nothing is happening and you could shut down the company. In other periods, clients are constantly demanding something from you, and the people have to work day and night to meet their requirements. That’s a lot of stress. So, you have to be able to comfort other people and adequately react to all situations, operating under stress. It’s hard to make the right decisions operating under stress.

Are there enough qualified top-level managers in the Russian advertising industry?

My impression is that top managers at ad agencies are quite strong. Most of them are self-made people. On the one hand, you have to understand international standards and have certain skills. On the other hand, you need to understand this market, which is very peculiar and is constantly changing. How to manage the change is an important issue. And if you want to know it, you have to operate in Russia. The top managers in the Russian advertising business are strong because they have been through a lot of changes. The market has developed for 10 years, and it has finally reached a very high level. Russia’s advertising market can be compared with the advertising markets of Western countries. If you grow up fast, you either stay in this business and become strong or you leave this business.

So, you’re saying that the Russian advertising market is quite well-developed.

Yes, at least in several areas. For example, media planning here is very well developed. It has a strong scientific basis, a lot of research is being done. All of that is not lagging behind that in the West. Another are that has been quite successful, especially since around 1997, is the creative field. Previously, it used to be the weakest point of Russian advertising professionals because people still had to adapt to new requirements. Our creative project for Renault has won in a tender, where it competed with seven other ad agencies from Central and Eastern Europe.

What are weak points of Russian advertising managers on the top level?

Here, in this market, they’re doing probably the best they can. If they were relocated to, say, England, they wouldn’t be as successful, of course, because advertising has existed there much longer than here. Here, people have intuition, they do a lot of improvising and they’re quick learners, but in another environment, where you need methodology rather than improvisation, they may not be as good.

What about mid-level managers in the ad business?

Here, the situation is a bit different. People have problems because of the past heritage. Although the business itself is young enough and people in it are quite young, too, there is still something from the Soviet past that has an impact on their performance. There is a Russian saying — I’m the boss, and you’re a fool. Mid-level managers lack initiative, and this is a big problem. On the other hand, people are reluctant to delegate their responsibilities to anyone else.

What is your success formula?

Treat problems as opportunities, not as limitations, and LOVE what you do.

How do you spend your free time?

My free time is 100 percent devoted to my family.