Natalia Bucelnikova  

Managing partner

Buman Media/Future Communicators 
Moscow 

“Every day there are new, exciting things, and all of them are opportunities for innovation"

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After stints at London agencies including Lexis, Natalia Bucelnikova founded her Moscow agency Buman Media in 2009 and has grown it from boutique PR firm into an integrated consultancy. In 2017, she launched Future Communicators Accelerator: a five-day workshop to power-up PR and marketing professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world with the latest comms best practice in the areas of digital engagement, leadership & business skills and personal development. This year, Bucelnikova established Global Women in PR in Russia, as the latest outpost of the international organisation for senior communications industry professionals with a strong focus on female leadership issues. 

How do you define innovation?
To me innovation means understanding global economics, politics, society, technology development  and the environment, and applying constant changes and improvement to your own work. Every day there are new, exciting things and all of them are opportunities for innovation.

What is the most innovative comms/marketing initiative you've seen in the last 12 months?
Visual technology for advertising campaigns to test the perception/emotion of videos before starting a promo.

In your opinion, what brands and/or agencies are most innovative around PR and marketing?
KFC with their hackadvertising campaigns. W20 with the use of analytics and big data.

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider 'innovative.'
Applying accelerator concepts from the startup industry to the traditional learning and conference approach.

Who do you admire for his/her approach to innovation? 
Steve Jobs

How do you get out of a creativity rut?
Walking around the city (theatre, cinema, art exhibitions), travelling, spending time with family and friends (and not working). After some time off creative ideas usually come back.

What advice would you give to the PR industry around embracing innovation?
Encourage creativity and embrace the latest tech trends.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing your current job?
So many things that I love doing. Singing, cooking, fishing… I guess any of them could be my profession.

Favorite book/movie/podcast/article that's not related to PR/marketing/business?
A Clockwork Orange and Quo Vadis.

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