Tata Kapianidze: "The Best Source of Inspiration is a New Day with its New Challanges"
An Interview with Public Relations Manager of Infrastructure Construction Association Tata Kapianidze.
Tell us about how you got into the field of marketing, and what factors played an important role in choosing this profession?
Public Relations, Communications and Marketing - I made this choice when I fully realized what direction I was interested in, so I decided to plan the next step of my education in this direction.
Search for news, constantly search for new challenges and react to them: this is a hobby for me, and this field gives me the opportunity to specifically work on this.
"How to Respond to Challenges" - I think this is the most important thing in fostering creative freedom in the field, and finding innovative solutions, which is some kind of professional gambling. This is especially important when working with organizations such as Business Supporting Organization. There is no pre-determined and strictly defined guideline system, and is different from both state structures in this direction and the corporate company model. This is the factor that distinguishes an ICCA-type organization from others.
In regards to technological changes, what challenges do you face as the head of a marketing service?
Technological innovations profoundly affects a variety of how different mediums perform, which is a foundation for communications specialists, on the one hand, it is a challenge and, on the other hand, it’s a flood of new capabilities which bring in innovative ways of spreading messages, and allow its use in construction projects and the conceptualization of the processes much more efficiently.
What has changed in the field in the last 5 years, and what changes are expected now?
Not just in the last five years, but the field changes almost everyday. New channels enter or leave the market. Technological changes also require constant review to fit people with modern, businesslike and a fast-paced rhythm of modern life. Today, people have more demand and more knowledge, such as energy efficiency, construction materials, and their quality, new standards, etc. Therefore, all new places of emphasis should be taken into consideration.
What important features should a marketing manager focus on, and what are their roles in an organization?
I think research skills are very important, and take the right choice after that. Actually, this decision defines everything: you choose a segment, a message, a way to disseminate information, content, medium, form, time… All components are equally important. My experience in various mediums (television, web, radio) turned out quite helpful for me, and I used later in the search of relevant channels as a public relations manager.
What steps did you take, as an organization, to catch up with new trends, and use innovative approaches in the field of marketing?
It’s crucial to catch up with novelties, starting with opportunities on new devices, to the daily routine of people. You have to find out and connect to each other, find new opportunities, and create relevant message delivered by the user.
What’s your organisation’s business model, in terms of marketing?
Our business model, as I mentioned in the beginning, is relatively different from other models. Like the other Business Supporting Organization (BSO), ICCA's organic task is to advocate and lobby in the business sector, and, in this particular case, for the interests of the construction sector. The Association works as a set of legislative regulations in Georgia, maintaining healthy competition and develop innovative technologies, improve the level of education of the specialists in the sector, while the Association tries to stay close to member organizations, and to find and respond to their needs.
The most useful advice you’ve ever received in life?
To look at events from different angles.
Think of a person who inspires you professionally.
I think we can name specific names, from creators of century campaigns, though I still think that the best source of inspiration is a new day with new challenges.