Andras Sztaniszlav began his career as a journalist before moving into government communications and later strategic communications consulting. His consultancy, PersonaR, has been operating since 2005, advising corporate, government and not-for-profit organisations, startups, company leaders and agencies. His work today is focused largely on organisational development, strategic planning, stakeholder management and the creation of organisational narratives, often in close cooperation with in-house communications teams, agencies and project teams.
A Chartered PR Practitioner, certified CMS consultant and auditor, and Fellow of the CIPR, Sztaniszlav received the PRO.PR Global Award in 2018. He is President of the Hungarian PR Association, serves within the CIPR International Group and on the ICCO Board, and until recently was Executive Director of ICCO. These roles have given him a perspective that moves between the realities of the Hungarian market and the structural changes affecting the profession internationally.
That intersection is particularly visible in Hungary today. In this conversation, Sztaniszlav discusses a media and communications market undergoing significant political and economic transformation, the effects of previous state communication practices on competition and media diversity, and the growing importance of public affairs and local expertise. He also addresses the role of artificial intelligence in everyday communications work, the reputational risks of replacing human judgement with mediocre automated content, the pressure agencies face in proving their value, and why the strategic role of public relations could become even more important in increasingly polarised societies.
You have dedicated your career to positioning the public relations profession, particularly the Hungarian PR industry, on the global stage. How would you describe the Hungarian PR and communications landscape today?
It is in a very interesting situation, because geopolitical, economic and global media and communication market challenges are prevailing at the same time, while a significantly transforming market is taking shape since the change of government. The past 16 years have forced everyone to operate in a certain way, and the transition from this is not free of emotions and tempers. I think it is good that basically everyone is now guided by the intention to improve, but rushing, shouting, personalizing (and thereby the intention to gain a position) is often not progressive and not necessary taking us forward. Like HuPRA (Hungarian PR Association), several other professional organisations are trying to keep discussions and proposals in a calm, organised form, and it is a good sign that the government is also open to listening to professional opinions.
I wholeheartedly hope that just as Hungary was an international example in the past decade as a cradle of autocratic, illiberal democracy, in the coming period we will also be an internationally known model in a regulatory environment that supports fair market competition and positive social impacts.
I wrote a little more in detail about global and local trends here.
Following the end of a long period of governance by one political option, much has been written about media freedom in Hungary. In your opinion, are sponsored articles and PR-driven narratives common practice in the Hungarian media environment, and do editors still recognise and value genuine newsworthy stories?
The second part of the question has nothing to do with the first. Unfortunately, media consumption habits are changing, readers do not appreciate carefully edited content, and more and more (especially the younger generation) are refusing direct advertisements – this puts media companies in an increasingly difficult position, who in response ask for money even for content that seems editorial. I think this is a media market issue and not a political one. Obviously, the PR professional’s task is to find from the stories happening at the organisation they represent that do not have direct commercial value, but rather social impact, that are about topics that affect many people, and to present them to journalists, editors and content creators in a ways that has news value for them (and their readers, followers) as well.
Of course, I do not want to avoid the answer regarding the political situation, the political impact of the recent years on the media has had a market-distorting effect in a completely different area. Through direct and controlled media spending, they were able to influence the success (or failure) of media companies on a non-market basis, which elevated or even destroyed those that ensured media diversity or even the maintenance of a system of checks and balances.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday communications work, often without clear regulatory frameworks. What is your perspective on the impact of AI on the communications and public relations profession?
Today, practically every communication professional uses AI tools on a daily basis. Those who use it as an auxiliary tool (like and assistant) and routinely can increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Anyone who wants to replace human work and human added value with it will produce more and more mediocre quality content – unfortunately, there is also a demand for this. Anyone who intentionally uses AI for bad purposes (deception, manipulation) does not have a technological problem, but a serious ethical and human value problem. And then we didn’t even talk about (which the famous historian Yuval Harari talks about a lot) when AI produces content without our knowledge for a purpose that we are not even sure is known…
Therefore, in the use of AI, human control and added value are inevitable, and this cannot be said enough! Both self- and legal regulation is necessary based on many conversations with all related stakeholders.
Until recently, you served as Executive Director of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), which gave you unique insight into global communications trends. Based on that experience, how do you see the future of public relations evolving over the next decade?
This is a very complex issue: on the one hand, in the geopolitical situation and in highly polarised societies, the strategic role of PR (the ability to understand and navigate organisational messages among various stakeholders) will increase significantly – not only communication managers working in companies, but also agencies can bring useful competence to this. On the other hand, media consumption and thus the situation of media will change completely: global tech companies (which act as media platforms for the content economy market) operate under different guidelines (business, ethics, etc.) than media companies based on editorial practices – this is also a challenge (but an opportunity as well) for communication professionals. And the use of AI is at least as much an ethical as a technological issue – and there are many aspects of this that we could talk about for hours.
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities currently facing communications agencies around the world?
The agency market is also developing very excitingly, roughly in three directions: mergers and acquisitions are dotting the market among large global players; international networks (which local agencies can join as members) are becoming increasingly useful and valuable in terms of knowledge sharing and new business; and thirdly, local agencies can create value with their in-depth knowledge of their own markets.
AI is clearly a challenge for agencies as many companies are thinking of solving more and more tasks in-house, with AI support, but this often leads to mediocre content, so it only provides short-term benefits, and the reputational risk caused in the medium term can be much greater. Partly as a result of this, it is becoming increasingly difficult for agencies to implement truly serious added value in their prices (ie: increasing hourly rates, value-based pricing).
However, the inalienable value of agencies is that – because they work with more clients and more stakeholders – they can provide useful feedback as an outsider and bring much more creative solutions than in-house professionals who on the other hand know an industry and company operations more thoroughly. Agencies need to be able to demonstrate these values well, in which – I think – professional organisations, trade bodies, conferences, and awards can also play an important role.
What should brands and organisations know if they want to establish a presence in the Hungarian market, beyond the need to work with local consultants and agencies?
Hungary is currently undergoing a significant transformation. For 16 years, one government-setup was in power, which, in addition to politics (but far from independently of it), pursued communication practices that significantly distorted both the media and the communication market. The entire public media, the scale and method of state and public communication spending are currently undergoing transformation, and it is likely that the public affairs or advocacy profession will also come to the fore. Economic policy is also changing, which will influence the operation of large and small companies as well. Therefore, in the next 1-2 years – as the question suggests – it is highly recommended to carefully choose a good local partner to enter the market, because this knowledge will be essential for success.
If you had not chosen a career in communications and public relations, what profession do you think you would have pursued instead?
For years I wanted to be an architect. Maybe because my zodiac sign is Libra and just as communication requires a balance between data and human values, architecture also involves creative art and rock-solid engineering precision.
