The marathon brought together more than 40 speakers: communications professionals from across business sectors. Participants discussed crisis and response strategies: how to build trust, address challenges and turn public sentiment into brand strength. The organiser was the Ekonomika+ business/media bureau.
Davydenko took part in the panel discussion titled “The Present and Future of the PR Market: Failures and Achievements, the Desired and the Unattainable”. Representatives from U Agency, Paint Digital Agency, NOVUS and PrivatBank also joined the discussion.
The three pillars of communications
Over the past year, Metinvest’s approach to communications has become more practical, more digital and more human.
“The first thing is practicality, which has become the top priority. Image-building stories and campaigns that are like ‘shooting sparrows with cannons’ are a thing of the past,” said Davydenko.
“The second area is digitalisation and analytics. In the non-technical sphere of PR, mathematics, process modelling and data are becoming increasingly important.
“The third component is humanity. In contrast to digitalisation and systematisation, we have reinforced the importance of people at the heart of every story.
“Everything we talk about concerns people: what they do and how they do it. It’s about how we have survived since 2022, how we sustain ourselves and how we support the whole of Europe,” he added.
People and industry
According to Davydenko, after the loss of assets in Mariupol, Avdiivka and Pokrovsk, the Group’s headcount fell from 110,000 to 50,000. More than 8,000 employees are currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Metinvest’s enterprises in Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Kamianske are only tens of kilometres from the front line. The Group currently has around 4,000 vacancies.
“Therefore, our main challenge is people. Retaining those who work in workshops and quarries, and attracting new ones, is not a story about smoothies and soft-lit offices,” he said.
At the same time, it is vital not only to retain people, but also to preserve the industry itself: the foundation of Ukraine’s economy. The mining and metallurgical sector used to account for around 10% of GDP; today it is about 6%. One job in the sector creates eight more in related industries. “So, when a mine or metallurgical plant closes, eight more jobs are lost. We understand the impact on both the individuals who lose work and the wider economy,” Davydenko explained.
One of the main challenges for industrial development and post-war reconstruction is restoring technical education, which has been in decline for decades.
“We cannot import human capital. No one will come and build factories for us: we have to do it ourselves. That is why we established Metinvest Polytechnic, the first technical metallurgical university in Ukraine. A thousand students are already studying there, around 5% of whom are veterans, and this share is growing,” the speaker emphasised.
Therefore, one of Metinvest’s key communications tasks is to advocate for industry in Ukraine and abroad. “Our communications mission is to be advocates for industry: strong, modern and vital for the country. We are the voice of a large part of the Ukrainian economy. We must present a clear picture of Ukraine in Europe: not only for foreigners, but also for our own people, so they have a country to return to,” said Davydenko.
At the same time, the Group’s communications team is using every available tool to develop human capital, retaining and attracting people into production roles.
AI and the future of communications
Digital technologies have long been a fundamental driver of development at Metinvest, well before the recent boom in AI models.
“We have worked with artificial intelligence in production for a long time: from computer-vision systems that monitor steel quality or detect safety violations to systems that save lives and increase efficiency,” said Davydenko.
Now that AI is widespread, the Group is convinced that technology will empower people rather than replace them. “A new model is emerging: augmented PR professionals supported by technology. These are highly proficient communicators who can use new tools quickly and effectively. People remain at the centre; they simply gain powerful technological enhancements,” he explained.
As AI develops, performance evaluation will also change. “KPIs will rise sharply. At the same time, reputation will cease to be abstract; it will become a financial asset, digitised and integrated into all business activities. Reputation management will no longer be just a strategic function; it will become an integral part of business operations, on a par with finance,” Davydenko emphasised.
The Group already talks about “reputational shareholders”. Every one of Metinvest’s 50,000 employees plays a role in shaping and enhancing the brand’s reputation.
“Every one of our employees is a creator of the Group’s reputation. They draw from Metinvest and give back through their actions. It is a two-way process that builds the Group’s reputation,” he added.
Victory in the PR Case Competition
During the PR marathon, the winners of the PR Case Competition were announced: those who, despite challenges and instability, embody values, strengthen trust, engage in dialogue with society and set new standards of professionalism in communications.
Metinvest won the “PR at the International Level” category with its "How to Reinvent a “Hideout" project, a campaign aimed at foreign audiences. It focused on underground steel bunkers used as military and civilian shelters, command posts and, later, hospitals.
Metinvest has turned a by-product of its operations into a symbol of Ukrainian resilience, attracting the attention of dozens of leading global media outlets and even becoming a model for the US Army. The Group’s military developments have been recognised in Europe, the US, Japan and elsewhere. Articles have been published in El Mundo, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Independent, The Economist, CNN and other outlets. The topic has achieved an estimated global reach of around 100 million unique people.
“For us, this is more than just a communications campaign; it is a bridge between Ukraine and the rest of the world. We have demonstrated that engineering can save lives and foster trust at the same time. PR that strengthens defence: that is the true meaning of our work,” said Davydenko.