PR Communications: practical foundational course

Course overview

Description generated based on course syllabus and open data.

A course for PR beginners and adjacent professionals seeking a structured understanding of PR communications. The program covers PR tools, budgeting and KPIs, audience analysis, media relations, CSR integration, and crisis communication.

PR communications curriculum and core skills (public relations)

• Applying diverse PR tools to brand and company tasks.
• Building budgets and defining KPIs for PR projects.
• Segmenting and describing target audiences.
• Working with media end-to-end: planning, pitching, coordination.
• Integrating CSR and crafting crisis messaging.

Lecturer for the PR communications course — Yanina Nesterchuk

Head of Communications and PR in Ukraine & CIS, Acino.

• 10+ years in communications.
• Managed reputation and corporate communications at Nova Poshta, increasing the share of positive brand mentions by 8%.
• Initiated the CSR project “Nova Poshta Half Marathons,” generating 800+ publications with an estimated reach of ~22M per season.
• Implemented communication strategies at Kyivstar and in an agri-startup, where a marketing & PR unit was formed.
• Worked with Forbes Ukraine and other media: IGate.com.ua, Investgazeta, Status, Ekonomicheskie Izvestiya.

PR communications: who this course suits and when PR training is not timely

Best suited for

• PR and marketing/SMM beginners needing a structured PR foundation.
• Adjacent roles (marketing, branding, HR, GR) handling media and reputation tasks.
• Entrepreneurs and managers coordinating PR vendors.

Not suited for

• Those seeking a narrow niche topic only (e.g., media training or copywriting alone).
• Those expecting instant effects without practice and implementation.
• Those looking for theory only with no applied focus.

PR communication problems → working outcomes of the approaches

• Scattered tools → a structured PR activity plan with prioritization.
• Unclear expectations → transparent KPIs and aligned evaluation criteria.
• Undefined audiences → segmented targets and relevant messaging.
• Ad-hoc media contacts → a systematic media plan and stable processes.
• Risks and crises → baseline crisis scenarios and response matrices.
• Low-impact social initiatives → CSR logic integrated with strategy.

PR communications: comparison with learning alternatives

• Self-study: flexible yet fragmented; KPIs and practical cases are harder to systematize.
• Standalone webinars without practice: quick but lacking PR process structure.
• Academic programs: strong theory, less focus on applied tools for current tasks.

Outcomes from completing the PR communications program

• A systemic framework for PR planning and tool selection.
• Baseline approaches to budgeting and KPI measurement.
• Target audience descriptions and needs mapping.
• A stepwise media relations sequence: from pitching to publication review.
• An action logic for CSR initiatives and crisis scenarios.