Public Relations and Advertising within the Tools of Communication: A Case Study of Ukrainian Brands

Abstract

This article investigates advertising and public relations as integral elements of social communications, drawing upon the practical experiences of Ukrainian brands operating amidst wartime conditions, intensive digitalization, and the increasing significance of the ethical dimension in communications. The object of the scientific analysis is the communicative activity of Ukrainian companies that employ PR and advertising as tools for establishing interaction with their target audience. The relevance of the research problem is determined by the need for a deeper understanding of the processes by which brands adapt their communication strategies to contemporary social challenges, as well as the transformation of these strategies from instruments of influence to means of fostering trust, emotional engagement, and social partnership. The aim of the article is to analyze the theoretical foundations of social communications, particularly advertising and PR as their constituents, and to examine the practical experience of Ukrainian companies in utilizing these instruments. To achieve this aim, a complex of scientific methods was applied, including content analysis, case study, discursive analysis, and comparative analysis, which enabled the identification of key communicative dominants, value orientations, and emotional accents in the communications of Ukrainian brands. The findings of the study indicate that modern Ukrainian companies demonstrate a tendency to re-evaluate the role of advertising and PR, prioritizing honesty, transparency, social initiative, and personalized interaction with the audience. The examined cases of brands such as "Silpo", "Monobank", "Rozetka", "Kyivstar", "EVA" and others illustrate the successful implementation of socially oriented communication strategies that integrate emotional, ethical, and technological components. Thus, the research reveals that advertising and PR in the Ukrainian context perform not only an informational but also a social function, contributing to the formation of a qualitatively new level of communication between brands and society