What a PR manager does day to day
The role centers on reputation and communication with outside and inside audiences: journalists, partners, customers and staff. A PR manager does not sell directly. The goal is for people to trust the company and hear accurate, useful things about it.
In practice the work looks like this:
- finds newsworthy angles: a new branch, a service launch, a market study, an employee story
- writes releases, comments, columns and own-channel copy in Uzbek and Russian
- prepares the founder or executives for interviews and public talks
- keeps a list of journalists and bloggers and pitches each one a fitting topic
- tracks mentions in media, social networks and Telegram channels
- organizes press events and appearances at industry meetups
- keeps a crisis plan ready before it is needed
PR versus advertising and social media
Advertising buys attention; PR earns it. Meta Ads can bring leads today, while an expert comment in a respected outlet builds trust for months. If you also hand your PR manager ads, design and every social account, reputation work will be the first thing to slip.
The industry shifts the emphasis. A clinic worries about ethics and patient consent, a factory about relations with the local community and the environment, a financial company about trust and regulation, a seller on Uzum or OLX about reviews and response speed. Reflect that in the job description and in how you pick a person.
When a PR manager in Uzbekistan makes sense
The signals are fairly clear: people write about you, but not about what matters; your founder speaks in public without preparation; a negative post spread through Telegram and nobody was ready to answer; a launch, a move into another region or investor talks are coming.
If you need leads this week, start with performance marketing. PR does not replace it, it strengthens it, because someone who has already heard good things about you finds it easier to pay you.
How to hire: job post, portfolio, test task
Replace vague phrases like “brand promotion” with specifics: which audiences, which channels, which languages, and who approves texts. Then ask for published work and have the candidate explain which part of each result was truly theirs.
Keep the test task small and real. Give a modest but genuine company update and ask for a release with a short pitch email, three possible story angles and a draft reply to a harsh review. In the interview, ask about a time things went wrong and what the person did first.
What to look for:
- clear, fast writing in Uzbek and Russian
- a feel for what an editor will and will not care about
- calm under pressure, since crises arrive without warning
- real interest in your product, customers and competitors
- care with facts and details
Setting goals and judging the work
Goals should be about reputation, not sales: regular expert presence in the right outlets, a calmer tone of mentions, a ready crisis plan, executives speaking at key industry events, working internal communication.
Do not judge by the number of publications alone. Look at where they appeared, with what message and in what tone. Check whether journalists come to you for comments, how fast the team responds to negativity and what employees say about internal updates. Reputation moves slowly, so compare quarters and years, not weeks.
Common mistakes companies make
Most problems come from how the role is set up, not from the person:
- expecting direct sales from PR
- withholding access to leadership and internal facts
- demanding coverage when there is no news
- taking weeks to approve a text until the story is stale
- reporting only to marketing when the remit is broader
In-house hire or agency
An in-house person knows the company better and reacts faster. An agency brings contacts and experience for narrow tasks such as a launch or a crisis. A mix often works best: a PR manager inside and an agency for specific projects.
Before you search, write down goals, audiences and key messages. If you want help building that foundation, markdev works on marketing strategy and consulting for businesses in Uzbekistan, and we are happy to talk through your task and whether you need a PR manager right now.
FAQ
Who should a PR manager report to?
In a small company, usually the head of marketing or the owner directly; in a larger one, a communications director. What matters is quick access to leadership, because a statement cannot wait days for approval.
Can a PR manager increase sales?
Indirectly, through trust and recognition. Do not expect direct sales from the role; leads come from advertising and a sales team.
How soon will results show?
Reputation changes slowly, so judge progress by quarter and year. Expecting results within the first month is a mistake.
What should a test task include?
A real but simple company update: a press release, a short pitch to a journalist, three story angles and a draft response to a hypothetical negative review.
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