The first 20 years of professional approach in communication have propelled BDR Associates as:
• A leader of the strategic communication market in Romania
• Exclusive partner of Hill + Knowlton Strategies international Group – WPP in Romania
• Partner of choice for other multinational consultancy groups specializing in various fields
• The first Romanian independent communication agency to open an office abroad, in the Republic of Moldova, later to enter other markets in Europe and the Caucasus
• A pioneer in evaluating Romanian brand culture performance through Superbrands programmes
• The first communication agency in Romania awarded with the international SABRE trophy in PR
• A major shaper of communication professionals, with hundreds of employees and contributors, including expats joining the BDR «school» in Romania and the Republic of Moldova over the past 20 years.
And the list of achievements remains open.
Bucharest, October 26, 2015. BDR Associates celebrates two decades of excellence in building and shaping the strategic communication market in Romania, by means of extensive projects developed for major clients in several industries, enhanced by an approach defined by integrity and professionalism, creativity and innovation.
A classic PR agency in the beginning, BDR Associates has gradually extended its area of competences with praxis in public affairs, crisis management, reputation management, corporate communication, internal communication, specialized trainings, creative development, branding, social and digital media, corporate social responsibility, sector research and analysis, other specific disciplines. Furthermore, the agency has also specialized in communication activities for economic projects, such as mergers and acquisitions, privatizations, listings on the stock exchange, etc., assisting clients in most industries, energy, financial –banking sector, healthcare, culture and other areas of activity.
Always a step ahead
BDR’s pioneering began in 1995 and reached a first peak with the opening, in 2002, of an office in the Republic of Moldova, a swift reply to the needs of the communication market at that time. Chişinău was only the starting point in BDR’s international expansion, as its experience and competences have allowed the agency to perform communication activities in countries such as Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Serbia and Ukraine and enter major European projects either individually or by partnering other international consultancy companies.
In 2005, BDR Associates was selected by Superbrands International ltd, the most well-known entity specialized in promoting branding culture worldwide, to implement programmes with a focus on Romania, thus becoming one of the most long-standing partners of Superbrands in the world and, at the same time, having developed the most consecutive editions in a market.
«Since the very beginning we embraced our status as pathfinder along with the full complexity of this state, given the fragility of communication’s early days in Romania, we became market shapers and we were not afraid to go off the beaten track and promote our professional values even in less comfortable times. The 20 years of activity have provided us with knowledge and top level professional experiences, major challenges in our field which we try to take advantage of when assisting our clients. The key of BDR’s success lies in its vision going beyond the conventional understanding of communication, by tailoring our approach to fit each client’s specifics, analyzing, building scenarios, keeping everything into perspective so as to deliver the most efficient and innovative communication solutions. BDR equals professional maturity, strategy and creativity, put in the best light by the valuable input of our clients. Our success is actually our clients’ success, and we owe them everything we are today», said Cătălina Rousseau, Founder and CEO of BDR Associates.
An impressive track record
During the two decades of activity, BDR Associates has developed and implemented an impressive number of strategies and communication campaigns, extensive projects or ad-hoc activities for clients represented by large national and multinational companies; governmental and non-governmental institutions and associations; international cultural or religious organizations; other categories of clients in Romania and other markets, either as an independent agency, in the Hill+Knowlton Strategies network or in association with other communication groups in WPP.
In public affairs, BDR Associates has been, for 7 years, the traditional partner of CEC Government Relations, in a remarkable collaboration with other top-level consultancies in this field such as Kreab or FIPRA, in PA projects at European level including Romania. Throughout the years, BDR Associates has developed strategic collaborations with other consultancy companies in the Big Four or the investment divisions of large international banks, in extensive economic activities such as privatizations, acquisitions, stock market floatation and other investment activities.
BDR Associates exceeded the EUR 1 million turnover threshold in early 2000s and has registered a total of over EUR 15 million in the past 10 years from consultancy and strategic communication activities.
Its confidence in the Romanian society’s progress as a result of social involvement has determined BDR Associates to always support important causes such as the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation, OvidiuRo Foundation or Scheherazade Foundation, cultural projects such as Cinemaiubit, as well as financially sustain associations helping underprivileged communities.
Top international recognition
BDR Associates has won, in time, numerous international prizes, marking the first success of the Romanian communication industry in the international PR competition organized by the American publication The Holmes Report by being awarded, in 2006, the first Golden SABRE trophy in Best Communication Campaign and Best Practice in Central and Eastern Europe categories, followed by other awards such as Silver SABRE for creativity, diplomas of excellence awarded by clients such as the AFASE European Association in the energy field.
Cătălina Rousseau, Founder and CEO of BDR Associates is the one who charted and built the agency’s road to performance. Her extensive experience in communication and her desire to create a solid team, motivated by common values and high professional standards took BDR to the top of the Romanian and CEE communication industry. Cătălina Rousseau has been, for many years, a member in notorious international juries such as European Excellence Awards or Steve Awards and local structures such as Romanian PR Awards, as well as in bodies evaluating business performance. BDR Associates is part of reputable international business associations such as AmCham and the British – Romanian Chamber of Commerce.
Looking into the future
BDR Associates' large projects for the upcoming five years include the agency’s transition to a regional independent network by opening a third office in a new market, getting directly involved in creating a communication school training future specialists for a hands-on professional personality, able to easily fit into organizations and institutions as project leaders and not as mere executives, as well as promoting the public affairs sector as an essential part of strategic communication in fostering the dialogue between the private sector on the one hand, and the authorities and the public on the other hand, in order to increase investors’ trust in this market and the quality of Romanian business environment and to turn reputation management into an aspiration for companies and institutions’ development.
