Communications that build resilience: key insights from PR Outlook 2026

04/ 03/ 2026

Listen to online Stop   On 26 February, the first major 2026 gathering of the Marketing and Communications Committee community of the European Business Association took place in the now traditional PR Outlook format. The theme of the meeting was human-centred communications as a source of support in times of crisis. Massive shelling, a challenging situation in the energy sector, and power outages are forcing businesses to strike a balance between team safety and strategic goals. The role of communications in this context was discussed with the event’s speakers.Daria Nagaieva, Sales Director at Gradus Research, presented the findings of the latest research waves on media consumption and the social sentiment of Ukrainians. Among the key trends: growing content categories: (1) humour and stand-up, (2) sport, (3) podcasts; young audiences prefer entertainment content (music, films and series) over socio-political content (news, etc.); 91% consume content via smartphones; Telegram leads among messaging apps, while Facebook leads among social networks; Twitch is rapidly growing among younger audiences. In terms of social sentiment, there is more fatigue and less fear. Only one third of Ukrainians assess their psychological state as satisfactory. The main sources of anxiety are the duration of the war and the economic situation. At the same time, the role of hobbies, sport and walking as ways to restore personal resources is increasing.Feliks Zinchenko, Head of GR and Communications at DTEK, spoke about the implementation of the company’s key communications projects during the full-scale war. He emphasised a pragmatic approach: communications must serve business objectives. “Society no longer responds to stories of ‘toxic positivity’. There is a demand for an honest conversation about fatigue and resilience. Therefore, changes in communication narratives take into account public sentiment and the situation in the country,” Feliks noted. Yaroslav Holovchenko, Head of Fundraising and Brigade Support for the “Azov” Brigade — AZOV.ONE, outlined the foundation’s three core principles: people-centredness, openness and honesty. The foundation is actively developing international cooperation and business partnerships, while transforming its communication and team-building approaches. Today, AZOV.ONE ranks among the four largest foundations in Ukraine. Panel Discussion: Communications During the Energy Crisis – Supporting Employees and Society. Panellists shared insights into the communication tools that proved effective during blackouts, as well as decisions to support teams and customers and their impact on trust and brand reputation. Yaryna Skorokhod, Senior Communications Manager at DTEK, outlined the company’s approach to building trust amid a prolonged crisis and heightened public attention to the energy sector. “For many Ukrainians, DTEK is the first and often the only point of contact with the energy sector. Therefore, trust in the company influences perceptions of the industry as a whole. We consciously invest in reputation projects and systematically manage public expectations. For us, communications are part of our business strategy,” Yaryna noted. Tetiana Oksiutenko, Head of Corporate Communications and Reputation at Kyivstar, highlighted that the priority of internal communications within the company is systematic engagement with employees. Kyivstar operates a large internal social network and runs a “CEO Direct Line” project — a format that enables the entire company to remain within a single information field and align around plans and priorities. Regular employee surveys are also conducted, allowing the company to respond promptly to teams’ needs and expectations. The role of the communications function within a company is to act as an architect of change: to work proactively, prepare crisis response scenarios, balance messaging and build trust even during periods without electricity or connectivity. Denys Kazvan, Vice President for Corporate Communications at Uklon, stressed that caring for employees also means caring for the end consumer. The company ensures 24/7 operation and availability of its office as a “Point of Invincibility”, where there is always electricity, heating, hot water, and even the possibility to take a shower or stay overnight. Uklon also implements short-term and permanent relocation programmes and regularly surveys teammates regarding working conditions (eNPS). He also spoke about the initiative to restore 24-hour service operations in Kyiv, enabling people to reach “Points of Invincibility”, medical facilities, and travel to and from the railway station. This initiative became not only a business decision but also a social and reputational story of supporting city residents during the state of emergency in the energy sector. The panel was moderated by Nataliia Ulynets, Head of the Marketing and Communications Committee of the European Business Association, Founder and CEO of Perfect PR, who concluded: “At the heart of strong communications are always people. PR Outlook 2026 brought the community together around a key focus — people-oriented communications. We discussed trust and reputation, responsible narratives and human-centredness as standards of our work and pillars of support for companies.” We thank the speakers and participants for their active engagement. We are also grateful to the event partners — FORUM Business City and Morshynska. We look forward to seeing you at the next PR & Marketing Hub EBA events 😊

On 26 February, the first major 2026 gathering of the Marketing and Communications Committee community of the European Business Association took place in the now traditional PR Outlook format.

The theme of the meeting was human-centred communications as a source of support in times of crisis. Massive shelling, a challenging situation in the energy sector, and power outages are forcing businesses to strike a balance between team safety and strategic goals. The role of communications in this context was discussed with the event’s speakers.Daria Nagaieva, Sales Director at Gradus Research, presented the findings of the latest research waves on media consumption and the social sentiment of Ukrainians.

Among the key trends:

• growing content categories: (1) humour and stand-up, (2) sport, (3) podcasts;
• young audiences prefer entertainment content (music, films and series) over socio-political content (news, etc.);
• 91% consume content via smartphones;
• Telegram leads among messaging apps, while Facebook leads among social networks;
• Twitch is rapidly growing among younger audiences.

In terms of social sentiment, there is more fatigue and less fear. Only one third of Ukrainians assess their psychological state as satisfactory. The main sources of anxiety are the duration of the war and the economic situation. At the same time, the role of hobbies, sport and walking as ways to restore personal resources is increasing.Feliks Zinchenko, Head of GR and Communications at DTEK, spoke about the implementation of the company’s key communications projects during the full-scale war. He emphasised a pragmatic approach: communications must serve business objectives.

“Society no longer responds to stories of ‘toxic positivity’. There is a demand for an honest conversation about fatigue and resilience. Therefore, changes in communication narratives take into account public sentiment and the situation in the country,” Feliks noted.

Yaroslav Holovchenko, Head of Fundraising and Brigade Support for the “Azov” Brigade — AZOV.ONE, outlined the foundation’s three core principles: people-centredness, openness and honesty. The foundation is actively developing international cooperation and business partnerships, while transforming its communication and team-building approaches. Today, AZOV.ONE ranks among the four largest foundations in Ukraine.

Panel Discussion: Communications During the Energy Crisis – Supporting Employees and Society

Panellists shared insights into the communication tools that proved effective during blackouts, as well as decisions to support teams and customers and their impact on trust and brand reputation.

Yaryna Skorokhod, Senior Communications Manager at DTEK, outlined the company’s approach to building trust amid a prolonged crisis and heightened public attention to the energy sector.

“For many Ukrainians, DTEK is the first and often the only point of contact with the energy sector. Therefore, trust in the company influences perceptions of the industry as a whole. We consciously invest in reputation projects and systematically manage public expectations. For us, communications are part of our business strategy,” Yaryna noted.

Tetiana Oksiutenko, Head of Corporate Communications and Reputation at Kyivstar, highlighted that the priority of internal communications within the company is systematic engagement with employees. Kyivstar operates a large internal social network and runs a “CEO Direct Line” project — a format that enables the entire company to remain within a single information field and align around plans and priorities. Regular employee surveys are also conducted, allowing the company to respond promptly to teams’ needs and expectations.

The role of the communications function within a company is to act as an architect of change: to work proactively, prepare crisis response scenarios, balance messaging and build trust even during periods without electricity or connectivity.

Denys Kazvan, Vice President for Corporate Communications at Uklon, stressed that caring for employees also means caring for the end consumer. The company ensures 24/7 operation and availability of its office as a “Point of Invincibility”, where there is always electricity, heating, hot water, and even the possibility to take a shower or stay overnight. Uklon also implements short-term and permanent relocation programmes and regularly surveys teammates regarding working conditions (eNPS).

He also spoke about the initiative to restore 24-hour service operations in Kyiv, enabling people to reach “Points of Invincibility”, medical facilities, and travel to and from the railway station. This initiative became not only a business decision but also a social and reputational story of supporting city residents during the state of emergency in the energy sector.

The panel was moderated by Nataliia Ulynets, Head of the Marketing and Communications Committee of the European Business Association, Founder and CEO of Perfect PR, who concluded:

“At the heart of strong communications are always people. PR Outlook 2026 brought the community together around a key focus — people-oriented communications. We discussed trust and reputation, responsible narratives and human-centredness as standards of our work and pillars of support for companies.”

We thank the speakers and participants for their active engagement. We are also grateful to the event partners — FORUM Business City and Morshynska.

We look forward to seeing you at the next PR & Marketing Hub EBA events 😊