As of August 1, 2016, Joanna Berger becomes managing director of the Polish branch of global communications consultancy LEWIS. Current head Łukasz Kluj, after eight years with the firm, is stepping down.
Joanna Berger has been with LEWIS since 2011. She brings extensive experience in developing strategies and managing integrated campaigns for clients in the IT, e-commerce, and financial sectors. She has previously collaborated with clients including Mozilla, Trusted Shops, Casamundo, and PaySquare. As managing director, she will be responsible for the agency’s further development in the Polish market and strengthening the team’s capabilities in marketing, digital services, and market research.
“I am very excited to lead the agency at a time of dynamic changes across the entire industry. When I started at LEWIS five years ago, we had ‘PR’ in our name and focused on media relations. Today, our team includes not only skilled PR professionals, but also strategists, designers, content and social media specialists. In the coming months, we will expand our competencies to include additional market research services, to better understand the business environments in which our clients operate. Our integrated communication approach is well reflected in our monthly event, ‘Wykładzina,’ where we invite communication professionals to discuss topics at the intersection of marketing, PR, advertising, and new media,” says Joanna Berger.
Her promotion is accompanied by another personnel change at LEWIS: Krzysztof Chodkowski is promoted to Strategy Director.
Concepts from the article
PR — Public Relations / public relations. Activities that build an organization’s reputation and relationships with its environment: media, customers, employees, partners, and communities. PR encompasses press releases, media relations, crisis management, events, and brand storytelling.
Why it matters: It builds what no ad can buy: credibility through third-party voices. An editorial piece and a well-handled crisis carry more weight than any campaign — because someone else is speaking about the brand, not the brand speaking about itself.
When to use it: Ongoing: media relations, press releases, interviews, events; especially during crises and company changes.
Risks of neglecting it: Without media relations, a company communicates only through paid channels, and in a crisis, it’s left without spokespersons and without trust.
PR — Public Relations. Activities that build an organization’s reputation and relationships with its environment: media, customers, employees, partners, and communities. PR includes press releases, media relations, crisis management, events, and brand storytelling.
Joanna Berger appointed new managing director of LEWIS in Poland
Why it matters: It builds what no ad can buy: credibility through third-party voices. An editorial piece and a well-handled crisis carry more weight than any campaign — because someone else is speaking about the brand, not the brand speaking about itself.
When to use it: Ongoing: media relations, press releases, interviews, events; especially during crises and company changes.
Risks of neglecting it: Without media relations, a company communicates only through paid channels, and in a crisis, it’s left without spokespersons and without trust.
Summary
Joanna Berger becomes managing director of LEWIS Poland starting August 1, 2016. She has been with the firm since 2011, creating strategies and managing integrated campaigns for clients in the IT, e-commerce, and financial sectors, including Mozilla, Trusted Shops, Casamundo, and PaySquare. She will be responsible for the agency’s development in Poland and strengthening the team’s capabilities in marketing, digital services, and market research.
The change also affects other areas of the company: Krzysztof Chodkowski is promoted to Strategy Director, and current head Łukasz Kluj departs after eight years with LEWIS. Berger herself notes that the agency has evolved from traditional PR to a team uniting strategists, designers, content specialists, and social media experts.
