Public Relations Review 41 (2015) 533–540 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Public Relations Review The present state of integrated communication in Russia Alexandra Endaltseva * National Research University Higher School of Economics, Department of integrated communications, 8/2 k 1, Maliy Trekhsvyatitelsky per, Office C204, Moscow 109028, Russia a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 28 October 2014 Received in revised form 14 May 2015 Accepted 18 May 2015 Keywords: Integrated communication Communication in Russia Strategic communication Public relations in Russia Integrated communications in Russia a b s t r a c t Integrated communication that incorporates public relations, management, advertising, marketing, political communication, media relations, and social media platforms, as reflected at all communicative levels, from corporate to personal, is a product of a cap- italist consumer society with a stake in personal communication consumption choices. Integrated communication in Russia is a relatively new phenomenon, still highly influ- enced by the intuitive communication practices and posing conceptual questions on its development vectors among the researchers and professionals in the field. Furthermore, integrated communication in Russia is currently undergoing the process of changing into a social phenomenon with the potential to replace existing social institutions. This article examines the state and features of integrated communication development in Russia using the method of key informant interviews with the leaders on the Russian public relations and communication market. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction As global markets are expanding and digital technology is transforming the way organizations communicate with their clients, the importance of communication integration is impossible to ignore. The development of digital technology, the increase of the role of stakeholders in an organization, the growth of competition in the global marketplace, as well as globalization itself, has created a new communication environment not only within organizations but in the society as a whole (Einwillera & Boenigk, 2012). In recent years understanding and practice of integrated communication has moved far beyond the integration of marketing and public relations departments within the organization, making the term integrated communication an enabling channel or even a social context of strategic communication. According to Hallahan, Holtzhausen, van Ruler, Vercic, and Sriramesh (2007) strategic communication is the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfill its mission (p.3), in which two-way communication, including public relations, plays an essential part. However, unlike in the traditional understanding of public relations functions, strategic communication drives organizational success and builds organizational legitimacy both inside and outside the organization (Falkheimer, 2014; Zerfass & Huck, 2007). Integrated communication, incorporating public relations, management, marketing, advertising, political communication, media relations, and social media platforms, as reflected at all communicative levels, from corporate to personal, has moved beyond the mere managerial principle into the structural part of modern society becoming a social phenomenon. In spite of the increasing academic attention to the concept of strategic and integrated communication (Barker, 2013; Fähnrich, 2013; Falkheimer, 2014; Smith, 2012), defining integrated or strategic communication as not just an organizational * Corresponding author. Tel.: +7 9164992469. E-mail address: aendalts@gmail.com http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.05.015 0363-8111/© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.