Soviet Visitor Finds Even Ads Take Liberties

Why do Americans have different beers for different times of the day, asked a visiting Soviet public relations executive who was confused by some U.S. advertising techniques and wound up confusing his hosts.

Valentin V. Kozitsyn, who is traveling with a Soviet cultural exhibit now at Cincinnati’s Union Terminal center, had some questions for members of the Cincinnati public relations company he visited last week.

Employees at Smith Kaufman Public Relations were confused by his beer question.

They understood when Kozitsyn explained that he had seen a television commercial saying “the night belongs to Michelob.”

And another thing: “Why is K mart America’s favorite store?” he asked.

Any advertising or public relations effort in the Soviet Union is “done very slowly, with much care and deliberation,” Kozitsyn said. He described the American media as fast, colorful and timely.

Boost From Kremlin

“There is much to learn about the methods here,” he said.

Much of that informal discussion was spent explaining to Kozitsyn the distinctions between U.S. advertising, public relations and journalism.

“In our country, it isn’t so important to explain everything,” he said.

Kozitsyn said interest in public relations methodology is increasing in the Soviet Union because the country, under Communist Party leader Mikhail Gorbachev, is taking a hard look at its traditions.

Lora L. Doerr, an account supervisor with Smith Kaufman, said the Cincinnati firm first came in contact with Kozitsyn while arranging publicity for the exhibit.