1) What should the capital of Povolzhie be like?

Povolzhie region is a very interesting part of Russia. In some ways it can be called a quintessention of the country. Though it occupies only 6% of the territory, more than 20% of population of about 15 nationalities lives there. But it is not just so densely populated, it is an industrial cluster of Russian Federation as well. 24% of all Russian industry is concentrated in Povolzhie - the first place among all 8 federal districts. That is why the capital of Povolzhie should be exactly like this district as well - economically and industrially dense, well-developed, and tolerant. But apart from economic development, the capital should boast of rich cultural heritage. To my mind N.N. deservedly has the status of the capital of Povolzhie. It is both an industrial and cultural centre of the region with its many factories, plants, museums and galleries. But of course there are several things which deserve attention and improvement in N.N. So it's up to our government to take care of that, that is why the upcoming mayor elections are very important. To my mind, both the government and common people should work together for the benefit of our city to maintain its high status, because there are cities like Kazan and Samara, which would like to be proudly called "capitals of Povolzhie" as well.

2) What should be done to promote a beneficial image of n.N?

NN. as a capital of Povolzhie is more like anybody in need for the beneficial image. Part of the reason for that is that cities like Kazan and Samara would like to be proudly called "capitals of Povolzhie" as well and there is a constant competition about that. But apart from a proud label, beneficial image helps to improve financial climate of the city. To promote it, several things should be done. N.N. is a big industrial city, that is why our government should regularly participate in foreign investment exhibitions to display the advantages of our industrial cluster. Another important issue is creating a multi­functional and modern website so that people all over the world could see the beauty and potential of our city. Another important issue is keeping the city clean, so that the word goes around Russia and all other countries, that our city is not just a heart of industry, but also a very tidy and neat place to live. Image promotion is a very important part of commercial trading. And when we talk about image promotion of a city it also in a way becomes a trading issue. Because the more the city is known to people, the more investors are aware about its potential, the more money will flow there and thus the richer the citizens become.

3) What kind of dwelling would u advertise if u were an estate agent?

If I were an estate agent I would be most interested in advertising private houses. I shall briefly explain why. First of all, I should discover who my potential customers are. These are the people of middle and upper-middle class who own a car or two. That is why it will not be difficult for them to commute to work and back because private houses are usually located in the suburbs, 20-30 minutes from the centre of a city. Living in a private house does not only give you more privacy. When somebody has a house, it is his own property. Besides he gets a plot of land with which he can do everything that he wants. It is also living in a cleaner area, away from noise and pollution. Besides, they are not much

expensive that buying a flat in an apartment building and thus makes less neighbors and noise from them. Besides, the market of private houses is a developing one in Russia with a possibility of growth every year. They are more often bought in the western world, but now this trend slowly comes to our country as well. So, these are some of the reasons why.

4) How would you build up the advertising strategy to attract the customers if u were head of an estate agency?

Thinking of the advertising strategy is a serious assignment. It is a very broad question, that is why I would like to choose only one type of housing and create an advertising campaign exactly for one type of it, because different dwellings require different approaches to customers. Let's say, I want to advertise private houses. If I were the head of an estate agency, I would stress the following advantages for my advertisement. Living in a private house does not only give you more privacy. When somebody has a house, it is his own property. Besides he gets a plot of land with which he can do everything that he wants. That is why one of the slogans will be something about "privacy and independence". It is also living in a cleaner area, away from noise and pollution. That is why another slogan is "health and taking good care of your loved ones". Besides, private houses are not much expensive that buying a flat in an apartment building and thus makes less neighbors and noise from them. The slogan here is "value and comfort". The market of private houses is a developing one in Russia with a possibility of growth every year. They are more often bought in the western world, but now this trend slowly comes to our country as well. The slogan here is "investment in the future and living ahead of time". Also, potential customers are the people of middle and upper-middle class who own a car or two so that they can commute to work and back because private houses are usually located in the suburbs, 20-30 minutes from the centre of a city. That is why I should suggest a partnership with some car company to introduce a system of discounts if somebody buys a car he gets a discount for a house and vice-versa. These are some of my ideas.

5) What types of houses would u recommend to young married couples if u were an estate agent?

If I were an estate agent I would recommend private houses to young married couples. I shall briefly explain why. First of all, it is important for a just married couple to feel privacy and this is the best variant for them - mere are no nosy neighbors. But living in a private house does not only give you more privacy. When a married couple has a house, it is their own property. Besides they get a plot of land with which they can do everything they want. They can build playground for their children or simply enjoy playing snowballs in winter. It is also living in a cleaner area, away from noise and pollution. And this is a good point to consider because young couples always plan to have children and they would love to live in a cleaner area. Besides, private houses are not much expensive that buying a flat in an apartment building which is also an advantage for younger people, because they can add only little money to get a house of their now. Besides, nowadays there are more and more mortgage plans for young people when

buying a house. The market of private houses is a developing one in Russia with a possibility of growth every year. They are more often bought in the western world, but now this trend slowly comes to our country as well. That is why I think that private housing is the best variant for a young married couple - it is a good investment into the future.

6) What would u do to improve the public image of the estate agency if its image were sagging?

Improving the public image of a company is always a difficult assignment. A company may work on its reputation for years, but destroying it takes only a day or some accident. Especially if we talk about an estate agency, a company which deals with the public directly. That is why it is a job of a good PR-specialist. First of all, it is very important to be honest with the public right away and tell the exact truth. Sagging image is a result of a lie in this or that way - maybe somebody underworked, or was lazy, or cheated on the data. That is why from now on the public should know the whole truth about the events which are going on in the company - people would appreciate truth and come back to an honest company. It is also important to reconsider advertisement policies and organize more events which involve public. It can be promotion evenings or concerts. It is also very important to get the media involved in all the actions, because media is a way for the people to learn more about a company. Being on friendly terms with journalists is an asset for every company. At the same time, when image of the company is coming back to the present high level it is important to maintain it and not repeat the mistakes of the past.

7) What would u do to persuade the citizens of your city to take part in making the city look tidy, clean and green?

I think it is a very complex problem but I would like to describe several ways in which to change the situation. First of all it is necessary to teach small children even in the elementary school that pollution is bad. I would even suggest creating a special course about that. But if we have to make a difference right here and right now, different tools may help us. It is important to launch a government sponsored running of social advertisement on TV about cleanliness and tidiness of the city. Right now we don't have it on TV. In fact, the only thing we have now are the billboards which talk about the importance of the greenery, but they are located not in the central parts of the city and sometimes even in the places where very few people walk around. At the same time, different companies may also be interested in promoting a "green" way of living and sponsor concerts for people where they will be unobtrusively explained the significance of the clean world. It is also necessary to stimulate people at work with small bonuses if the prove that they plant trees or actively recycle. So I think that it is not only important to talk to citizens about the importance of the green world. We should pull together as many resources as possible.

8) What questions would u discuss with the Mayor if u were to write a feature story about the problems of N.N. ?

N.N is a very beautiful city, but as any other metropolis it has some problems as well. If I had a chance to discuss problems of my city with the Mayor, I would discuss the following issues. First of all it is the problem of pollution. NN. is a big industrial city and thus it has lots of waste from various plants and factories. Besides, the problem of the waste processing plant in Igumnovo is still not solved. So this would be my first point of concern. Secondly, it is the problem of crime and its prevention. N.N. has several districts where crime is more spread than in the rest of the city. I would like the government to find ways to prevent the development of crime especially during the time when the economy is struggling with the ramifications of the world crisis. The next problem is traffic. Our city is a busy one, and numerous traffic jams appear every morning and evening. I think that everybody agrees with that, it's one of our major problems. I think that these three problems are of the most concern to every Nizhegorodian, and ways should be found to treat them as soon as possible.

9 How would u create a P R Campaign to protect the environment from all types of pollution and to improve the ecological situation in N.N?

I think it is a very complex problem but I would like to describe several ways in which to change the situation with the help of a good PR campaign. First of all it is necessary to teach small children even in the elementary school that pollution is bad. I would even suggest creating a special course about that. But if we have to make a difference right here and right now, different tools may help us. It is important to launch a government sponsored running of social advertisement on TV about cleanliness and tidiness of the city. Right now we don't have it on TV. In fact, the only thing we have now are the billboards which talk about the importance of the greenery, but they are located not in the central parts of the city and sometimes even in the places where very few people walk around. At the same time, different companies may also be interested in promoting a "green" way of living and sponsor concerts for people where they will be unobtrusively explained the significance of the clean world. It is also necessary to stimulate people at work with small bonuses if the prove that they plant trees or actively recycle. In this case it is important to talk to the company's owners. As you see, there are several ways to influence a situation but the main factor here is that people should understand that if not us, then nobody else takes care of our city. Everybody should make a small difference.

10) What would u do to publicize a guest theatrical performance in N N?

N.N. is a major cultural city in Russia. There are lots of museums and galleries and many different stars often visit our city to perform. Sometimes we think that nothing should be done to promote a concert of a famous person, everybody knows that he or she is coming and people go to buy tickets on their own. But nobody knows about anything without the help of smart publicity. To publicize a guest theatrical performance, first of all one needs to post information on the guest's web site, so that the fans can always track the necessary information. For people who do not use internet, there are other sources of getting information. It can be either TV or radio. But here it is also important to know who you appeal to. It is not smart to advertise a philharmonic orchestra on an unpopular

TV channel or radio Dinamit for example. We should not also forget about such a huge bulk of public as students. Besides, many young people nowadays are active theatre goers, so we should think about spreading information in the universities as well. These are just some of the ways to attract public to a guest performance.