Her pride is an advertising agency with strong success cases and extensive experience in cooperation with international brands. Marketing guru and business woman Svetlana Petrosyan tells us where she finds inspiration and work-life balance and what her biggest challenge is.

What was your vision for the cover photoshoot?
The vision was to craft a powerful narrative through visuals &mdash; something that would resonate with the magazine&rsquo;s readers while highlighting the essence of my agency. Bold and innovative!
I wanted to create something that embodies elegance, innovation, and global appeal &mdash; qualities that define my advertising agency and reflect our creative approach to every project.
Milan, with its rich artistic and cultural history, was the ideal backdrop to visually represent the international perspective we offer to our clients. Through the shoot, I aimed to blend art and strategy, showing that creativity and business go hand in hand, which is exactly how we operate at my agency.

Can you walk us through your creative process when developing a new campaign for an international brand?
The key to a successful campaign is &laquo;research&raquo;. We partner closely with the client to understand their goals and brand voice. Then, we dive into market analysis, studying global trends and the local cultures of their target markets.
In the &laquo;ideation&raquo; phase, our diverse team of creatives, strategists, and market experts brainstorm ideas that are both culturally sensitive and globally resonant. Throughout the process, we focus on storytelling, ensuring the campaign feels authentic and relatable to people across borders. We focus on understanding the brand&rsquo;s identity, its target audience, and the cultural nuances of the regions we are targeting.
The balance between creativity and strategic messaging is what defines the success of the campaign. Whether it&rsquo;s digital, print, or experiential, every detail is crafted to create a lasting impression.

Where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to advertising and design?
My inspiration comes from everyday experiences &mdash; travel, cultural diversity, people, and even conversations. The world is a canvas for me, and observing how people interact with their environments sparks ideas for authentic storytelling.
Advertising and design thrive on capturing attention and evoking emotion, so I&rsquo;m constantly observing how different art forms communicate visually.
I&rsquo;m particularly inspired by movements like Bauhaus for its balance of functionality and aesthetics and surrealism for its ability to challenge perceptions and tell unique stories. These influences help me think outside the box while maintaining a clear message.
Ultimately, it&rsquo;s about creating work that resonates universally but feels personal to each audience.

How has your travel experience impacted your approach to creativity and your work in advertising?
Travel has been a profound influence on my creativity. It shaped me into a more empathetic and adaptable creative professional. Being exposed to different traditions, art forms, and lifestyles has given me a richer palette to draw from when conceptualizing campaigns.
As I mentioned before, I am hugely inspired by the cultures and how people communicate with the outside world. The communication can be in terms of ideas, conversations, gestures, landscape, fashion, etc.
Experiencing different cultures, languages, and ways of life has expanded my perspective and taught me the importance of nuance in communication. This global mindset allows me to create campaigns that resonate across diverse audiences while respecting cultural uniqueness. For example, seeing how storytelling varies in different parts of the world has inspired me to blend universal themes with locally relevant narratives, making our campaigns both impactful and authentic.
In advertising, understanding your audience is key, and travel has taught me to approach each market with an open mind and respect for its cultural values.

Can you share a success story from your agency that particularly stands out for you and why?
One of the most memorable success stories from my own experience is working as a Head of Marketing at the Armenian franchise of the renowned French boulangerie PAUL. It has a history of over 130 years and keeping all that values in a way that resonates with our fast-paced environment was a truly interesting challenge. Me and my team have done all the marketing strategic planning and execution, both online and offline starting from the very first day of brand market entry in Armenia till today. We have had many events, collaborations with influencers, product-based campaigns, and many more offline activities in all the branches of the brand that developed French culture and the French art of living in Armenia.
Another case from my own experience was working with another franchise &mdash; of an international brand Cofix in Armenia. The competition in the niche was fierce, and we needed a campaign that not only differentiated the product but also built trust and strong loyalty among potential users. With the use of new technologies and other sales techniques, we managed to rapidly enter the market and make everyone talk about us. The campaign went viral on social media, drove significant sales growth, and most importantly, built a loyal, engaged customer base in the local market. It stands out because it perfectly captured the balance of creativity, strategy, and purpose that defined my work and currently is the idea behind the team of Back Haus Creative.

What is your approach to building strong relationships with international brands?
At the heart of building relationships with international brands is respect &mdash; for their culture, goals, and audience. It is important for us to not only have one-time full-scope campaigns but also try to create a bond with our clients and as a result with many of them, we are partners for a few years already.
When Back Haus Creative has a new collaboration, we begin by deeply researching the brand&rsquo;s history and market, ensuring that our team speaks their language, both literally and figuratively. This foundation of understanding helps establish trust and credibility and gives more space for brainstorming and ideation.
I prioritize open and transparent communication, ensuring that expectations are clear from the beginning. To ensure effective collaboration, we focus on adaptability &mdash; being flexible with time zones, cultural nuances, and workflows. Regular check-ins, collaborative brainstorming sessions, and a commitment to delivering quality work foster trust and a sense of partnership.

What emerging trends in advertising do you find most exciting right now, and how is your agency adapting to them?
Trends in advertising these days differ drastically based on culture and people&rsquo;s mindset. I cannot define one global trend, as sometimes minimalism is the game changer, but maximalism also has its place. This is why, as I mentioned before, &laquo;research is key to success&raquo;.
Nonetheless, I can say which trend inspires me personally and gives me a huge platform for creativity and imagination. It is the use of immersive technologies in marketing, such as AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and AI (artificial intelligence). These tools are transforming how brands engage with their audiences by creating interactive and memorable experiences. In my personal portfolio, there are numerous cases of usage of these tools which led to the success of the marketing campaigns. One example is when I was working as a Marketing Head of the international brand Cofix franchise in Armenia. Our goal was to enter a new market where there already were strong competitors in our niche. With the use of VR tools, we created reels that had over a million organic views, created a real buzz in the market, and kick-started the business.
Another trend we have also used is the growing focus on purpose-driven marketing, where brands align their messaging with social and environmental causes to connect authentically with their audiences.
Different markets have different marketing techniques and with deep research and attention to local trends, you can hack the algorithm of impactful campaigns.

What are some of the biggest challenges you&rsquo;ve faced in the advertising industry, and how have you overcome them?
One major challenge has been breaking through the noise in a world saturated with content. Standing out while staying true to a brand&rsquo;s identity is no small feat. I&rsquo;ve tackled this by emphasizing authenticity in campaigns and creating stories that connect with audiences on a deeper emotional level.
Another challenge is balancing creativity with data-driven decision-making. It&rsquo;s easy to get lost in metrics or lose the human touch. To overcome this, I&rsquo;ve fostered collaboration between our creative and analytics teams, ensuring our campaigns are both imaginative and results-oriented.
Sometimes, there is also a challenge with our clients. And the challenge is they are afraid to &laquo;risk&raquo;. But risk is the easiest way of rapid growth. Bold and innovative ideas are challenged the most and most of them do not come to life as a result of the conservative mindsets of the partner company&rsquo;s management team. As it is said, the greatest way for a company to fail is to hire a creative team and tell them what to do. I always do my best to convince our clients to go for it, as risky ideas and nonstandard solutions are key to standing out in the global and local markets.
Also, nowadays it is hard for women-managed companies to break through. It was way harder 10 years ago, but today&rsquo;s world has its challenges. In support of this idea, Back Haus Creative has special offers for companies that are managed or founded by females. We should keep each other&rsquo;s back, right?

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you&rsquo;re particularly excited about and can share with us?
Currently, we are working on an exciting international campaign for a luxury brand entering the wellness market. It&rsquo;s a mix of high-end visuals and a deeply personal, emotional narrative that I believe will resonate with their audience.
Our company, Back Haus Creative, will also collaborate with a few up-and-coming startups in the tech space to create campaigns that merge cutting-edge technology with creative storytelling. It also includes a collaboration with a leading global tech brand to launch an immersive digital campaign that integrates augmented reality. The goal is to create a unique, interactive experience for users, allowing them to engage with the brand in a completely new way.
We&rsquo;re also working on a sustainability-focused campaign with a well-known fashion label. It&rsquo;s a cause that&rsquo;s close to my heart, and we&rsquo;re aiming to create a narrative that not only raises awareness but also empowers the audience to make a tangible impact.
What I find most exciting is the potential to explore new media and interactive formats, allowing us to engage audiences in innovative ways. It&rsquo;s an exciting time for us as an agency, and I can&rsquo;t wait to share these upcoming projects with the world.

How would you describe your personal style, and how does it influence the work you do at Back Haus Creative?
I am still in search of my personal style. On one hand, there are periods when I like to dress in bright colors and make a statement. On the other hand, I adore dressing elegantly and in muted colors. I get complimented a lot when wearing black color and I think it suits me a lot. Also, I have noticed that when I wear black I feel more comfortable and confident. This results in being more peaceful in mind and having more space for new ideas and approaches. Being imaginative and productive in black is easier for me.
I believe in blending timeless elegance and bright, eye-catching colors with contemporary trends, which is a philosophy that influences the work at my agency.
In terms of the agency&rsquo;s work, my personal style translates into campaigns that are visually impactful yet refined, with an emphasis on creativity that resonates on both a strategic and emotional level. I encourage my team to think outside the box while maintaining a sense of balance and purpose in everything we create.

As a successful entrepreneur, how do you maintain a work-life balance, especially considering the demanding nature of the advertising industry?
I might say this is the most challenging part of my life. Sometimes it seems that you cannot keep up with the huge workload and also maintain healthy relationships with family and friends. However, the knowledge of time management and correct work delegation helps out in this situation. You should set boundaries and prioritize what matters most.
I also ensure that my team and I have a healthy work environment. At my agency, we foster a culture of support, where collaboration and flexibility are key. This helps everyone, including myself, to manage workloads effectively and avoid burnout, which is extremely important especially when you work in a creative field and need to constantly generate ideas. Without proper rest and peace of mind, this will be impossible. That said, I also believe in the importance of flexibility &mdash; allowing for creativity to flow during unconventional hours when inspiration strikes. As an entrepreneur, it&rsquo;s about knowing when to push hard and when to step back, so you can give your best to both your professional and personal life.
It&rsquo;s about creating a balance where both work and personal life are valued equally.

Model: SVETLANA PETROSYAN Founder of Back Haus Creative @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/backhaus_creative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backhaus_creative</a>
Producer: SVITLANA KASHCHEIEVA @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lana_verinas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lana_verinas</a>
Photos: JULIIA GIGINA @gigina.photo @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gigina_ph" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gigina_ph</a>
Makeup artist: OLGA UNGUREANU @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/olga_makeupartist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">olga_makeupartist</a>
All outfits: model&rsquo;s own

Svetlana Petrosyan: Creating a balance

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