Sāwol Communications Eurasia
About us
Sāwol Communications Eurasia, which operated as Hajizade Group from 2012 until October 2026: the Baku firm where the group began, serving clients across the Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Turkey and the wider Eurasia region as part of an international PR and strategic communications group.
Where the group began
Sāwol Communications Eurasia (which operated as Hajizade Group LLC from 2012 until October 2026) was founded in Baku in 2012 by Ali Hajizade and became the group’s first company. It began as a small agency specializing in public relations, media, and social media. In its early years, it grew through traditional PR activities such as media relations, brand promotion, social media management, and event organization. Even then, its client base extended beyond Azerbaijan to include organizations from Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Greater Middle East.
Where there was no ready-made practice
From its first year of operation, the company took on projects no one had done before in the country. It launched social and educational initiatives: the first exhibitions in Azerbaijan in a new format, free educational programs for youth, and open seminars and discussions for the professional community. Many of them were implemented at the company’s initiative and expense, because we considered them necessary for the industry and the country. This approach, to work where there is no ready-made practice, has become part of our professional style over the years.
A strategic communications firm
By the end of 2019, the company had evolved into a full-fledged strategic communications firm. Its services expanded beyond media relations to include reputation audits and management, crisis communications, narrative building, nation branding, and information campaigns in key regions; additionally, the group established its own media content production arm through an affiliate. By its tenth anniversary, Hajizade Group had become the country’s largest PR company in terms of both tax contributions and workforce size, and it was recognized as Azerbaijan’s largest PR firm based on 2023 results.
An international group
This growth led to the formation of an international group. Sāwol Communications US launched in the United States in 2023, followed by Sāwol Communications Gulf in Dubai in 2025. Today, all entities operate under the unified Sāwol Communications brand and a shared standard, while each functions within its own jurisdiction. We evaluate our work using the AMEC methodology and adhere to the PRSA and CIPR codes of ethics.
Our name
Our name comes from Sāwol, the Old English word for ‘soul,’ a concept historically associated with intellect, understanding, and will. For us, it reflects the human foundation of PR and communications: understanding how people think, shaping perceptions, and moving decisions.
The Founder
Founder, Sāwol Communications
Ali Hajizade, the group’s founder and leader, is an internationally recognized specialist in communications and information warfare. He began his PR career in 2007 and founded Hajizade Group in 2012; over the next decade, the firm grew into the country’s largest PR company and evolved into an international group.
He bridges theory and practice. As the firm’s leader, he personally manages the most complex client cases, ranging from reputational crises and corporate disputes to international information campaigns. As a researcher, he has studied information warfare and crisis communications since 2008, focusing in recent years on the role of artificial intelligence in crises and information operations. Hajizade has authored academic papers on crisis communications and numerous articles on information operations, disinformation, reflexive control and propaganda; he presents his work at academic and professional forums and regularly serves as an expert commentator for regional and international media on communications and information security.
He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the London-based Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), and a senior member of the E-commerce and Digital Marketing Association (ECDMA). In 2025, he was named “PR Specialist of the Year” for his work in the USA, Azerbaijan, and the UAE. He received an award for his transformative contribution to the public relations industry.