Blitz interview with Daria Kushnir, marketing trends 2021 and vision for 2022, Ukraine.
1) Please mark the five main indicators (criteria) that, in your opinion, characterize the current level of development of marketing and advertising in Ukraine (in order of influence ‒ in descending order).
Generation Z is growing up. Perhaps it is the main trend that is gaining momentum and influencing all marketing processes. Most of the representatives of Z prefer to pay cashless, without cash. This is a digital generation, they live in social networks and buy there. The ability to quickly and safely buy online is very important to them. At the same time, representatives of generation Z are practical and count money, therefore they closely monitor discounts and promotions.
The zoomers are also concerned with environmental issues and pay a lot of attention to the reputation of brands. If the brand behaves unethically and does not change this, then it will be almost impossible to restore the loyalty of the zoomers. We can say that this is a generation with a more conscious attitude towards consumption in general.
Communications and PR, continuing the previous thought, are becoming more and more important; we note the growth of their influence and the shift in focus from the standard media. Creating high-quality newsbreaks and timely reactions to current news events ‒ this is what PR departments should focus on. To do this, each employee of the company must very clearly understand and share corporate values, otherwise, then top managers will have to apologize for negligent SMM workers.
Newsjacking, as a marketing tool, is also popular with us, but its use is like surfing, not everyone can ride the wave. You should be very careful when choosing a newsbreak and, if possible, test messages. There are a lot of examples when unsuccessful and seemingly insignificant brand messages for some reason caused avalanche waves of customer indignation.
Several high-profile scandals in our market have shown that Ukrainians also pay attention to the reputation of brands. In a day, you can lose part of a previously loyal audience that has been accumulated over the years.
Influencers significantly bypass standard ATL tools. With proper organization of work with them, the efficiency will be much higher and it can be fully assessed. This is also evidenced by the growing number of newsbreaks related to influencers. People discuss their behavior, along with stars and politicians, they are compared to brands in terms of their influence. There are already cases of judicial regulation of bloggers’ failure to fulfill advertising obligations of the agreement.
The growing global trend towards conscious consumption is progressing in Ukraine as well. Perhaps slower than we would like, and in our country, it is still limited mainly to the purchase and sale of used goods. Some environmental projects have closed due to covid restrictions. But at the same time, the number of people who are concerned about environmental problems has increased significantly. According to a survey of Ukrainians on this topic, environmental issues are already of concern to every fourth respondent, and in 2018 there were only 8% of them. More and more customers are ready to support social and environmental initiatives. If brands come up with more sustainable alternatives, such as those aimed at reducing waste, this will resonate. So far, eco-initiatives in Ukraine come mainly from international companies or local niche brands.
The constant growth of video content. The Youtube social network is very popular among zoomers, but representatives of other generations are spending more and more time on it. On average, a Ukrainian user has been “sitting” on Youtube for about an hour a day. Every year, the Ukrainian-language segment of Youtube is growing significantly, new strong influencers appear, which means that more and more opportunities for advertising are being created. Promotional adverts in the form of inserts in video content increase reach and cannot be missed or excluded with a premium subscription. With the due skill of a blogger, the trust of the audience in him, and the maximum unobtrusiveness of offers, such advertising is very effective.
2) What marketing dangers and opportunities did the outgoing 2021 bring, in your opinion? Of course, you are not limited to indicating the pandemic as the main danger!
The pandemic factor provoked a rapid departure of sales to online, which put an end to some businesses that could not rebuild. There will be no return to the world without online.
Old media tools work less and less, their effectiveness is lower.
Consumers are pretty tired of TV and any digital advertising while sitting in isolation and staring at their screens and gadgets. It is difficult to surprise and “hook” them only with a bright picture. Brands have to dig deeper and more subtly through values and ideas.
Targeting advertising, both in social networks and contextual, is getting more expensive. You probably noticed it too. Optimizing advertising budgets concerns everyone.
GDPR is gaining momentum, which sooner or later will completely change the approach to advertising.
Users demand transparency and respect for privacy.
I think there will be organic promotion tools (and very modified ones), influencer marketing, and direct payment to a potential client for viewing ads. While it seems futuristic, we are going there.
Again, MLM can resurrect and flourish on these GDPR ruins. There are already examples of building a very successful network business in Ukraine in less traditional areas, such as tourism.
And every obstacle or difficulty, of course, offers some new opportunity. It’s important to see it. It’s easier for us because global trends still come to us a little late, so there is an opportunity to study foreign cases.
In Ukraine, the number of audiences that prefer to use paid services and applications is steadily growing. The audience is showing a willingness to donate, and quite a few influencers are already growing thanks to Patreon donations.
3) What, in your opinion, are the main trends that will be typical for domestic marketing and advertising in the coming year 2022?
Direct communication with the client. Customers prefer to receive the information they need quickly and in a convenient format. Options for communicating with brands in messengers and telegram channels continue to evolve. Chatbots and various online “helpers” have already become good manners. The largest marketplaces offer built-in chats for instant communication with the seller. It is important for companies to convey to customers all the communication formats that are supported, and before that, choose the optimal ones, and ensure the constant presence of support there or write adequate scripts for chatbots. It seems to be obvious, but many people stall at this stage, wasting budgets for targeted advertising.
Online and offline events. During the pandemic, people have missed shows and live events, they have seen too many advertisements. Customers want engagement, so the event format is in high demand, especially in areas where direct advertising opportunities are limited, such as gambling.
Offline events in Ukraine are often held with various environmental and social missions and play a big role in the development of a culture of eco-consumption. All possible events are now held outdoors, moving from premises and, one might say, getting closer to nature.
Online events have already firmly entered our lives and will remain. We are no longer surprised by online cinema festivals and concerts. Online events can move to the virtual metaspace. Webinars, marathons, challenges, and live broadcasts will soon be joined by virtual parties by invitation with augmented reality tools. Hybrid events as a global trend reach Ukraine as well. A particularly important trend for companies that present technological innovations.
Community growth. People are actively looking for friends and unite according to their interests. Thematic groups in social networks have become platforms for marketers long ago. It is beneficial for brands to communicate with communities that reflect the target audience, jointly hold events, test hypotheses as part of audience research.
Influencer marketing, as I said, is not losing ground, but is only gaining momentum and developing. Opinion leaders are changing, bloggers are also becoming more aware and specialized. Brands should aim for long-term relationships with influencers acting as brand advocates.
A large number of micro-influencers in various fields makes it possible to guarantee that you will reach the right audience.
The trend is growing when the first persons (frontmen) of brands develop as opinion leaders and increase their influence as company ambassadors, which allows them to softly sell and educate the audience, build a culture of consumption.
Influencers are increasingly in demand with automation tools for advertising campaigns, as they make it possible to calculate ROI.
4) What do you think are the main difficulties that domestic marketers will face in the coming 2022?
The increase in the cost of digital advertising, in general, will continue. The rules of the game will be tightened.
The transition from informal relationships with bloggers to contractual and legally fixed ones will accelerate.
Change of marketing mix, its components. For example, places of sale (Place). Many restaurants switched to delivery, which forced them to completely change the logistics and work scheme. To attract and retain customers, brands will have to rethink their Promotional and abandon ineffective channels.
The need to properly validate each idea before launch will increase, research can no longer be neglected. As customers become more demanding and conscious, the quality of the content must match.
The need for site selection. Very few brands can have a quality presence on all social networks. To do this, it will be necessary to conduct test campaigns and concentrate on priority sites.
Tracking key metrics also remains one of the important challenges, as analytics is still neglected by many.
5) What are the most important opportunities for real marketing and creative advertising in Ukraine in the coming 2022?
Brands will have to balance to please customers belonging to different age groups: generation Y, prone to hedonism and consumerism and the most solvent in Ukraine so far, and conscious zoomers who support minimalism, upcycling and slow living. Only values that are understandable and close to customers can be a base that provides reliable support. And the diversification of messages for different target groups, personalized content.
It is worth paying attention to the growing industries for sponsorship and interaction with the audience: e-sports, gambling, investments, cryptocurrencies. In these areas, there is a great demand for creative and technological formats, non-standard ideas for promotion, and interaction with clients.
Brands need to actively demonstrate their social and environmental stance. Customers will be most grateful for those brand initiatives that do not require additional efforts from them but improve their quality of life and sustainability.
Build customer trust through a unique customer experience, relationship transparency, honesty, and meeting expectations. Experiential marketing and D2C are becoming major courses, with a focus on brand engagement rather than specific products.
There is the need to rethink selling content, ideally all content should be selling one and customized for a specific consumer. High-quality storytelling, as a basis for introducing and engaging customers, and sure, the call to action in every message. Clients especially love cases, especially, real-life ones. Unique content does not tire but entertains or educates. Companies should try new formats. For example, testing video content for those who have not offered it before and be sure to evaluate the reaction of the target audience.
It is important for marketers to constantly monitor tools for automating marketing processes. This saves a lot of time and budget. Some familiar and “old” instruments are making a comeback. All over the world, direct mail is now on the rise. Clients voluntarily subscribe to mailing lists, agree to receive info messages, and let brands into the personal space of their mailboxes. Appreciate this trust!
Author: Daria Kushnir
