June 05, 2024
SPIEF
The fine line between modest and invisible: at SPIEF-2024, experts discussed the role of media in building national brands
As part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, GPM Ads (Gazprom-Media Holding’s sales house) held its own session entitled “Media: Helping Russian Enterprises Build Strong Brands.”
The session focused on current media opportunities and the importance of using them for business. During the discussion, the speakers shared their experiences in using outreach media to build a brand and talked about successful cases of business scaling.
The session was moderated by Ekaterina Veselkova, CEO of GPM Ads (Gazprom-Media Holding’s sales house). The participants included top managers of media companies and advertising agencies, representatives of businesses and non-profit organizations, and influencers with million-plus subscribers: Valeria Chekalina, David Manukyan, Zhenya Ershov and Lucy Pylayeva.
The discussion was opened by Vladislav Kreinin, Senior Vice President, Director of the Marketing and Communications Department at Sberbank PJSC. He provided insight into Sber Group’s growth and media investments aimed at building brand knowledge about its subsidiaries: “When a family of brands is being developed, this strength eventually becomes both a competitive edge and a tool for scaling the business, which allows for significant savings down the road, including when launching a new product, as customers already know and choose this brand.”
Going further on the topic of brand building, Gavriil Gordeev, General Producer of the Okko streaming service, shared his own experience: “We can build all sorts of conversion models as much as we want and make profit in the moment, but as soon as we recognize the socio-economic and emotional impact of each brand, we immediately begin investing in the future, building something that will endure for a long time.”
Nikita Pipko, President of Igronik Group of Companies spoke about his agency’s unique approach and the significance of brand building: “For me, the brand that we build always carries a certain meaning. As far as the consumer is concerned, everything is clear: they need an idea, a slogan, a sense of ownership, a quality standard that you want to meet. The agencies’ goals in this situation are also easy to understand: each one of our clients has a different scope, but they all need a brand.”
Roman Genkel, Vice President for Non-Financial Products Development, Regional and Foreign Network and Partner Policy of the Russian Export Center, commented on the entry of Russian brands into international markets “It is hard to think of a bigger and stronger brand than a country’s own national brand, so since 2017 the Russian Export Center has been working on the positioning of the Made in Russia program. The project’s objective is not only to promote specific goods and services, but also to popularize Russian values. This is particularly well received when combined with the best practices and success stories that we already have. Russia has many strong brands that have been performing very well for centuries and are doing well in foreign markets.”
The dialogue with the moderator also highlighted the importance of cultivating relations with China for domestic business. This holds immense significance for the country’s economy. Gazprom-Media Holding maintains active collaboration with Asian representative offices. It should be noted that on May 15, Gazprom-Media Holding and CMG, China Media Corporation, signed a cooperation agreement under which they plan long-term joint technological developments in mass media aimed at strengthening collaboration between the countries in the media sphere.
Guzelia Imaeva, CEO of the NAFR Analytical Center, spoke about the trends in the use of media for business: “Today, the strongest demand for domestic brands has formed in Russian society. 85% of Russians want to see successful new local brands launched in their country. Loyalty to domestic products is growing. We are now at a time when consumers are ready to make a change and discover new companies. SMEs often underestimate the role of media in the sustainability and growth of their business. If we look at the results for 2022 and early 2023, we will see that 37% of SMEs have reduced their advertising and marketing expenses. As practice shows, it is precisely in turbulent times that a brand can make a leap in its development thanks to various communication channels. In 2023, every company is greatly concerned about staff shortages. And this is where the company’s image as an employer begins to play an essential role. Here, the importance of media as a tool for building an HR brand is growing.”
Ekaterina Veselkova noted the significant increase in the number of new trademarks registered in Russia: “According to Rospatent statistics, 32,000 applications for trademark registration were filed in Q1 2024, representing a 30% increase compared to the same period last year and a 78% increase compared to 2022! When it comes to categories, it is mainly clothing and footwear, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, perfumes and cosmetics. It’s important for them all to build knowledge, and brand loyalty cannot be cultivated overnight.”
Marina Razumova, Deputy CEO of RTV RPM, highlighted key aspects of brand building with regard to content creation: “We want the media to be a desirable communication channel. Traditional media channels, including television, represent the top of the sales funnel. We believe that our brands, such as TNT and Friday!, serve as an example of the instinctively right decision of a brand that is building a lovemark. We are constantly raising the bar for content quality, both in traditional TV broadcasting and in the digital environment.”
“TV content has long gone beyond the usual TV viewing experience. Today, it is becoming increasingly common to find your favorite shows in the vast array of digital broadcasting options. Given the variety of platforms through which they interact, bloggers are in particular demand,” notes Ekaterina Veselkova.
“Bloggers are full-fledged players in the media market,” concurs Alina Zinnatullina, CEO of Insight People. “In 2024, bloggers are everywhere: they become the faces of TV channels, they appear on TV and radio, and they are very active in the digital space, on banners, and offline. Even today, at SPIEF, bloggers are sharing the speaker panel with us. They have become such an integral part of our lives that they already feel like family. We are involved in their daily routines. According to Nielsen Global, 92% of users trust UGC, which helps brands build a stronger connection with their audiences.”
Influencer and entrepreneur Valeria Chekalina, acknowledges the growing interest in bloggers: “The next trend in communicating with the audience is sincerity, moral values, honesty, and openness. Gone are the days of trying to make advertising more native because ‘it works better that way.’ The viewer is more likely to believe you if you’re upfront and say it’s advertising, but you’re actually using the product because it can help you achieve your goals.”
This business was born out of a dream. A dream that all children can create magic on the surface of the water. Ulyana Khramkova, co-founder of Amazing Color, talked about her experience: “We got more and more results with every new ad we ran. Before, we were running around in circles, but in 2020 we closed the year with 11 million in sales. In 2021, it was 65 million, and we were a narrowly focused production at that point. And 2022 has already brought us 150 million in revenue. This is a considerable result that we achieved thanks to media.”
Another segment that contributes to SME development is outdoor advertising. Ilya Fomin, Chairman of the Board of the Union of Outdoor Advertising Operators and General Director of RIM Media Group, spoke about the value of using outdoor advertising: “Historically, small businesses have gravitated towards outdoor (Out-Of-Home, OOH) advertising because it has a low entry threshold, allowing them to quickly and efficiently achieve the first ROI from customers. That’s why we are actively supporting SMEs and introducing new tools and metrics.”
There is also a positive trend towards the use of outreach media by government initiatives. Olga Starikova, Head of the National Projects Support Directorate, ANO National Priorities, states: “The project “Small and Medium Entrepreneurship” and the national project “International Cooperation and Export” present new business opportunities, and we engage with businesses exclusively through the use of characters. These characters are entrepreneurs who have already tried all the tools and are ready to share their experiences. They also star in our special projects. For instance, we have our favorite program featuring the cast of “SashaTanya” on TNT, who have been advising about the actual tools and measures to support national projects, including for businesses, for over three years.”
Anna Savina, CEO of Right Outdoor Media, said: “Creativity is needed not only in the visualization itself, but also in new opportunities for promotion, including old but already proven tools in barter formats, when there is a very tight budget for advertising and marketing promotion.”
In conclusion, Ekaterina Veselkova urged small and medium-sized businesses to use media tools and invest in brand building: “If your goal is not immediate benefits, but a long-term project, you can’t do without creating and promoting a brand. Do not miss your chance to build a brand not only on a national level in Russia, but also beyond its borders. In addition, brands that are placed in outreach media not only inspire the trust of the public, but also are perceived as leaders, trendsetters, innovators, and prospective employers. What to focus on in advertising campaigns? It has long been more than just products and services. You can focus on brand image, build an HR brand, talk about social and cultural initiatives, and launch large-scale national campaigns, rather than limiting yourself to your region of presence. There is absolutely a demand from the audience. And the first to enter this new territory will be at the top!”.
GPM Ads (Gazprom-Media Holding’s sales house), GPM RTV, Insight People, TNT and Friday! TV channels are part of Gazprom-Media Holding.
Gazprom-Media Holding is the general media partner of SPIEF-2024.
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