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How to choose marketing agency in Russia

26.02.2021

Companies typically spend between 5-20% of their annual revenue on marketing and advertising. That’s a significant investment for any business, so if you are considering using a marketing agency make sure you choose the right one for your brand.

 

Deciding to hire a digital marketing agency is easy. The hard part is deciding which advertising agency to hire. Of course, you can start to collaborate with company in your region, but it is more efficient to find one in Russia, because only the local agency can really help you.

 

Here are a few things that can help simplify the decision-making process. In this article we will explain the most important criteria to choose the right marketing agency in Russia.

 

Services list

 

There are different types of marketing agencies, according to their specialty – from BTL to digital, but it is easier to hire a full-service one, because it can provide you all services that you can need.

 

You have to decide what type of agency you need. If you want to order a full range of promotion, including analytics, strategy development and implementation, or just promotion through several channels, then you should contact a full-service agency. If you need to order only one or two related services, then you should contact an agency that specializes in this.

 

Portfolio

 

Smart marketing agencies are proud of who they work with and the work they do. Furthermore, they typically display their partnerships for the world to see.

How to choose marketing agency in Russia

You don’t necessarily have to know who their past clients are (bonus points if you do). But if you can’t find a list of previous clients or examples of their work, that may mean they haven’t worked with anyone.

 

So a client list is a good indication of their experience.

 

Team

 

Regardless of the type of services you’re after, it’s essential to make sure the agency you hire has the right team members to suit your project. For example, you wouldn’t hire someone to design a logo if they don’t have a graphic designer.

 

Also it is indispensable that all members of the team have enough experience and knowledge to do their work. So you can ask to introduce to you them, before starting a promotion of your business in Russia, during meeting in Zoom or in a real life.

 

Strong reputation

 

Testimonials and previous client reviews can give you deep insight into what working with that agency is like. They should be placed on the site of company.

 

Good-experienced marketers understand the importance of displaying them on their website. So, if you can’t find any, they may not have any previous clients, or they may not understand the industry as well as you’d like them to.

 

Moreover you can search for in-depth reviews on Google to see what others in the industry (and their past clients) say about their experiences with the agency.

 

Offer

 

The type of results an agency promises on their website is a strong indication of how well they understand the industry. Pay close attention to the claims and promises they make.

 

Make sure they align with what you know about the industry. And remember outlandish or seemingly impossible promises are a huge red flag.

 

Stick to digital marketing agencies that offer transparency and realistic promises.

 

And of course, charges will vary from one agency to the next. Also some agencies will be more flexible than others on the length of contract.

 

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have more questions about promotion of your business in Russia!

Restaurant business in Russia in 2021

Pandemic of coronavirus influenced all spheres of business, including restaurants and cafes. The last one suffers losses more than the others. Despite this fact, the average daily turnover of the industry will grow by about 6%.   Restaurant trends are changing rapidly, especially due to the introduction of quarantine measures. If earlier delivery from the restaurant was not very popular, now most of the revenue is accounted for by orders for delivery and with yourself.   But what happen to restaurant business in Russia in 2021? Read our article to know all details.   Delivery and takeaway food   Delivery of food from a restaurant is the most important and relevant trend of recent years, which will only increase in 2021 due to quarantine restrictions. Especially if you are planning to open a sushi bar or pizzeria, this option is just a “musthave”. Without it, it will be extremely difficult to compete and, accordingly, quickly reach a payback. And the use of an automation system for a sushi bar or pizzeria with an integrated delivery module will be a significant plus when launching this option in an institution.   In addition to delivery from ordinary establishments, the number of orders from “virtual” restaurants that do not accept offline guests and prepare exclusively for delivery is growing. One of the new ideas on the market is “hubs” for virtual establishments: kitchens of different restaurants under one roof, between which autonomous cars run, picking up orders and delivering them to customers. This reduces the costs of establishments and makes delivery more accessible to visitors.   Casual segment and healthy nutrition   Fast-casual restaurants are opening more and more, a popular format for those who like healthy food, but do not like to wait long. In such establishments, guests receive food that is close in quality to expensive restaurants for little money, and the service here is slightly better than in fast food.   Franchises   More establishments opened under the franchise. Novice entrepreneurs do not want to risk their project, so starting a business on a successful and stable model looks much more tempting, which is confirmed by the statistics of open catering establishments.   Monoproduct   There are fewer universal restaurants “sushi-pizza-hookah-karaoke”. Guests increasingly prefer more narrowly focused cafes, pizzerias or hookah bars to such establishments — places where their favorite dishes are really delicious.   Fewer and fewer people are willing to settle for average quality in such supermarket restaurants, often for the same money as in cozy, atmospheric establishments. Hence the conclusion that it is worth focusing on single products: burgers, pizzerias, etc.   Pastries and sweets   More bakeries and pastry shops. Fresh pastries are in demand all year round, and you can place such establishments both in residential areas and on central streets with high traffic.   Craft drinks and dishes   An interesting and fresh trend of “crafting” in everything: dishes, glasses and drinks. This is not only a fashionable phenomenon, but also a creative approach…

Festive opening of cosmetics store “Ulybka radugi” in Perm

We have hundreds of projects of opening retail outlets. We are always happy to receive new tasks from regular customers, and this time we will tell you about the opening of a new store “Ulybka radugi”, which took place in April this year.   Read more in the article!   Goals and objectives   Our goal was to prepare the outlet for the festive opening, including:   1. Conducting master classes on make-up 2. Festive decoration of shop windows and facade 3. Recruitment and training of promotional personnel   Next, we will tell you in detail about the preparation of festive event to the opening.   Realization   First of all, we needed to prepare the point for the reception of the first buyers. In order to attract people’s attention, we decorated the entrance along the perimeter with balloons in the color of the “Rainbow Smiles” logo. Bright balls of all seven colors of the rainbow became a great addition to the interior and created a festive mood.   We have trained promo models. From April 22 to 24, the girls announced the event and distributed advertising leaflets in the hall of the shopping center. The dress code was observed – the promo models were dressed in spring dresses and suits.   The results were analyzed and sent to the client in the format of a summary report and a photo report for each day of the promotion.   On April 24 and 25, makeup workshops were held with a guest makeup artist. Everyone could watch the makeup process, ask the makeup artist questions and get useful recommendations.   Results   The opening of a store is always a holiday for both the company and customers, as well as a wonderful occasion to organize a promotional event in honor of this. In the case of a brand that sells cosmetics and household products, a make-up master class turned out to be the best solution for attracting attention.   We were able to attract the attention of potential customers to the new outlet and increased traffic. Sales growth was noted!   The client was satisfied with the preparation and results of the campaign, and the promo models and the staff of our agency received the highest assessment of the quality of work.   Conclusion   Marketing agency “CLEVER marketing” – federal retailers throughout Russia trust us to organize and conduct events and promotions. We will take care of all issues related to the design of the store, merchandising, search for promotional staff and entertainment activities for customers. All together will help you achieve the desired goal in the form of increased sales!…

Premium product market in Russia

Economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic affected the business in Russia. But today the market is coming back to life. The revival is modest, but noticeable, and it will continue to grow. Moreover, 85% of experts expect the luxury market to grow in the next three years.   In Russia, as nowhere else, the premium class is such a specific category that this very concept is interpreted somewhat differently here than in Europe, where it came from. Why?   Firstly, the historical development of our country, which has been behind the “Iron Curtain” for a long time, played a big role. Secondly, the mentality of the Russian person forms a kind of perception of the premium class.   Despite the fact that the level of general well-being of the population is noticeably increasing, in Russia the stratum of well-off people makes up a fairly small percentage of the total population of the country. And those who make up this small percentage are different from rich people in other countries.   What is the luxury market in Russia   When we say “premium”, of course, we mean success, well-being, quality. Taking into account this connotation, a program for promoting premium brands is being formed. But for the Russian consumer, such an aspect as the recognition of premium is also important to emphasize their solvency in a certain environment.   And if the mass market segment is quite simple to model, then everything is different in the premium category. It, in turn, is divided into narrower ones. The affordable segment of the premium class market includes perfumes branded by well-known haute couture companies, alcohol, pret-a-porter clothing. In terms of the use of marketing and commercial promotion models, this segment is similar to the mass market.   But there is still a premium segment of the market that is inaccessible to a wide category of the population — this is exclusive real estate, author’s jewelry, antiques, means of transportation (cars, yachts, air transport, etc.). There is a big difference between these two segments, which in the second case further complicates the promotion of products.   Particularities of promotion of luxury brands   The main difference between the promotion of premium brands is a higher price positioning, which forms a number of specific requirements. It should be borne in mind that often the premium audience makes purchases on the principle of “just to be more expensive”. This is a desire to demonstrate something to yourself and others. However, in addition to the high price, the premium brand should be radically different from others visually and in quality. Just the latter is sometimes forgotten, focusing on packaging, positioning, and pricing policy. The problem of fakes has a negative impact on the brand’s image as a whole. Distrust of the brand is formed, which does not contribute to sales growth at all.   As a result, many people get the impression that the premium class is just a bright outer shell, behind which a low-quality…