Session "New Russia – New Brands"

      On September 5, 2025, as part of the 25th Advertising Forum, a session entitled "New Russia – New Brands" was held, moderated by Boris Yeremin, academician of the Russian Academy of Advertising, and Elena Okhlopkova, Director for Interaction in the Field of Advertising, Marketing and Media at the RusBrand Association.

      In his opening remarks, Boris Lvovich touched on the terminology and definitions of concepts such as trademark, trade name, brand and branding.

      The next speaker, Vasily Melnikov, First Deputy Director of ANO "Center 800," spoke about the center’s work promoting the Nizhny Novgorod region. Founded in 2019, the center faced challenges of incomplete positioning and an unformed cultural image of the city. The main task of "Center 800" is to bring Nizhny Novgorod to the federal level by promoting its uniqueness and emphasizing sincerity through projects. During its activity the center achieved significant growth in tourist traffic, received high ratings and numerous prestigious awards, including Effie Awards Russia, Russian Traveler Awards and the national "Silver Archer" award. According to Russian Creative Awards 2023, Nizhny Novgorod Region was named "Region of the Year." An important outcome of the center’s work was that Nizhny Novgorod gained confidence in its authenticity, not trying to compete with other cities but accepting itself as it is. The modern attitude to the status of a capital is characterized by gentle irony, where contribution to regional development is more important than status alone.

      Alexander Simagin, Director of the Department for Tourism Development and External Relations of the Administration of Nizhny Novgorod, also noted that the city’s capital status is not an end in itself and that its unique cultural and historical identity is what matters. The speaker’s theme was promoting Nizhny Novgorod’s brands through the work of tourist information centers (TICs) and digital services. According to him, TIC+ tourist information centers are becoming platforms for communication and promoting regional projects. Among unique sites are a demonstration hall, historical apartments and a twin-cities center, which facilitate cultural exchange and audience expansion. Key promotion tools are digital services: virtual guides, projects using neural networks and VR technologies, such as the "New Gorodovoy" project, which covers about 1.5 million guests and city residents. The speaker also presented a video created entirely with artificial intelligence that demonstrates the city’s cultural codes and brand in a modern format, emphasizing an innovative approach to tourist branding and communications.

      Next, Tatyana Smile, Chair of the Committee for Tourism and the Hospitality Industry at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, spoke. The committee actively supports industry development by providing informational, consulting and educational assistance, and by facilitating foreign economic ties and organizing business missions. From 2006 to 2025 the committee held more than 100 events and trained over 360 specialists, forming professional personnel for the hospitality industry. In her speech the speaker talked about the development of MICE tourism — a key segment of business tourism that includes conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings and incentive events. Today MICE tourism is becoming an important driver of the region’s economic growth: business trips attract solvent visitors, stimulating the development of infrastructure — hotels, transport and entertainment. Nizhny Novgorod has entered the top 10 new tourism centers in Russia and the top 5 cities for business tourism.

      Yulia Anikina, head of the National Advertising Alliance (NRA) unit in Nizhny Novgorod, spoke about the high effectiveness of TV advertising in brand development. According to the data she presented, TV audiences in Nizhny Novgorod actively watch television — 44% daily, 81% weekly and 97% monthly, with an average viewing time of 2 hours 39 minutes. TV remains a key medium for influencing consumers: 76% of residents notice TV advertising, and 24% consider it more emotional than other channels. TV advertising helps orient consumers among brands and stimulates purchases — 52% say it influences their choice of goods and services, and 27% have already purchased advertised products. In the city advertising runs on 17 federal channels, digital platforms and online cinemas, expanding reach. The speaker emphasized the reliability of TV advertising, noting the strict legal and safety checks of commercials, which increases audience trust.

      The next speaker, Stanislav Korotetsky, CEO of Coolbrew LLC, spoke about a new vibe in the development of Russian brands and collaboration with Wildberries. Coolbrew produces ready-to-drink coffee beverages from natural ingredients using Nizhny Novgorod beans and milk. The brand successfully participated in the "Znay Nashikh" competition and received support from Wildberries. Special attention during the presentation was given to a joint project — "Wild Mix of Berries and Coffee," an exclusive line of drinks on the Wildberries marketplace, which helps break out of the ordinary, attract a new audience and increase brand recognition. This collaboration reflects a modern format of brand interaction with consumers through innovative and emotional products.

      Farhad Kuchkarov, Director of Strategy and Development at Depot and an expert of the Association of Branding Companies of Russia, delivered a report on the importance of finding and using a cultural code to create strong Russian brands. The speaker noted that in business commercial objectives are more important than patriotic PR, and successful brands often use English-language elements to increase recognition. He gave examples of successful localization of international products taking Russian cultural specifics into account and noted the complexity of the national cultural code. According to him, the cultural code is not just symbols but a deep understanding of traditions and their modern embodiment in brands. He demonstrated successful projects where Russian heritage harmoniously combines with marketing approaches, and discussed the premium nature of Cyrillic as well as the possibility of combining Russian and Western identity in a brand.

      The next speaker, Irina Ryabova, Strategy Director at COMPASS Branding Agency and an expert of the Association of Branding Companies of Russia, spoke about the new emotional agenda in Russian branding. She emphasized that emotions have become the main value in communications, and brands now create sincere and emotional connections with consumers based on empathy and family values. The speaker gave examples of major company rebrandings that moved into emotional storytelling, helping people cope with difficulties through positive messages. Special attention was paid to the theme of "new sincerity," where advertising can show weakness and vulnerability, perceived as a manifestation of inner strength. This emotional approach helps brands stand out in a saturated market and win customer loyalty, becoming part of their lives and values.

      Alena Krasnienko, founder of the Art Area branding agency and an expert of the Association of Branding Companies of Russia, spoke about the revival of Russia’s spiritual heritage through brand creation. The speaker emphasized that the key task is to connect historical preservation with modern communication, actualize and reinterpret cultural values, creating a bridge between generations. She singled out spiritual heritage as a driver of the economy through attracting investment, developing the creative economy, cultural tourism, pilgrimage and folk crafts. In her speech she also described specific projects and brands that successfully combine traditions with modern marketing approaches, creating an attractive and lively image of Russia’s spiritual heritage.

      The final speaker, Anton Grishchenko, Strategy Director at Radar and an expert of the Association of Branding Companies of Russia, in his report discussed the importance of forming indigenous meanings and local cultural codes in the era of the retreat of globalization and the shift toward localization. According to the speaker, Russian brands are abandoning templates, rethinking communications and relying on cultural meanings that become part of everyday life. He noted a trend of returning to traditions and local values, as well as the growth of digitalization and globalization that erase cultural boundaries. The speaker suggested that in the next 5–10 years brands in Russia will build communication around the values of family, care, justice, locality and pragmatism, forming new behavioral patterns and sustainable cultural codes. The presentation included examples of successful integration of traditional elements into modern brands and marketing communications, emphasizing the uniqueness and cultural sovereignty of the Russian market.

      As a reminder, the Advertising Forum is held annually by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and brings together advertising experts from across the country. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Nizhny Novgorod Region expresses its gratitude to the partners of the 25th Advertising Forum for their assistance in preparing the forum events and their active participation!