2020 communications trends to consider in Russia

As the world’s largest country, covering nine different time zones, and with a population of over 140 million, doing communications in Russia requires insights and expert knowledge. Brands2Life Global partner Buman Media has shared its top five trends to consider for the year ahead.

Mass communication will be replaced by personalisation. While the cross-platform principle has become more relevant than ever here in Russia, it is important not to broadcast “from every corner”, but to target your audience accurately based on where they live and what they are interested in. This is already happening in online sales and advertising, but we will see this spill over into communications as well.

Information consumption will shift from primary sources to platforms. One of the main trends of recent years, which will only increase next year, is the shift of information consumption from primary sources, i.e. traditional media, to platforms, in particular, social media networks. One cannot help but note the growing importance of Telegram in Russia for instance. This will be a big shake-up for Russian media and brands, as they adjust to a world where news and content is shared peer-to-peer via social media. (Whether social networks will also experience more favourable conditions in terms of taxation in Russia as in Europe remains to be seen.)

Podcasts will continue to grow and attract even more followers. Last year, over 5 million people tuned into podcasts in Russia. We are seeing both large media houses and independents starting to produce podcasts with brands hot on their heels, whether as partners, sponsors or developing their own. (We recently published our own too.)

It’s also worth noting that Spotify is likely to finally arrive in Russia this year, with its podcast platform eagerly anticipated.

Marketing specialists will be replaced by algorithms. Digital marketing will also be more subjected to the principles of classical marketing, especially in terms of creativity. After all, understanding advertising tools is not as important as knowing your customers’ needs.

Bloggers will search for creative ideas and hire scriptwriters. Popular bloggers will hire the best scriptwriters (for big money) to help create content that resonates. Every week, new bloggers with millions of followers emerge, leading to ever higher competition for originality, creative content and views. As a result, we predict that scriptwriters will become one of the most popular professions in 2020 — watch this space!

Originally published at Brands2Life Global microsite.