When you think of Ukraine, you probably don’t think of a country that is famous for its innovative technologies or a thriving economy. However, this is only partly true. Even though Ukraine does not play a pioneering role in the development of brand new technologies, this country is in many ways significantly more digitalized than one would suggest, especially in the field of marketing. Ukrainian companies use numerous innovative strategies from which many Western companies could also take inspiration. One reason for this is the Association Agreement with the EU, which came into force in 2016. This has driven many Ukrainian entrepreneurs to make their products more attractive for the European market and to increase their national competitiveness, which, in turn, ensures an unprecedented variety of digital marketing strategies.
The pandemic and its associated restrictions have shifted the focus from offline shopping to online shopping even more, which has fueled many new trends in this area. One of the most recent trends that has spread rapidly in Ukraine is live stream shopping, or live commerce, which in practice is a mix of live broadcasts, online shopping, and influencer marketing.
Thanks to interactive live broadcasts on social networks, customers have the opportunity to view the products on offer from every angle and to better understand how they work, be it clothing, equipment, cosmetics, or jewelry.
Nowadays the internet offers almost unlimited possibilities for livestream shopping. The most popular way to start livestream shopping is to go live on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook. The popularity of live stream shopping is supported by the fact that most social media platforms have introduced live stream and e-commerce functions, which make live stream shopping affordable and attractive. Today, many companies are experimenting with livestream shopping, including such well-known global brands as Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Levi’s, etc. The average viewing time per livestream slot is 10 minutes, while the engagement rate for such livestreams is around 30%.
Advantages
• Reach: well-known bloggers act as an additional “boost” in reach when shopping online and increase the interest of one’s own fan base in the product and brand on offer, among other things.
• Interaction: another important advantage of live stream shopping is the possibility of communicating directly with the audience, answering their questions, and also receiving feedback. Such an interaction with potential customers ensures personalized communication and a growing trust in the brand.
• Artificial scarcity: this factor has always been one of the biggest sales drivers. The limited number of products on offer paired with considerable price reductions that only apply during a live stream motivates buyers to make a quick purchase decision.
In growth hacking, chatbots can be used at different levels of the sales funnel and touchpoints with the customer. Chatbots are a kind of virtual assistance that can usually be created with Chatbot Builder and connected with messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. It should be noted, however, that chatbots only work efficiently if they fulfill a clearly defined purpose (reservation in a restaurant or answering frequently asked questions).
A notable example of the use of chatbots is the “Privat24” application, launched by PrivatBank. The chatbot accepts inquiries and in this way makes the work of the support team easier. The customer is only connected to the support team if solving their problem requires human involvement. Another striking example of the successful use of chatbots is the RozetkaMarketBot, generated by the largest online marketplace Rozetka, with whose help you can get information about your order, consult a support team, and get answers to your questions.
The following tasks can be performed with the help of chatbots:
• Existing customers & community building. Existing customers can be informed about news, discounts, or special offers through chatbots, for example, by receiving the newsletter they have subscribed to directly in the “favorite messenger”.
• Technical support. The chatbot can be configured to easily answer frequently asked questions around the clock, making the support team more efficient.
• Performance & conversions. Chatbots can be integrated into the growth strategy to support performance goals. This can basically be done in two different ways.
Advantages
• Time and cost savings. A chatbot enables your company to serve more customers at a lower cost.
• Direct communication with the customer. Chatbots can give the customer instant answers and solve customer problems at lightning speed, which promotes a positive brand experience.
• Reach of many people. Communication via chatbots takes place through messengers such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Telegram, which enable you to address potential customers from all over the world and impress them with innovative approach and convenience.
• Data for analysis. The data that chatbots store can be easily accessed and analyzed. With the help of this data, one can get an overview of the wishes of the customers and thus significantly improve the quality of communication.
With the introduction of the “Diia” (“Action”) app in Ukraine, handling official documents such as driver’s licenses and national IDs has been significantly simplified. These can be conveniently accessed via this app in order to be able to carry out almost all official visits online. The Diia app is representative of the current trend in Ukraine that authorities and companies are offering more and more services via mobile apps. It is therefore no wonder that many Ukrainian companies nowadays are trying to have their own apps created because such an app offers numerous advantages:
• Image enhancement: a well-designed app can polish up your company’s image, make your company appear modern and reliable, and show your customers that you are familiar with the latest technological advances.
• Expansion of the community: with your own app, you can better bind your customers to the company by creating additional incentives for your customers through various bonus programs, discounts, and special offers and thus encourage them to make new purchases.
• Increase in your competitiveness: your own app offers your customers a modern, time-saving interaction channel, sets you apart from the competitors, and increases interest in your products.
• Service on a new level: with the help of push notifications (messages), you can keep your customers up to date on all news and special offers and present your products and services in online mode.
Since shopping on common platforms such as Ebay, Amazon, Zalando, Ricardo etc. is very cumbersome in Ukraine, many national platforms have established themselves instead. The front runners among the Ukrainian online marketplaces are OLX, Prom.ua, and Rozetka. According to the rating of the most visited Ukrainian websites, the largest Ukrainian online marketplace is Rozetka and takes the 5th place (38%); olx.ua takes the 6th place (37.9%), and prom.ua gets the 7th place (37.5%).
These marketplaces enable smaller entrepreneurs to sell their products on an established platform that has a large customer potential. Working with online marketplaces has significant advantages for small businesses who want to get their products to a wider audience without high investments. This trend is very characteristic of Ukraine, where smaller companies can hardly compete against well-known companies.
Advantages
• Availability: your products are available to a wide audience.
• Saved time and costs: the creation of an online shop on a marketplace does not involve a great deal of time and money.
• Immediate sales start: online marketplaces give you a quick sales start. Thanks to online marketplaces, there is no need to create a website from scratch and attract customers to your website.
Video marketing is nothing new, especially on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. A particular trend in Ukraine, however, is to rely more on user generated content (UGC) than on glossy or stock videos. Companies work with customers who either create “unboxing videos” or share their experiences with the products advertised in the campaign. In Switzerland, for example, the company Digitec Galaxus places posters that contain very funny reviews of products.
Ukrainian companies have developed programs to incentivize their customers to share their experiences in the form of videos. These can be bonus programs or discount campaigns. The best example of this is again the largest Ukrainian online marketplace Rozetka, which provides its customers with video reviews of its products on YouTube, which are shot by both celebrities and ordinary people. The functionality of the product you have ordered is shown, and its advantages are advertised. With this smart strategy, Rozetka has won many customers who search for video reviews on YouTube and then land on the Rozetka website, where they can order the product they want directly.
Advantages
• Trust is strengthened through videos with UGC: UGC creates trust since the products are explained, tested, or criticized by real customers, contrary to the usual and elaborate “Hollywood” promotional videos or “sterile” stock videos.
• Video marketing helps to present your company in a more realistic way: artificial intelligence changes the perception of all areas of life. Many people long for content that shows real life instead of embellished reality. Text is difficult to “humanize” your company. Videos, on the other hand, can work wonders by conveying emotions, telling stories and, above all, being lifelike.
• Community building is promoted through videos: with programs that motivate customers to produce content, companies are in direct contact with existing customers. This can significantly promote loyalty towards the company.
As this overview of the most popular strategies in Ukrainian marketing shows, Ukraine is a surprisingly dynamic and innovative country, especially in the field of marketing, which is currently experiencing an unprecedented heyday. If our blog has sparked your interest in Ukraine or growth hacking strategies, we’re looking forward to your inquiry!