For the Ukrainian Marketing Association, as for the country as a whole, 2025 was a year lived under the conditions of war – a reality that continuously shaped our plans and our pace. We were able to carry on with our work thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose defense of our country gives us the possibility to live and to do our jobs.
Throughout the year, we stayed connected – more often online than we would have wished, and whenever possible offline – to discuss, analyze, support one another, and advance Ukrainian marketing across UMA’s key areas of activity.
In 2025, we continued publishing our journal Marketing in Ukraine – four issues were released over the year. Each edition brought together an outstanding lineup of authors and offered a concentrated mix of practical insights for marketers, along with exclusive materials and research findings. More than 50 leading experts contributed their articles throughout the year. Together, we explored the evolution of the marketing profession, how brands operate amid a polycrisis, modern approaches to marketing research, and the key trends shaping 2026.
Throughout the year, UMA’s professional clubs continued their work: the UMA Faculty Club, the TOP Marketing Club, and the Research Agency Directors Club. These meetings remained informal in format, practical in content, and grounded in a strong sense of support within our professional community.
We were also delighted to welcome new members to UMA, including YouGov Ukraine, National Sample, IMData, Dive and Discovery Research, Sense Research, NOBR.Agency, IQVIA, Shop-Express, and Media Systems.
This year, we carried out the 2024 Marketing Research Market Study – an industry-wide project that UMA has conducted for 21 consecutive years, with the exception of 2022 due to the start of the full-scale invasion. A total of 34 research companies provided UMA with their data on operations in 2024. Based on these contributions, we published an analytical report offering an in‑depth overview of the market, its key players, and future projections.
In 2025, we strengthened our collaboration with universities and the business community to support the development of future marketing professionals. UMA organized more than 10 open webinars and workshops featuring industry practitioners. These events brought together around 350 marketing faculty members and 1,500 students from various educational institutions. The topics proved so practical and timely that practicing marketers also joined the audience.
To support and strengthen the teaching of marketing disciplines in Ukrainian higher education institutions, we held a series of meetings with faculty members – including in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine – to exchange experience and ideas.
We also finalized the professional standard “Specialist in Market Expansion Methods (MARKETER),” which has been officially added to the Register of Professional Standards of the National Qualifications Agency of Ukraine.
We dedicated special attention this year to the topic of military marketing. We held meetings with service members and communication specialists working on the branding of military units, and we organized webinars on “Military Marketing.” The aim of the project was to share information about the work of military brigades and to familiarize practicing marketers and the academic community with the specifics of military communications. We are grateful to the brigade representatives for their openness and candid dialogue.
The work of the Industry Gender Committee on Advertising continued throughout the year, along with efforts to combat sexism in advertising. In 2025, the Committee received more than 100 complaints from consumers regarding sexist advertising. For half of these cases, it provided expert opinions to the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, confirming the presence of gender‑based discrimination in the advertising materials.
This year, we also focused on the psychological and legal aspects of supporting civil servants who handle violations of the Law of Ukraine “On Advertising,” and developed Recommendations to assist them in this work. The Committee’s partners in 2025 included the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Ukraine and the project “European Union for Gender Equality: Reform Helpdesk (Phase II).”
In 2025, UMA continued its work to align the content of education with labor‑market needs at the national level. We developed recommendations for advancing dual education in Ukraine under wartime conditions, as well as guidance on addressing challenges in the organization of vocational education, with a particular focus on construction‑related professions. These recommendations were based on research capturing the perspectives of all key stakeholders and the views of target audiences regarding priority measures for education reform.
These projects were carried out in partnership and cooperation with representatives of the legislative and executive branches, as well as civil society organizations and associations. We extend our gratitude to our government partners – the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. Special thanks go to the civil society organizations representing educators, employers, and vulnerable groups, including veterans and internally displaced persons.
The projects were implemented with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Ukraine, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Geberit Trading LLC, Sika Ukraine LLC, and the Swiss development cooperation foundation Swisscontact.
The Committee on Organic Marketing at the Ukrainian Marketing Association continued its work, advancing its mission to support the development of the organic products market and to foster responsible marketing communications among producers, consumers, public authorities, and society at large.
One of UMA’s active areas of work throughout the year was collaboration with international organizations:
- ANA (Association of National Advertisers, USA). Our cooperation enables Ukrainian faculty members to participate in the Visiting Professor Program (VPP) through the ANA Educational Foundation (AEF).
- EASA (European Advertising Standards Alliance). We continue our cooperation on established projects and maintain ongoing communication regarding new initiatives.
- EFAMRO (European Federation of Associations of Market Research Organisations). In 2025, UMA officially became a member of EFAMRO – a leading European federation that brings together associations in the fields of marketing research, social research, and public opinion research.
- EMC (European Marketing Confederation). As a member of EMC, the Ukrainian Marketing Association takes part in international knowledge‑sharing and professional exchange. Through this cooperation, Ukrainian marketers gain access to industry events, reports, and analytical materials.
- ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research). As an ESOMAR partner association, the Ukrainian Marketing Association takes part in the organization’s research initiatives. This year, UMA received its first invitation to participate in the Association Leaders Summit and the ESOMAR Congress. UMA represented the Ukrainian research community on the international stage and delivered a presentation during the Mentoring Sessions titled “Marketing Research in Times of War: Challenges and Adaptations.”
- ICC (International Chamber of Commerce). UMA completed the Ukrainian translation of the ICC Advertising and Marketing Communications Code, 11th edition. Together with ICC and ICC Ukraine, UMA organized an event for business and academic representatives dedicated to presenting the ICC Code and its Ukrainian translation.
- WFA (World Federation of Advertisers). WFA provides ongoing consulting support to UMA and reinforces our efforts to promote and disseminate the EU Pledge among Ukrainian advertisers.
Ahead lies 2026, and we step into it with deep gratitude – to our partners, UMA members, regional chapters, students, and our defenders.
Thank you for your trust, your engagement, and your commitment to developing Ukrainian marketing together with us.
Wishing you a bright and inspiring 2026! May the year ahead bring peace and prosperity.
With respect and warmest regards,
Iryna Lylyk
President of the Ukrainian Marketing Association
