We are pleased to present the latest issue of Marketing in Ukraine – No. 1–2/2025! This edition is dedicated to the marketing profession and its many facets – the diverse aspects that make it such a dynamic and multifaceted field.
In the opening article of this issue, Iryna Lilyk, President of the Ukrainian Marketing Association, discusses an important milestone in the industry’s development: the creation of professional standards.
The focus is on three key standards:
🔹 Market Research Analyst
🔹 Advertising Specialist
🔹 Market Expansion Methods Specialist (Marketer)
To provide a clear understanding of the functions performed by professionals in the field, partial qualifications have been outlined, including: copywriter, media planner, event manager, targeting specialist, SMM marketer, and marketing assistant.
The adoption of the professional standard is a crucial first step in building a national system for qualification recognition. The next stages include the establishment of Qualification Centers, the development of educational standards and programs, and the implementation of independent assessments of candidates’ competencies for relevant positions.
What is a professional standard? Who approves it and how? Why is it necessary? Find the answers in Iryna Lilyk’s article: Professional Standards in Marketing.
Key Features of Marketing Education in the United Kingdom. This article by Nataliia Pysarenko – developer and programme director of the master’s programme Marketing and Business Analytics at the University of Exeter Business School (UK) – explores the distinctive features of marketing education in the United Kingdom. The author highlights the specifics of teaching marketing regardless of the country and provides an in-depth look at the British approach.
For instance, unlike in many other countries, the UK does not use traditional university accreditation in the way we may be accustomed to. Instead, the quality of education is primarily ensured through adherence to process standards and is monitored by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). This agency sets the requirements for each level of education and issues subject-specific benchmarks, including expected learning outcomes.
Nataliia outlines over ten options that universities can implement to enhance the quality of marketing education. These include flexibility in course planning, a variety of final assessment formats, the use of simulations and analytics platforms, double-blind marking, and more.
Building Strong Marketing Teams: Practical Approaches. Taras Matsypura, Vice President of Marketing at Carlsberg Ukraine, shares his experience in building successful marketing teams within a major international company. At Carlsberg Group –one of the world’s largest brewing companies – human potential is a key element of strategic development. In this article, Taras offers his perspective on how the company’s marketing department not only attracts talent but actively nurtures and develops it.
The piece provides an in-depth look at the structure and functions of the marketing department, as well as the career growth path within the company – from junior specialist to senior brand manager. Taras also offers practical advice for early-career marketers on how to strengthen their skills and competencies.
«Marketing is a never-ending challenge – be ready for constant drive, competition, and change,» he concludes.
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a pivotal figure within any company – not only responsible for strategy and branding, but also for shaping the overall direction of business development. The CMO connects the company with its target market, crafts strategies to attract customers, and builds emotional engagement with them. In today’s fast-changing business environment, the role of the CMO is more critical than ever.
In his article «The Chief Marketing Officer: Key Responsibilities and Future Skills» Volodymyr Sobolev, CMO at Kovalska, outlines the core responsibilities of a marketing director using real-world examples from both Ukraine and abroad. He also highlights the essential skills needed today to succeed in this demanding and rapidly evolving role.
The Challenges of Being a CMO: Insights from Oleksandra Boruk, Marketing Director at Delicia. Ukrainian marketing today is far more than just promoting products or services – it has become an integral part of the country’s cultural, social, and economic landscape. Shaped by global shifts and internal challenges, marketing in Ukraine is growing more flexible, adaptive, and at the same time, increasingly responsible. According to Oleksandra Boruk, Marketing Director at Delicia, brands striving for success must deeply understand historical and social contexts, avoid superficial solutions, and remain culturally sensitive to their audiences. Modern brands do more than advertise – they create meaning, support national identity, and establish new standards of communication.
«Today, marketing is not just a sales tool – it’s a way to engage with society, a mirror of change, and a mechanism that helps businesses not only survive, but evolve in a new reality,» Oleksandra notes.
In her article «From Trade to B2B Marketing: The Natural Evolution of Professional Mastery,» Alona Horkovenko, Marketing Team Manager at OLX Ukraine and Central Asia, shares her personal experience of transitioning from trade marketing to B2B. This is not about starting over – it’s about evolution. Retail experience becomes a solid foundation for navigating the complex symphony of B2B relationships.
The ability to view the business landscape holistically, understand partners’ needs, and craft mutually beneficial solutions is the true gold in a marketer’s toolkit. In the business world, success doesn’t belong to those who know every tool, but to those who know how to use them skillfully.
What makes trade marketing experience valuable in B2B? How does the perception of audience and channels shift? How should success be measured – which metrics and KPIs matter in B2B marketing? What skills are worth carrying over? Alona Horkovenko offers her insights in this thoughtful piece.
In her article «A Successful Marketing Campaign: 5 Actionable Steps,» Anna Shved, Marketing Director at MasterZoo, explores the core elements of effective digital advertising. Which type of digital ad drives the most customers? How can you generate more leads with a smaller budget? And is it even possible to accurately measure advertising effectiveness? These are just a few of the questions that constantly challenge marketers and business leaders alike.
The answers lie in adopting a data-driven approach to marketing management – an ideology where decisions are based not on gut feeling but on meticulously gathered and systematized data. According to Shved, a truly successful marketing campaign must include at least two stages of analytics and be built around five essential components.
From Underdog to MNP Leader: How to Bite Off Your Share Sustainably. Avi Shupak, Head of Marketing Communications at lifecell, Volia, and Data Group, shares a compelling case study from late 2024. Despite being the third player in the Ukrainian telecom market – trailing behind in subscriber count, revenue, and marketing budgets – lifecell managed to seize a unique opportunity and achieve a remarkable breakthrough.
This is a story about catching the right moment: how smart timing, a sharp marketing strategy, and bold, resonant messaging turned a challenging position into a winning move. The Mobile Number Portability (MNP) campaign is a textbook example of how even a market outsider can lead when their message truly connects with the audience.
Tetiana Ivantsova, Marketing Director for the wine and brandy category at Bayadera Group, in her article «Marketing Ethics: Where Is the Line?» raises the issues of brand responsibility, respect for the audience, and mature marketing.
The ethics of a marketer is the foundation upon which consumer trust and the long-term success of a brand are built. Responsible marketing has nothing to do with manipulation or deception. It is based on transparency, honesty, and a deep understanding of the product.
This is especially important for the wine business, where responsible communication means emphasizing quality, origin, traditions, and responsible consumption.
Olena Andriienko, Deputy Legal Director at Publicis Groupe Ukraine, member of the Supervisory Board of the All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition, and member of the Expert and Advisory Committee on AI Development under the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, discusses the legal aspects of using AI in marketing. As a universal tool that drives a qualitatively new level of creativity and efficiency, AI can be applied at any stage of the creation and implementation of a marketing campaign.
Olena shares how the use of artificial intelligence is regulated in the EU and Ukraine, and outlines the key principles for the responsible use of AI systems.
The article compiles regulatory documents and recommendations for the responsible use of AI in advertising and marketing communications, all provided with hyperlinks to original sources.
Event Marketing: How to Create Events That Deliver Business Results – this is the focus of Valeriia Serbinenko’s article. Event marketing is a key tool in modern marketing strategies, enabling companies to engage directly with their audience through the organization of special events. It helps increase brand awareness, strengthen customer loyalty, and achieve specific business objectives.
Internal Marketing: The Key to Shaping a Positive Company Image – an article by Yeva Telebeneva, Head of Marketing and Strategic Development and Co-owner of an international Digital Marketing & PR agency. Corporate image is shaped not only through official communications, PR campaigns, or advertising. Today, more and more companies realize that their employees are the main carriers of the brand. They are the ones interacting with clients, partners, and society, and their voice increasingly influences brand trust and image.
Content SEO Strategy for Luxury Brands: Balancing Uniqueness and Search Optimization – Dmytro Verzhykovskyi, Head of Digital Marketing at Antonovych Design, discusses the role of an SEO specialist in modern marketing, the specifics and challenges of SEO for luxury brands, and how to build an effective content SEO strategy. A well-crafted content SEO strategy not only helps luxury brands become visible but also shapes their unique image in the digital space.
Olena Yakobchuk, an international patent strategist, certified patent attorney, and author of patent algorithms for solving issues in the pharmaceutical industry, has prepared a detailed article titled «Intellectual Property in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges for Ukrainian Brands» – focusing on how to monopolize a brand, pass customs, and enter the European market safely. Ukrainian companies are increasingly expanding into the European market, so it is essential to understand the rules, approaches, and strategies for competitive battle and counterfeiting that apply in this region. The methods of brand monopolization in the EU differ from those in Ukraine. This article is dedicated to familiarizing readers with European strategies.
Online shopping in Ukraine – trends for 2024 and forecasts for 2025 are shared by Anastasia Kosovich, project manager in the research department of finance and retail at CBR. The research company CBR conducts annual studies on the specifics of online trade in Ukraine. Surveys are conducted among respondents aged over 16, who are active internet users and reside throughout Ukraine (excluding temporarily occupied territories). The research is carried out twice a year – in spring and autumn.
E-commerce in Ukraine continues to show cautious but positive growth. Businesses are adapting, and the gradual digitization of Ukrainian society is accelerating the transition of an increasing number of retailers and manufacturers to the online sphere. At the same time, services and websites for online shopping are becoming increasingly better, addressing issues that arise in emergency situations. Figures, details, and insights are available in Anastasia’s article.
Read, scroll, and discover new facets of the marketing profession. Let this issue be a valuable source of inspiration for you!
