The withdrawal of Western firms acted as a catalyst for creating strong domestic businesses and reshaping the marketing landscape. This conclusion emerged from the plenary session titled The Importance of Communication on the Economic Agenda of Russia Today, held on the opening day of the XXIII Advertising Forum. The discussion offered a clear view: local manufacturers are becoming more proactive in bringing their products to market, using new strategies and channels to reach audiences across the country.
Participants reviewed performance for the first half of the year, shared latest research findings, and assessed the outlook for the advertising sector amid evolving economic conditions. The consensus was that the market is stabilizing and expanding as brands accelerate campaigns to capitalize on recovering demand. Observers noted a renewed willingness among manufacturers to invest in visibility, signaling a stronger push toward faster go-to-market timelines and more aggressive media mixes.
According to ACAR data cited by the association’s vice president Sergei Veselov, the advertising market achieved record activity in the semester. He indicated that the sector surpassed the pre-crisis level, helped by a rebound following a period of weaker performance and by overall economic growth. This momentum points to a market with renewed confidence and a healthier funding environment for media initiatives across sectors.
He emphasized that the biggest growth impulse could come from the appearance of a fresh market segment or the relaxation of regulatory constraints in parts of the market. Such changes can unlock rapid expansion with existing budgets, especially in a climate where traditional competitive dynamics might otherwise cap returns. Veselov noted that many advertisers in the top tier increased their actual advertising budgets by about a third to forty percent, underscoring a strong appetite for increased visibility and market presence.
Valentin Smolyakov, AKAR’s first vice president, pointed out that audiences are increasingly turning to the Internet for content consumption, while television remains a highly effective platform for launching new products and services to potential buyers. He sees digital channels as a broad and promising field for marketers, capable of delivering measurable reach and engagement as audiences migrate to online formats.
Victoria Radetskaya, the Digital Alliance Commercial Director, described a new advertising niche driven by audience behavior. She explained that a growing segment now watches live television channels via the Internet, with around 15.5 million people already in this group. The audience continues to expand, presenting advertisers with a fresh product line that blends traditional TV reach with digital interactivity and convenience.
In this context, the TV-plus online ecosystem is seen as balanced, with advertising placements achieving increasingly favorable viewing rates in the digital environment. The blend of broadcast and online frequency strategies is delivering higher efficiency for campaigns and enabling advertisers to reach audiences wherever they are. The forum organizers and participants view this hybrid model as a cornerstone of current industry development.
The Nizhny Novgorod Advertising Forum is recognized as one of the sector’s largest gatherings. It brings together industry players to explore new approaches for enhancing business communication and advancing the media advertising market. Each year, more than five hundred industry professionals from over twenty regions of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States participate in the event, exchanging insights, case studies, and practical strategies for sustaining growth in a dynamic economy. This ongoing collaboration helps validate market directions, spot emerging opportunities, and align on best practices for responsible, impactful advertising campaigns that support domestic production and brand building across the region. proceedings and participant analyses provide ongoing context for market evolution and policy considerations affecting the sector.