ANALYSING THE PROMOTION OF A NEW BRAND ON THE MARKET OF KYRGYZSTAN

АНАЛИЗ ПРОДВИЖЕНИЯ НОВОГО БРЕНДА НА РЫНКЕ КЫРГЫЗСТАНА

Таштобаева Сайкал

магистрант, Международный университет Aлa-Too,

Кыргызстан, г. Бишкек

ABSTRACT

The article considers the works concerning the concept of “brand”, types of brand, approaches to brand development. In the conditions of competition of goods and services the development and promotion of brand are urgent tasks. The article analyzes examples of launching a new brand abroad, as well as in the Kyrgyz market. Annual ratings of famous brands and companies that determine the rating of world brands have been studied. Also analyzed are the results of the analysis on the rating of brands of the EAEU countries, of which Kyrgyzstan is a member. Examples of effective and unsuccessful brands in Kyrgyzstan are given.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В статье рассмотрены работы, касаемые понятия “бренд”, видов бренда, подходов к разработке бренда. В условиях конкуренции товаров и услуг разработка и продвижение бренда являюсмя актуальными задачами. Проведен анализ примеров запуска нового бренда зарубежом, а также на рынке Кыргызстана. Изучены ежегодные рейтинги известных брендов и компании, которые определяют рейтинг мировых брендов. Также даны результаты анализа по рейтингу брендов стран ЕАЭС, членом которого является Кыргызстан. Приведены примеры эффективных и неуспешных брендов в Кыргызстане.

Keywords: brand, branding, brand types, brand promotion, effective brand.

Ключевые слова: бренд, брендинг, виды бренда, продвижение бренда, эффективный бренд.

The purpose of this work is to analyze approaches to the development and promotion of a new brand and to study the most successful brands in the Kyrgyz market.

Many studies have been devoted to the analysis of the term “brand” alone, and this term is interpreted in different ways. In an expanded interpretation, a trademark (brand) is understood as the entire set of ideas, representations, images, associations, etc. about a specific product and its environment that has developed among consumers [1]. N. Yu. Chernik in his article [2] cited the concept of a brand as “… is a single system of features and attributes, recognizable due to the high popularity of effectively used verbal and visual identifiers, providing consumers with unique and relevant (functional, emotional, symbolic) values ​​that best meet their needs and determine the consumer's sustainable choice of a product or service compared to competitive analogues.” A deep analysis and definition of the term “brand” are given in the work of S. A. Starov [3]. The author argues that the term "brand" primarily reflects the marketing concept in the management of the company's activities, which is aimed at maximum satisfaction of the needs of buyers by carefully studying their needs. Thus, the company understands the brand as:

- identification system (verbal and visual identifiers) allowing for quick recognition of the product;

- source of values ​​(functional, emotional, symbolic);

- brand contract (focus on meeting the stated values ​​to the greatest extent) [3, p. 36].

“Branding” is an inseparable concept from the term “brand”. In the work of Godin A.M. [4, p. 8]. “Branding is an activity aimed at creating a long-term preference for a product (service), based on the combined enhanced effect on the consumer of a trademark (service mark), packaging, advertising messages, materials, “sales promotion” and other advertising elements, united by a certain idea and uniform design, distinguishing the product (service) from competitors and creating its image (brand image).” In another work [4, p. 8], the author gave a more honest formulation: “Branding” is an activity of an interested group of people or an individual, aimed at creating long-term relationships with the end user of the product, materialized in the form of a specific brand.”

And this is far from a complete list of works that examine the concepts of brand and branding.

The authors of numerous works devoted to the brand briefly or in detail examine the types of brands. In the works of Groshev E.V. [5] and N.A. Spirina [6] detailed classifications of the types of brand are given.

In the classification of E.V. Groshev [5, p. 31], brands are divided into the following types: by territory coverage (local, national, global); by affiliation (manufacturer's brand, joint brand, licensed brand, private brand); by branding volume (product/company, service, person, territory, technology, religion (idea); by area of ​​application (B28 brand (business to business), B2C brand (business to customers)); by product coverage (product brand, umbrella brand, corporate brand); by terms and purposes of creation (short-term, medium-term, long-term); by strategic basis (generic brand, brand with high added value, powerful brand, productive brand); by need satisfaction (master brand, recommended brand, sub-brand, differentiator brand, activator brand, flag brand).

In N.A. Spirina’s classification, there are brands [6, 1225 p.] by type of objects and by method of positioning.

According to the type of objects, she identified the following types of brands: product brands; service brands; personal brands; organizational brands; event brands; geographic brands; and social brands (organizational brands in the fields of healthcare, education, science, etc.).

According to the method of positioning, the author distinguishes between Western and Eastern brands [6, 1226 p.]. The Western branding model is still characterized by long-term planning of the product launch process, large investments and, as a rule, a long product life cycle. In the Eastern branding model [6, 1227 p.], the subbrands concept prevails, the essence of which is that a reliable and well-known name of the manufacturer is a solid foundation for the launch of new brands, which are usually used to separate product categories. Thus, the Sony brand has subbrands (SonyWalkman, SonyTrinitron).

An analysis of literary sources showed that today a large number of scientific papers are also devoted to the study of approaches to brand development.

One of the interesting books in this area is "Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team»[7].The author proposes a comprehensive approach to developing a new brand. The essence of the comprehensive approach is the consistent and mandatory implementation of four important stages:

Stage 1 – research and analysis, where you need to study the market, competitors, target audience, values, brand attributes;

Stage 2 – defining the brand strategy, where the brand positioning, mission and vision are formulated;

Stage 3 – creation of a visual identity, where a logo, branded packaging, web design and other visual elements of the brand are developed;

Stage 4 – implementation and brand management, where the brand is implemented into the business and a strategy for its promotion is developed.

The work “Brands and branding” offers a different approach to developing a new brand [8]. Here it is recommended to develop a brand in five stages: at the first stage it is recommended to research the market and target audience. At the second stage – to define a unique selling proposition (a clear formulation of how the brand will stand out and offer value to customers). At the next third stage it is necessary to develop a value proposition (a thorough study of the emotional and functional benefits that the brand could offer to customers). Create a visual identity – the fourth stage (development of a visual image of the brand). At the last, fifth stage it is recommended to use integrated marketing communications, where it is necessary to use different information opportunities and tools to inform the target audience.

In his article, I.V. Gubenko [9] presented an approach aimed at increasing the competitiveness and value of a company by creating a brand, placing emphasis on the generic purpose, individual characteristics, and a set of values. First of all, it is necessary to develop a brand concept, which is the basis for the entire subsequent marketing complex. In this case, it is important to correctly determine the most valuable needs of buyers, assess the structure of the market, its development trend, the actions of key competitors, and offer a product with new added value. The author considers the development of brand positioning to be an important component for the successful competitiveness of a product.

In the work "Marketing Guru" [10, 21 p.] the author analyzed the works of the best researchers, legislators in the field of brand and branding - "gurus". Based on such studies, the author recommends the following main stages of brand development: first of all, develop a value position, then form a brand. At the second stage, choose a brand name, create various associations with this name, and then work on managing all consumer contacts with the brand. This affects the strengthening of the brand image, the author claims.

Groshev I.V. [5, p. 51] identified two approaches to branding: activity-based and progressive. The activity-based approach is a set of events that are carried out sequentially at certain time intervals. In this approach, the brand creator promotes only his own vision, without emphasizing the consumer market.

Different companies use different methods and ways to promote their brand on the market. In the recent past, the most common method for us was advertising on television or in newspapers and magazines. Now the most popular ways to promote a brand have become Internet channels: every day we come across advertisements of different brands informing consumers through Instagram ^* and Facebook^*.

There are also many works devoted to the study of brand promotion methods: [7], [10], [11] and many others. Thus, in the work of Bilalova EA, 5 stages are recommended [11]: research, setting goals and objectives, defining the consumer audience, developing a promotion strategy, defining marketing tools for brand promotion. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the size of the budget for brand promotion, the author states “..... according to the principle of informing the target audience on ATL (above-the-line) and BTL (bellow-the-line) communications.” ATL is a traditional means of communication (television, media, etc.), and BTL is a complex of marketing communications (direct marketing, promotions, sponsorship, open days, advertising marketing materials, etc.).

To promote a brand, it is necessary to conduct a series of qualitative and quantitative studies.[1], [12]. These studies are conducted using various tools (surveys - interviews, questionnaires, focus groups). In this case, qualitative indicators include: brand recognition and awareness, brand inspiration, unique selling proposition, brand loyalty. Quantitative indicators include: audience reach (number of users, frequency of contact with the brand), consumer acquisition and cost of their acquisition (number of attracted consumers, cost of attracting one consumer), sales volume and income, interaction with consumers (number of subscribers in social networks, their comments and likes, consumer participation in promotions, competitions, open doors, number of visits to the site, etc.).

An analysis of sources showed that there are various agencies that determine annual brand ratings. The annual rating of famous brands is conducted by “Best Global Brands” by Interbrand [13], [14]. The main criterion for the rating is the cost of brands.

According to the “Best Global Brands” rating for 2024, the most expensive brand in the world is Apple. As you know, today Apple is the leader in the production of iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets, as well as smart watches, computers and laptops, etc. Microsoft ranks second in this rating. Amazon ranks third in this rating. Amazon's main activity is the sale and delivery of a wide range of various goods via the Internet quickly and at low prices.

Fitch Ratings has identified the list of companies with the highest global rating in the S&P 500 for 2024 [15]. The top five places in this rating are occupied by Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple and Amazon.com.

There are quite a large number of brands operating in various sectors of the economy in Kyrgyzstan. The EAmarketDatа agency determines the annual rating of brands in the EAEU countries (Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan) [16], [17]. For 2023, the top 100 EAmarketDatа included Kyrgyz brands that received a CCC rating. The top ten of this rating include: Kumtor, Altynken, 24.kg, Alliance Altyn, Kaindy-Kant, Optima Bank, DemirBank, Tazabek, O! NUR Telecom, Shoro.

Recently, Kyrgyzstan has seen the emergence of several innovative companies that are successfully meeting the growing needs of local consumers. Kyrgyz Concept, launched in 2020, specializes in eco-tourism. Their services and collaboration with local communities have made them popular among domestic and international travelers. Namba Food, which started as a food delivery service in 2019, has expanded its operations to food delivery, offering a wide range of services to urban consumers. By collaborating with various local businesses and focusing on fast and convenient service, Namba Food has become a leading company in the food and grocery delivery sector in Kyrgyzstan.

In recent years, clothing and accessory brands have successfully entered the Kyrgyz market. For example, the BAIRA brand represents Kyrgyzstan at international events, combining modern models with ethnic elements of classic outfits from Central Asia.

In the field of clothing and accessories production, there are also other new brands that have appeared in the Kyrgyz market in recent years. All of them actively advertise their brand mainly on Instagram^* and Facebook^* pages. SONUN, ESMI, YanaGaYdaY, DinaRatsko, Sapatbrand.kg, Irin_mod, MALENA, Clothing Code, CHIC, Saltanat Mamytova, Kanfashion - all these brands produce designer women's clothing of various styles and assortments.

BeAdam is a relatively new brand that started its operations in Kyrgyzstan in 2022. It is distinguished by high-quality stylish and comfortable youth clothing and accessories for girls and boys. The company managed to combine modern design with high-quality materials.

The PAVLA KG brand offers customers handmade outerwear, jewelry and accessories for men.

The brands Kolart.kg (handmade woven accessories), Zinevieva (beaded jewelry), Aku_handmade (handmade bags) are also new brands whose products are presented on Instagram^*.

These companies, with their innovative approaches and customer focus, play an important role in shaping the future of the Kyrgyz economy. They are distinguished by unique products, use quality materials and ensure good execution, use social media to promote their products, participate in exhibitions and other events to present their products and attract new customers.

However, there are also brands that have successfully established themselves for some time, started to operate actively, but for some reason disappeared from the Kyrgyz market. For example, FoodZone, which entered the market in 2021, is a food delivery platform in Bishkek that quickly gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A convenient application and a wide selection of restaurants, as well as fast delivery, allowed FoodZone to gain a foothold in the market at that time.

Launched in 2022, TezSat was an online shopping platform in Kyrgyzstan. Offering a user-friendly interface, reliable delivery services, and cash on delivery options, TezSat effectively solved e-commerce challenges.

The main drawback of many brands is the lack of advertising and communication with customers, the absence of a website that contains more detailed information about the brand, etc.

Conclusions. Based on the analysis of literature and the market of well-known brands, including in Kyrgyzstan, the following conclusions were made:

1. The concept of a brand has evolved, changed and currently a large number of different concepts of the term "brand" are used and this term is understood in different ways: from a legal point of view for companies, so that there is legal protection of the brand and proof of the brand's belonging to a certain company. From a consumer's point of view, a brand has a psychological meaning, as information stored in the memory of consumers. There are also different types of brands. Companies choose the appropriate brand depending on their activities and the company's mission, as well as the market situation and target audience.
2. Approaches to developing a new brand, which are given in various sources, generally have the same principles. They describe the consistent and mandatory implementation of the main stages: conducting market and target audience analysis, developing a strategy, promoting and monitoring the brand. However, they do not take into account the specifics of a specific market. A well-developed brand strategy and the correct choice of brand promotion method leads to brand competitiveness and also helps to successfully enter the market.
3. The rating of strong brands is determined by various agencies based on the brand value (annual profit of the company). The rating of Kyrgyz brands is determined among the countries of the EAEU. Most of the Kyrgyz brands occupying places in the TOP 100 are services (Internet companies, financial companies, construction companies and some companies from the food industry).

In the future, the work will be devoted to studying the conditions of the Kyrgyz market in the light industry and its ability to adapt to general approaches to brand creation.

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^* (a social network banned on the territory of the Russian Federation, as a product of the Meta organization, recognized as extremist - ed.)