Experts gathered at Advertising Matrix
The 15th edition of the Advertising Matrix International Forum has opened within the conference programme of Reklama 2026. Over the course of three days, more than 100 industry experts will discuss current trends in the advertising market in the context of the Russian economy.
The forum covers marketing, offline and online advertising, automation, and the use of AI. The speakers analyze the results of 2026, discuss promising areas for the development of the advertising business, working promotion practices, and changing customer demands and requirements.
Leading experts of the advertising and marketing market will analyze working practices in the planning and development of advertising campaigns, give recommendations on how to find your niche through the use of top technologies in targeting, neural network advertising, AI design, working with prohibitions, attracting bloggers and influencers, and understanding the current requirements of advertising customers.
The first part of the event called the Radiograph of the Advertising Market 2027 was devoted to changes in consumer behavior, challenges for the creative industry, and approaches to promotion in conditions of limited budgets.
Ekaterina Timoshevskaya, Head at the ROMIR Research Department, presented data on the transformation of the consumer basket and the retail market. According to her, rationality is becoming a sustainable model of customer behavior. At the same time, along with essential goods, the new basic basket includes products related to taking care of yourself and your loved ones. The importance of health and quality of life is still here, and interest in functional products and local manufacturers is growing.
According to the data provided by ROMIR, in the first half of 2026, buyers used an average of ten channels for purchasing consumer goods. The choice depends on the specific task, i.e., to replenish basic stocks, find the right assortment, or quickly receive a small order. This increases the requirements for understanding the needs of the audience and personalizing the offers.
It is not enough for consumers today to get a profitable offer, Ekaterina Timoshevskaya is sure. According to her, when segmenting, it is important to go beyond gender and age and take into account the client's value profile, their requests, and individual needs.
Ekaterina Shevchenko, founder and CEO at White Candy Design, spoke about the work of design studios and branding agencies in the face of the growing cost of attracting customers and staff shortages. Among the practical solutions, she named the use of AI to speed up routine processes, the development of remote teams, and work in several markets. When going abroad, the speaker noted, it is not enough to translate advertising materials. It is also important to study the cultural code of the country, the characteristics of the audience, and its customer expectations.
“A user friendly and humanly looking brand, in my opinion, will be the main advantage," said Ekaterina Shevchenko. According to her, AI helps to save time when preparing concepts and presentations, while creative thinking, critical thinking and responsibility for the result remain with professionals.
Dina Pavlova, CEO and founder at the Agenda PR agency, suggested considering public relations as a long-term investment. In the context of reduced advertising budgets, systematic work with reputation and brand awareness helps to increase the return on promotion.
She stressed that a noticeable result of a PR campaign takes time, and highlighted four principles of operation: long-term investments, a balanced set of tools, constant market monitoring, and risk management.
Ayder Kurtmulaev, Editor-in-chief at the Eurasia Industry magazine, spoke about the opportunities of industry media against the background of the entry of Russian industrial companies into the markets of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries of the former USSR. According to him, the demand for such information is reflected in the advertising indicators of the publication.
The Advertising Matrix Forum is addressed to the heads of advertising agencies and advertising production companies, marketers, and branding professionals who will have to choose promotion channels and plan their work for 2027.
The forum will run until 29 October.
Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO
