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<div class="quote">
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          <p class="quote__text">For 20 years, Oleksiy worked as a marketing director in such companies as "Global ABC", "Foxtrot", in holdings EVO and StarLightMedia. He created 14 trademarks from scratch, including "Snow Panda", "Prime", "Prirodne Dzherelo", "Bigl.ua", "Zakupki.Prom.ua". Oleksiy shared marketing insights and talked about trends in the Ukrainian market.</p>
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            <p class="quote__author__name">Oleksii Filanovskyi</p>
            <p class="quote__author__about">Ukrainian marketer, lecturer, founder of Filberry marketing agency and the author of the books "The Game of Brands", "Provincial", "Cargo Marketing and Ukraine", "The Main Marketing Book".</p>
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## **Ukraine's path is unique**

In the 90s, I changed almost two dozen professions and came to marketing by accident. I am glad that I saw how our market became very Ukrainian and went from a situation where there were only solid western brands to the emergence of powerful Ukrainian companies that developed precisely at the expense of their brands and not thanks to raw materials. Ukraine has caught up with the whole world and has become modern from the point of view of marketing.

## **Despite the constant tension, optimism is a characteristic feature of Ukrainian entrepreneurs**

Despite the war since 2014, despite the fact that at the end of 2021, everyone knew that russia was accumulating troops on the border, many businesses were making big plans. People built physical workshops and warehouses and developed software and complex IT solutions. Almost all businesses invested in the long-term perspective in Ukraine.

After a full-scale invasion, everyone had to finalize long-term plans and adjust to maintaining the company and finding new sales markets.

Now, from the requests that clients make to me, I see that Ukrainian businesses are completing the "survival" stage. They have already regrouped, changed their strategies, and are beginning to return to their long-term plans again. However, earlier, the plans were for 3-5 years, and now for 6-8 months. Many of these plans are related to sales abroad: Ukraine is starting to generate products for the world market, and we understand that the volume of products for the Ukrainian market will decrease because many people have left and will not return for some time.

## **Powerful long-term trends in marketing on the Ukrainian market:**

1. Redistribution of family budgets 

There are several economic reasons for this. Firstly, it’s inflation. Secondly, it’s the reduction of wages on the one hand, and jobs on the other, because many Ukrainian companies had to resort to these measures. Thirdly, the budget of the average Ukrainian family has decreased.

2. Reduction in consumption

Everyone in Ukraine is now a donor. Almost everyone makes donations, which is a separate part of the budget of Ukrainians, and, as a result, consumption decreases because of this. People give up the goods: some entertainments they rarely afforded are now simply crossed out. This trend will continue until the country recovers.

3.  Redistribution of finances into cheaper price segments

People maintained consumption in quantity but switched to cheaper substitutes. For example, if a family used to eat 5 kg of meat per month, of which 4 kg was veal and 1 kg of chicken, now they consume 2 kg of veal and 3 kg of chicken. The hunt for low prices has also begun. All discounts are now super relevant.

Therefore, it is now important for companies to adjust their pricing policies and determine if their product meets this cost-saving strategy. Consider creating a crisis-time product that comes out cheaper but with a claimed reduction in quality. It is crucial to declare a change in quality because a decrease in the quality of a regular product without warning causes consumer outrage.

4. Reduction of physical consumption

Unfortunately, it is about austerity bordering on impoverishment. This is when 5 kg of meat per month turns into 3 kg. When people start consuming less food, clothing, and other essential goods.

5. Showy patriotism turns into monetary patriotism

Previously, the patriotism of Ukrainians in the choice of goods was purely ostentatious. In whatever markets I worked and whatever research I conducted, people could declare, "We are for Ukraine", but to the question, "Which goods do you buy: foreign or Ukrainian?" they answered, "Well, foreign goods are of high quality, but Ukrainian ones are not." Now this is changing for the first time: people are buying more Ukrainian products.

6. Society expects that brands will voice their position

The company should help the Armed Forces and publicly communicate its position; now, it is a must-have. It is unnecessary to shout about your responsibility, just do not stay aside.

7. Change of communication landscape

Ukraine continues to partially live a normal consumer life. People still want to see ads and information about products and brands because it helps them make choices. Talking about yourself, what you do, and what values ​​you provide to the consumer is as important as before.

So build your brand values ​​and stay in touch with consumers, offering personalized offers and discounts.

As an illustration of this trend, I can cite the example of one of my clients, whose company deals in refurbishing Apple products. This is an ecological business: reusing refurbished phones and other devices contributes to the environment. And until 2022, this was the central message of the company. At the same time, during the full-scale war in Ukraine, we are seeing a rapid surge in demand for this segment. People are reviewing the budget: yes, they are buying, but they are looking for a different price proposition.

When we offer a high-value product - environmentally friendliness and a low price without losing quality - we see how people respond positively to it. The business must preserve and develop its values but at the same time work on price optimization.

Similarly, people respond well to everyday communication. This client's company has 600 thousand followers on TikTok and shares life hacks on the use of technology. This means that people need communication with brands that build trust, which is also extremely important now.

8.  Russian companies are vacating niches where you can enter with your goods

Companies that had russian capital were forced to leave the market. For example, the trademark "Ushastiy Nyan", products for washing dishes and laundry for children. The manufacturer of this brand was the company "Nevskaya kosmetika", which until recently worked in Ukraine and held a large share market. This freed up market share, which did not go unnoticed by Ukrainian manufacturers.

Similarly, Kyiv cardboard and paper mill had a trademark Soffione, registered in russia, and now this trademark also left our market. There are many such examples in various fields.

This gives Ukrainian manufacturers new opportunities. They should follow such events and enter vacant niches.

## **The crisis has made many businesses more flexible**

In Ukraine, this mainly applies to the hotel business. He almost died during the pandemic, and after a full-scale invasion, he was deprived of the flow of foreigners, especially in the west of Ukraine. Now all hotels are faced with a choice - to close or to adapt and rebuild their activities to offer their services at much lower prices.

We understand that it is impossible to take and lower prices simply. This usually results in a loss of profitability and a potential business shutdown. When pricing is changing, behind this is careful work on optimization since all business processes and conditions of cooperation with suppliers must be changed. It's good for business. Everyone who had to "dry out" and analyze their work due to a massive crisis and, as a result, was able to survive, became more flexible and stronger.

## **Ukraine has a large demand for the export of intellectual products**

This is the only thing we can consistently supply abroad. The other day I was driving along the Odesa highway to Kyiv and saw many grain trucks. This is an example of how we export physical goods. But we are very dependent on them because today there is this grain agreement, and tomorrow the Russians can start shelling the barges. We don't know if it's sustainable. It is difficult to export grain to Europe by rail. So we see that physical export is complicated.

So, for example, the brand "Snow Panda", with which I worked for a long time and which in Ukraine defeated international brands, is now thinking about how to sell its product to other countries, but for this, it needs to add huge logistics. Therefore, in the near future, the sale of Ukrainian goods will not be competitive precisely because of the difficulty of transportation.

In this way, the main potential becomes an intellectual product. For a long time, Ukrainian IT outsourcing recruited teams and sold its services here. Instead, now there is an opportunity for Ukrainian developers to create products that can be sold with a large added value. This will be a powerful source of foreign exchange earnings and the country's economic development in general.

I also assume that a certain consumer community of Ukrainians will emerge in Europe. Of course, it is more likely that the majority of Ukrainians will integrate and dissolve in the consumption of Poles, Germans, and people of other European countries. However, some of them will continue to consume Ukrainian goods nostalgically, and then Ukrainian companies will be able to develop in Europe. Most likely, there will be successful cases of Ukrainian producers of goods and services, but not en masse.

Ukrainians in Europe spend a lot of money, and you can also compete for this money because these are people with whom communication has already been established, who speak Ukrainian, and whose consumer habits were formed in Ukraine.


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Oleksiy Filanovskiy shared marketing insights and talked about trends in the Ukrainian market.

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Despite everything, Ukrainian business is characterized by optimism

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          <p class="quote__text">Elena has 20 years of experience in marketing and communications management in international companies Randstad RiseSmart, Sofitel, InterContinental, Amway, and Nike. In 2009, Elena received an MBA from Hult International Business School. Now she lives and works in San Jose, Silicon Valley. Elena tell us about the job search of Ukrainians abroad and shared tips on how to remain competitive in the labor market and business.</p>
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            <p class="quote__author__name">Elena Sabry</p>
            <p class="quote__author__about">Elena Sabry is a career coach, author, certified expert on LinkedIn profiles of the American National Association of Resume Writers, and a certified coach of the Fascinate personal brand system.</p>
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My specialty is job search abroad. I lived in the UAE and helped Ukrainians to find work. Then I moved to the USA and started working with the whole world. Now I have clients from 12 countries. In addition to the job search, I help people get promoted and become more visible employees or personas to their audience.


A wave of layoffs is ongoing in Silicon Valley: local companies are cutting up to 15% of their staff, which is about 70,000 people. I work for a company that specializes in returning these specialists to work. How does this happen? We offer the services of a coach, a resume writer, and a concierge looking for a job. All of them direct their efforts to find the desired job for the client as soon as possible and help him get an offer. I also often offer clients personal tests to determine the archetype, a set of qualities and talents that each person is born with. Tests help to determine a person's inclinations and abilities in various fields, as well as to understand which of his skills from the last place of work we can apply in a new industry, company, or business.
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## **Entrepreneurs need a personal brand**

Half of my clients are entrepreneurs and founders. When they create a new product or enter international markets, as many Ukrainians do now, it is important first of all, to be noticed. They come with a request to help them with a minimal budget to start communicating effectively with the audience and creating content. Many also need to be noticed by investors. In such cases, together with the client, we write a development strategy, promote a personal brand, and create a corporate page and a content plan.
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## **A LinkedIn profile is your marketing campaign**

LinkedIn is the world's largest online professional network. Specialists in various fields, employers, and founders from 200 countries are represented on this international platform. A huge advantage of LinkedIn, compared to Facebook and Instagram, is the algorithms that work according to the old model: you like my post, and all my contacts see it.

Your contacts on LinkedIn are your first corporate audience: employees, companies, and partners. These contacts are everyone you've ever worked with. They are with you forever!

Employers and investors often start searching for people from their network by asking acquaintances to "Recommend me someone." So an extensive network and activity on LinkedIn is your calling card for getting the desired position, partners, or investors.
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## **A high-quality resume opens the door to any interview**

I trained with the best resume writers, it's a vast industry in the US. People are constantly looking for work. For many people, correctly presenting their achievements and uniqueness is a problem. You have to learn this. The ability to briefly and vividly "sell" and advertise yourself, stand out from many other candidates, and be noticed is a skill that should be trained. It is necessary for both employees and entrepreneurs who need to present themselves and their products to investors and partners.
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## **8 tips on how to write a resume that will help you get an invitation to an interview:**

1. Learn the rules for writing a resume. There are specific resume rules that vary from country to country and even from industry to industry. There are also resume fashions, and they change. Get training, and subscribe to helpful resources like Happy Monday.
2. Write a resume yourself. The worst thing you can do is find a resume on the Internet for a similar position and rewrite it. It is also desirable to show resumes to a person who writes or reads them a lot, for example, a recruiter.
3. Never send a resume or portfolio as a picture in JPEG format. The reading system will not be able to open such a file, and your HR will not be able to copy the text of your resume. Word or PDF only.
4. Another common gross mistake is to take an old resume and send it to new vacancies. Update your resume specifically for the desired position.
5. Describe the results. This is one of the most critical points, it is relevant both for junior positions and for top managers. What have you done in previous places? What functions did you perform? What problems did you solve? How did you help the company move forward?
6. Don't use vague epithets. "Effective manager", "the best", "- who said that? The person deciding to work with you wants to see the facts.
7. Collect recommendations on LinkedIn. This follows from the previous point. You need social proof, recommendations from colleagues, bosses, customers, and partners, and reviews about you and your product. “She helped me find a job in Canada, made a LinkedIn profile, and built a personal brand”. My clients write it about me, not me.
8. Get ready. To get the desired response to your letter, you should spend time preparing. Read about the company and the people who work there, learn about their interests, and find points that unite you. This will make it much easier for you to communicate, and you will feel more confident.
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## **So how to find work and new clients abroad?**

### **1. Invest in yourself**

Many of my clients became refugees as a result of the invasion. However, everyone who wanted to find a job abroad found it.

One of my clients was the marketing director of a huge Ukrainian pharmaceutical company. After the invasion, she and her child went to the United States, and she started looking for a job from scratch. We made a resume and profile on LinkedIn for her. Now she is already on her second job. Yes, it was not easy, but the result was worth it. Therefore, my advice is to invest in yourself and work with specialists. If you do not have the financial opportunity to work with a coach, contact the career center at the nearest library. In the US and many European countries, this is free for refugees. Since you need to learn the specifics of writing a resume and looking for a job in this country, help will not hurt you.

### **2. Learn English and get an education**

Learn English. After the victory, significant investments will be directed to Ukraine, there will be many career opportunities and access to new markets. There will be a huge demand for people with knowledge of the language. In Europe and the USA, tutors are costly, and in Ukraine, it is quite affordable service. A foreign language opens many doors.

Also, invest in professional skills and education to compete in the market. If you are a manager and you see that your colleagues or bosses have an MBA, maybe you should get one too.

All education is now moving online and will become cheaper. There are a lot of different educational programs and courses, but not everyone can make it to the end. Therefore, not only interest is important here, but also persistence in the learning process.

Confidence comes from experience and results from cool implemented projects. Therefore, do not stay in one company for 10-15 years. Even in Silicon Valley, people have suffered from being used to stability, and now, after a wave of layoffs, they feel confused and don't know where to start their job search. Competition in the west is increasing, and we are becoming the west. In America, many people retire at the age of 70, they work very hard. We also need to work hard to make Ukraine competitive.

### **3. Experiment**

I had 12 jobs. I changed my profession 5 times, including abroad. And my main advice is to be flexible. The first job abroad, just like the first business audience, can be small because you have to start somewhere. One job opens the door to another. The main thing is to start, and if you are motivated and efficient, very soon, other companies will be chasing you, or partners will be writing with offers.

Motivation is fundamental. Knock on all the doors, search, and work with specialists and yourself. If you have the motivation, there's no stopping you. It's just a matter of time. Work towards your goal and be patient. Know yourself, your market, and your employer/audience. And they will open the door for you.



Career coach Olena Sabry about the wave of layoffs in Silicon Valley and forecasts for the Ukrainian labor market

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Competition is growing in the West. Ukraine becomes the West

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          <p class="quote__text">I started to be interested in innovations more than 10 years ago, when there were not many events promoting technologies and entrepreneurship. At the same time, I was already interested in 3D printing and robotics, so I gradually delved into it.</p>
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            <p class="quote__author__name">Jane Klepa</p>
            <p class="quote__author__about">Jane Klepa is an entrepreneur, director of partnerships and innovations at SET University and executive director of 1991 Accelerator, mentor, and speaker with 10 years of experience in the field of technology. Jane spoke about the state of the Ukrainian startup market, shared cases of effective teams, and her own insights that will help preserve the business.</p>
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## **The interaction of startups, corporations, and the public sector has the most powerful effect on the development of all parties**

Later, I assembled a team with which I organized large-scale international conferences in Ukraine and abroad, mainly in the B2B sector - for large companies and their employees. 

Then I realized that many emerging young projects needed financial assistance and mentoring. Therefore, within the framework of large conferences, I started testing a platform called Speed dealing: it had the same principle as Speed dating but between founders and investors so that the latter could give feedback to startups and cooperate in the future. 

The format was quite successful, and I finally realized that I want to direct my activities to support young teams that would work in synergistic tripartite cooperation that takes into account the interests of all participants: big business, the public sector as a regulator, and startup innovators. 

So in 2017, I headed it 1991 Open Data Incubator (now 1991 Accelerator), where we developed projects without teams (1-3 people) at the idea stage. We were at the very origins because, at that time, there were almost no incubators and accelerators in Ukraine. 


## **Startups are always about innovation**

Innovation is not necessarily an invention from scratch, and I often remind accelerator entrepreneurs of this. Innovation is also about optimization: if one project solves a specific problem better than another, using a more efficient method, this is also an innovation. If it is possible to optimize some processes or, say, the speed of measurement in the context of technology, this is also an innovation. This distinguishes a startup: this innovative component and a bunch of unknowns. Therefore, a startup starts with testing hypotheses and validating ideas. 


## **My mission is to work with Ukrainian founders**

When I started working with startups, I lived in 3 countries and 5 cities. It may sound romantic, but in reality, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Of course, this crazy pace gave me a valuable background, which I am very grateful for, but it was extremely difficult. So I decided to devote myself fully to Ukrainian products and services and help them receive investments abroad. Currently, the accelerator community includes over 200 startups from all over Ukraine.

## **The ability to help yourself first and then help others is an important element of leadership**

At the end of 2021, within the team, of course, we discussed the possibility of a full-scale invasion, but most simply did not believe this could happen. At the same time, we managed to get together quickly, and in April, we fully resumed operational activities. Everything was complicated by the fact that part of 1991 was from Mariupol. We even had a startup development center there. So we helped the teams leave, looked for shelter, and supported them in every way. 

A business leader needs to think about himself first to find resources and motivation to move forward. After all, you cannot motivate a team if you aren’t at your best. Routine saved me: even a simple act of cleaning kept me in tune. Although you understand that perhaps no one will need it because your house can be destroyed at any moment. But you keep going, and that gives you strength. My family supported me a lot. Breathing exercises and sports also helped.

## **Investors demand guarantees, which Ukraine can barely provide**

Many Ukrainian startups now risk losing funding if the team remains in Ukraine. Therefore, at least the C-level of the team partially leaves. Investors do not try to change the business in general, but they demand guarantees that it will be able to work. Because people are the main reason they give money. And people should be safe.
At the same time, EU countries, Israel and Britain offer relocation and assistance programs for small businesses with travel and accommodation expenses. They also introduce Ukrainians to the local ecosystem. Mainly, such programs are created by the commercial sector - for example, investment funds and technology parks. They are not doing this to take away intellectual resources from the country, but to help Ukrainian businesses survive. Under such conditions, taxes are paid to Ukraine. 
## **There is no talent outflow in Ukraine. Most want to return home**


In May, we launched the 1991 Reload, which brings together those who can help startups during the war with those who need that support now.

This program was transformed to meet the needs of startups that remained in Ukraine. First, we focused on startups from the affected territories (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions) to help with mentoring and facilitate their entry not only into the Ukrainian but also the international market. This idea arose out of necessity: we started talking to graduates of the 1991 Accelerator and realized that many entrepreneurs remain in the country and need our support. We started it in the spring, the program ran all summer, and the first group of entrepreneurs graduated in September. 

One of the most interesting 1991 Reload projects for me is the Handstree. It’s an impact platform for social business assistance. The project's founders are from Odesa, but at one time, they fell in love with Mariupol and decided to move. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, they went abroad, got into the international accelerator, and are now developing in Germany. 

There is also an insanely cool team from Kharkiv – Allzap. This is a marketplace that selects auto parts. Of course, logistically, they suffered significantly. But now the team works on the Polish market and is developing rapidly. 


## **There are two options: accept the challenge and transform or close the project**

I see the following trend: after the full-scale invasion, all Ukrainian startups were divided into those that went out of business, and those who took this situation as a challenge, and they were ready for new ideas, forms, and transformations. Ready to courage. 

Now, the ones who were open to this challenge are able to conquer new countries and enter new markets every month. Yes, scaling was in their plans. But they managed to understand that you either got to work like crazy right now, or nothing would happen. And this is meanwhile, in many projects, members of the team or even one of the co-founders was in the Armed Forces. It's phenomenal. 

Some are at the " survival " stage due to their fault because they cannot quickly rebuild the processes and business model or make a pivot (change the course of the startup's development if the idea did not take off or stopped bringing profit). 

At the same time, some projects suffered due to certain insurmountable conditions. For example, in the last 5 years, the topic of open data has been developing a lot in Ukraine. And now, all the businesses and organizations that used them have simply shut down because all state databases are closed for security reasons. Only some of the most successful startups that used API can work.

Here are some tips that I would give to Ukrainian startups:

1. Take care of your and your people’s mental health. If the team is resourceful, the business will also thrive.
2. Stop being afraid. Everything previously associated with fear and risks has simply ceased to exist for us now. Test a new market, a new audience, a new product line.
3. Don't wait. Do everything at once. Don’t waste too much analyzing. Although I am a spreadsheet person, I love numbers and consider analytics to be extremely important, but I am sure the time loss can be fatal. It may be too late when you finally make the "perfect" product.
4. Change. It is honest to admit that you have to carry on “as is,” albeit imperfectly. Or just shut down.

The last option is actually not as dramatic as it might seem at first glance. For example, the FoodEx service of Vitaly Savchenko was widespread in Ukraine. But he admitted that in Ukraine, from the point of view of the unit economy, even in peacetime, the project did not bring the expected results. And Vitaly closed it. This openness and honesty are crucial for startups. If the team is cool experts, they will make another, better product. Or they will be a valuable resource for other companies.

Another example. One of the first graduates of the 1991 Open Data Incubator was the startup Ecoisme – a smart system for tracking energy consumption in the house. The guys raised significant investments, scaled up, and tested the markets of the UAE and the USA, but at one point, they admitted that they were going bankrupt and closed the project. Yes, it's a tough decision. However, all three co-founders now work at large technology companies and develop innovations and products there. From the startup point of view, this is a failure, but these people are an asset to the technology market.

## **The perception of competition has changed a lot**

Another factor that has a good effect on the Ukrainian market is support and collaboration. Products and services combine, create new projects, or share data with each other, helping to develop. 

We also have many development plans. First of all, we want to strengthen our online presence. Mini-spoiler: soon, we will gather the entire technological Ukrainian and Central European startup community and hold an offline event in Warsaw. This will be the first offline event of the 1991 Accelerator abroad: a conference and a kind of hackathon. So we are also scaling.

Apart from that, we want to develop international startup cooperation. We used to work with foreign startups before. We had projects with Germany and made joint Ukrainian-German programs. Now, we want to cover Central and Eastern Europe - this will be our first step towards full-fledged international programs.

As for SET University, we are launching a master's program and starting a blockchain week - an educational event with activities for startups, because we decided to focus on cyber security. This is our plan until spring.



Jane Klepa told us about the state of the Ukrainian startup market and her own insights.

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