2022 has become a struggle for the entire advertising market, including the international agency Wunder Digital. Anti-crisis measures taken by the heads of departments are aimed at maintaining stability and efficiency. In each of the regions where the agency is represented, they have their own peculiarities.
Struggling with current issues and planning future projects in the short-run is a challenge that every team faces in time of crisis. Wunder Digital, like many companies in the marketing and advertising industry, has developed a series of anti-crisis measures aimed at maintaining productivity and preventing exit from the market. After all, it is marketing that is one of the first to suffer when it comes to budget cuts. In the age of crisis, business minimizes costs, and marketing is one of the first to fall into this category, although completely unjustly.
Wunder Digital has developed a general plan of anti-crisis measures, but each region copes with the crisis in its own way.
Kazakhstan
According to Natalya Lukasheva, CEO of Wunder Digital Kazakhstan, now it is a period of opportunity for Kazakhstani companies: advertisers associated with the Russian Federation halt their activities. The development of three scenarios allows us to focus on the main thing — the preservation and strengthening of a team of professionals. After all, today the key parameter of competition in the market is not the number of employees, but their skills: flexibility, the ability to quickly adapt to the situation and find effective non-standard solutions.
As part of anti-crisis measures, the agency suspended work on investment projects. The exception was a project to develop a business process automation system — an ERP system. The team switched to a project mode of operations and pays close attention to calculating the profitability of business units.
Uzbekistan
According to Igor Kim, CEO of Wunder Digital Uzbekistan, everyday work in Tashkent office is comparable to hard work in a crisis. The team is striving to increase the efficiency of advertising budgets, so the number of advertising campaigns and hours for analytics is constantly growing.
In today’s situation, management focuses on the employees, because people are the main resource of the agency. To maintain a decent level of service, the department plans sales taking into account the workload of managers in order to avoid overtime and burnout. New professional players in the team are welcome, as it allows you to take a holistic approach to the question of reputation in times of crisis.
Moldova
The region of Moldova also found itself in the epicenter of the crisis: the country’s market is closely connected with the Russian market. Imports and exports have been affected, consequently, companies started to cut advertising and promotion expenses. Changes in logistics and pricing policies have forced business owners to reconsider their marketing budgets.
This made adjustments to the work of the agency: many clients and projects are now on hold. The management decided to shift the focus in work, as well as pay more attention to the relationship with customers and staff.
Violetta Rusanovskaya, CEO of Wunder Digital Moldova, pointed out several key points that have become a priority during the crisis.
- Sincere service: it is important to emphasise the importance of cooperation with key customers, as well as show support in difficult times.
- “Product box”: the team began to develop service packages — ready-made offers with an initially determined cost.
- Emphasis on SEO and audits: quiet conditions can be the time when a business, with the help of an agency, can analyze the work done and continue to promote.
The adjustment of the contract can also be attributed to changes in the work. The paragraph on the payment procedure has been edited to take into account the instability of the exchange rate. All payments must now be made on time to avoid financial gaps which result from exchange rate fluctuations.
Belarus
Belarusian marketing segment was one of the first to feel the changes — the agency headquarters is located in Minsk. The management tried to develop common anti-crisis measures that would be useful to all regions. Among the main points of the strategy, Natalia Tsarikova, CEO of Wunder Digital Belarus, points out the following.
- Evaluation of real segments and client portfolio opportunities in numbers.
- Cost reduction: corporate, office.
- Search for individual solutions and reconsidering the terms of business with clients.
- Team optimization, redistribution of responsibilities in case of a change in structure.
- New financial motivation, as well as team support: psychological, HR assistance.
- Advice in charge of legal matters and on issues related to relocation.
As a non-material motivation, the agency continues to actively use team events: trainings, phone calls, adaptation. Workshops are regularly held to find new business solutions.
It is necessary to remember that anti-crisis measures are not a cure for all diseases. This is a way to respond to current changes and adapt to the situation, taking into account the interests of clients and agency employees. As a result, a motivated and flexible team will find a way out of the crisis, which will make the company stronger and to be prepared for any emergencies.
