Entering the Russian market: customer first, then channels
A "copy and paste" launch doesn't work in Russia. The companies that win integrate into the local platforms, the local mindset and the local rules. I build the marketing side of that: who your Russian customer is, how your positioning must change for them, which channels to use and in what order, and what a lead should cost.
Not an agency with a media plan to sell you. An independent strategist on your side of the table, who has spent ten years inside this market.
Why launches in Russia stall
The home-market playbook
Same messages, same funnel, same channels. Half of them don't exist here, the other half read differently.
A translated site
Grammatically fine, culturally empty. No Russian trust signals, no local prices, no local contact.
A distributor who "does the marketing"
They list the product and wait. Nobody owns demand.
Rules discovered the hard way
Ads rejected for language, unlabeled placements, a campaign stopped in week two.
Orientation first, action second
Companies spend millions on advertising and nothing on understanding the buyer. In a new market that's fatal. I reverse the order.
The Russian customer
Who buys this category here, what they fear, what they compare, what settles it. Interviews and demand data, not assumptions carried over from home.
Positioning adapted, not translated
What your name, story and promise mean to a Russian buyer, and what has to change so they land. Sometimes a word, sometimes the whole angle.
Channels in order
Yandex, VK, Telegram, Avito, marketplaces, SEO: which one first, which one never, and how they connect into the buyer's path.
Economics before scale
What a lead should cost, what a customer is worth, when to add the next channel. Decisions by numbers, not by the agency's media plan.
What the entry strategy consists of
Demand and competition check
Real Russian search demand for your category (Yandex Wordstat), who already sells here and how, where the free space is.
Customer research
In-depth interviews with Russian buyers of your category, factors of choice, segments by mindset. How the research works →
Positioning and message
A clear answer to "why you" for the Russian buyer, in Russian, with the trust signals they expect. Brand adaptation →
Channel map and budget
Which platforms, in what order, with what test budgets, and what a lead should cost in each. Compliance built in.
Landing page and measurement
What the Russian landing page must contain, how Yandex Metrica is set up, how leads reach your team.
Roadmap and briefs
A plan for the first months with checkpoints, and briefs for whoever executes: my team, your contractors or your distributor.
What you'll have in hand
A go-to-market document
In English: customer, positioning, channels, budget, roadmap. Readable by your board, usable by your team.
A Russian message set
Positioning, key claims and the customer's own language, in Russian, ready for ads and the site.
A test plan with numbers
Which channel, what budget, what a lead should cost, when to stop and when to scale.
Someone to call
A strategist who stays reachable after the document, and can run the launch if you want. Retainer →
Ways to work
Entry check
A short review of your plan, site and budget with a written verdict: what will work, what won't, what to fix first. For companies that already have a plan.
Entry strategy
The full sequence above, from demand check to roadmap. For companies starting from a product and a decision to enter.
Strategy + launch
The strategy, then I run the first channels myself: Yandex, VK, Avito, SEO. One person responsible from the research to the first leads.
I'll name a range after the free review. I don't quote blind.
Why a strategist, not an agency
Common questions
How do we know whether there's demand in Russia for our product?
We check before anything else. Yandex Wordstat shows how many people search for your category and in which words; competitor analysis shows who already sells and at what price. If the demand isn't there, I'll say so on the review and save you the budget.
Does this cover legal, customs and logistics?
No. I cover the marketing side: customer, positioning, channels, budget, measurement. For entity setup, contracts, certification and import routes you need a lawyer and a logistics partner working with Russia; I can tell you what to ask them.
What about Kazakhstan, Belarus and the rest of the CIS?
The same platforms (Yandex, VK, Telegram) reach Russian-speaking audiences across the region, with local differences in demand and rules. If your plan includes the CIS, we build the channel map for the region, not only for Russia.
How long does an entry strategy take?
An entry check takes days. The full strategy takes several weeks, because it includes customer research. I'll name the timeline after I see the scope.
Can you run the launch after the strategy?
Yes. That's the "strategy + launch" format, or a retainer if you want the marketing led month after month. Many clients prefer one person responsible from the research to the first leads.
Entering Russia? Show me the plan before you spend.
In 30–40 minutes I'll tell you what the Russian buyer will stumble on, which channel to start with and what a realistic first test looks like. Honestly, even if we never work together.