Highlights from “Recommendations. Reputation. Local Marketing”

The final seminar of 2017 used an experimental format inspired by TED: each speaker had 20 minutes to present one idea. The strict timing helped cut the excess and keep each talk focused on useful insights. Participants liked the format, describing the event as informative, clear and free of filler.

Alina Vikhareva, a project marketer, opened the seminar with practical habits she had learned through experience and mistakes. Her advice: do not project your own perspective onto the target audience, learn to work as a team, listen to the sales team and avoid getting stuck in your own bubble.

Alexander Seigarov, head of advertising, explored lesser-known business uses of geomarketing. It can help local points of sale and businesses whose audiences regularly gather or spend time in a particular place.

Alexander recommended four tools: city maps, location-based paid search for precise audience selection, social media geomarketing and, separately, a set of analytics tools.

Ivan Bochnev, head of marketing and sales, explained why referrals should be treated as a marketing channel in their own right. They can bring warm leads, are shared voluntarily, spread through networks and can increase customer lifetime value (LTV).

Ivan stressed that not every product earns referrals. Businesses need to go beyond the expected, build trust and provide great service so customers have an emotional reason to recommend them.

Stas Cherikchiev, a content marketer, explained how content shapes a business’s reputation. He focused on perceived reputation before a purchase: content can help a customer decide to buy. He discussed formats suited to this stage, including book lists, articles, expert interviews, rankings and competition results, and case studies.

At the end of the seminar, we asked participants for feedback and a rating out of ten. The average score was 8. Participants praised the speakers’ preparation, the clear presentations and the audience’s involvement in the discussion.