Favorable conditions created for marketing development in Armenia
10.11.2011,
20:24
This interview is with Tatevik Simonyan, director of international projects, co-founder of SPRIN PR Company, who shares her vision about marketing development prospects in Armenia.
As the main information sponsor of "Phillip Kotler in Armenia: 11/11/11" program, ARKA news agency is conducting a series of interviews as part of this project in cooperation with the Armenian Association of Marketing and SPIN Group PR company. This interview is with Tatevik Simonyan, director of international projects, co-founder of SPRIN PR Company, who shares her vision about marketing development prospects in Armenia.
ARKA – How would you assess marketing in Armenia and how effectively marketing tools and mechanisms are used here to promote products?
Tatevik Simonyan - Marketing institution in our country as well as other relatively "young" communications sciences are still in their infancy. The process to develop and institutionalize the science of marketing as a profession and practice began after our country regained its independence.
Marketing could not work in a planned economy although some of its elements and tools were applied at a limited scale. Today’s generation has much more favorable conditions and the most important of them is the market relations, based on fair competition. We have reached a point where the term "marketing" is no longer confused with sales, advertising or public relations. We have a professional community of marketers- the Association of Marketing, which is an important guarantee for the development of this sphere. As for the effective use of international marketing tools, I think our experts can use them, but have to take into account local specifics, our mentality and behavioral norms. In many cases local marketers need to be more flexible because of the nature of the Armenian competitive environment. In some ways, they have to shape consumers with civilized behavior and psychology.
ARKA - Could you list the advantages and disadvantages of the Armenian marketers as opposed to their foreign peers?
Tatevik Simonyan - One of the main problems is lack of relevant education. On the one hand, it is, of course, a deficiency stemming from the absence of a system to prepare qualified professionals. Recently, however, we have been seeing a positive tendency with business community getting involved into the educational process.
As a result, students get the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice, which has a positive effect on their formation as future professionals. But on the other hand, leading marketing experts here lack basic marketing education. They are primarily physicists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors, linguists and representatives of other professions who are competitive only due to their diverse knowledge and intelligence. Of course, many of them had training courses abroad where they have gained some experience. I think the best solution to this problem is active cooperation between businesses, educational systems and the government, because this allows finding and identifying shortfalls. If the businesses shape clear requirements the learning programs will become more effective.
A state assistance will allow the two echelons communicate more efficiently. Active exchange of experience between local and foreign experts, regular training of teachers and self-education are also very important because marketing, like any communicative practice, develops at lightning speed, and ideas and tools which are relevant today, may simply not work tomorrow.
ARKA – How fast marketing practices and use of marketing tools are introduced by Armenian companies?
Tatevik Simonyan - Naturally, the progress is tangible, and the situation is quite different from what we had 5-10 years ago. There are major changes: the functional units deal with their direct duties, close communication between consumers and companies is emphasized, focused on society, and now we can even talk about corporate social responsibility.
In this respect, companies spare no effort to raise consumers’ self-identification with the brand. In many ways, contacts with international brands both in the form of franchising and other forms of cooperation, the operation of various offices and distributors is a great help.
All this encourages the development of marketing. Regarding the application of new tools the contribution of advisory companies is important. If five years ago you asked someone to name the best marketing campaign, many would not answer. But today one can cite many examples of successful marketing tools ranging from telecommunications, automotive, milk, cosmetics, chocolate, and so on.
ARKA - What resources do Armenian companies use to promote their own products? And how active they are in using available Internet marketing tools to promote their products online?
Tatevik Simonyan - Today we can cite numerous examples of promoting goods and services. Naturally, creative, alternative ways prevail, containing new elements, with the focus on social promotion, the online space does not recognize borders.
Active use of social networking websites as an essential tool for monitoring and marketing, awareness of the importance of using marketing research tools and other factors all contribute to conducting productive marketing campaigns. Naturally, the Internet marketing is still a new instrument and some companies are still wary of it. It was the same with television commercials.
You just need to wait to form a society and in the end of the day it will give good results. We have here an annual contest in the field of Internet marketing and technology - ArmNet Awards.
ARKA - What new tools are now available to marketers? What are the future prospects for the use of marketing models?
Tatevik Simonyan - SPRIN Group as a PR partner was actively involved in preparations for the visit to Armenia by Philip Kotler and constantly urges colleagues to meet more often, actively discuss and exchange experiences and knowledge, share problems and successes.
We are talking about the formation of an active professional community, which should become the main source for the creation of new specific marketing and communication models, a kind of a generator of ideas and creativity. Some experts, focusing on the characteristics and differences of our market, call for theorists to invent a special tool for it. I think we should not go to extremes, because specific tools are being created every day in our daily work and our consumers are able to perceive all this diversity.
ARKA – Marketing guru Philip Kotler is arriving in Armenia in November. What prospects his visit may open for Armenian market?
Tatevik Simonyan - Personally I am very encouraged by his upcoming visit because he is a marketing guru. We gained a substantial part of our marketing knowledge from his books. It's great that the living legend of marketing will be in Armenia, and we will be able to listen to him, ask questions and get invaluable advice. Naturally, his visit is a great event for Armenian marketers, a big step to improve competitiveness, a huge competitive advantage, especially considering that a Kotler center of excellence is to open here. By the way, Kotler’s visit is not limited to his lectures.
This is only a part of "Philip Kotler in Armenia - 11/11/11" project, including a number of activities aimed at enhancing the marketing and management, strengthening the credibility of marketing as a profession and activity. I would like to name some measures implemented as part of this project – such as round table discussions, conferences with students and business representatives, with participation of marketers and mass media so that to be able to adequately cover Kotler’s visit. After all, not only Kotler but also more than 500 professionals from the region and European countries will visit Armenia to attend his course and take part in the ongoing Marketing Week.-0-
ARKA – How would you assess marketing in Armenia and how effectively marketing tools and mechanisms are used here to promote products?
Tatevik Simonyan - Marketing institution in our country as well as other relatively "young" communications sciences are still in their infancy. The process to develop and institutionalize the science of marketing as a profession and practice began after our country regained its independence.
Marketing could not work in a planned economy although some of its elements and tools were applied at a limited scale. Today’s generation has much more favorable conditions and the most important of them is the market relations, based on fair competition. We have reached a point where the term "marketing" is no longer confused with sales, advertising or public relations. We have a professional community of marketers- the Association of Marketing, which is an important guarantee for the development of this sphere. As for the effective use of international marketing tools, I think our experts can use them, but have to take into account local specifics, our mentality and behavioral norms. In many cases local marketers need to be more flexible because of the nature of the Armenian competitive environment. In some ways, they have to shape consumers with civilized behavior and psychology.
ARKA - Could you list the advantages and disadvantages of the Armenian marketers as opposed to their foreign peers?
Tatevik Simonyan - One of the main problems is lack of relevant education. On the one hand, it is, of course, a deficiency stemming from the absence of a system to prepare qualified professionals. Recently, however, we have been seeing a positive tendency with business community getting involved into the educational process.
As a result, students get the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice, which has a positive effect on their formation as future professionals. But on the other hand, leading marketing experts here lack basic marketing education. They are primarily physicists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors, linguists and representatives of other professions who are competitive only due to their diverse knowledge and intelligence. Of course, many of them had training courses abroad where they have gained some experience. I think the best solution to this problem is active cooperation between businesses, educational systems and the government, because this allows finding and identifying shortfalls. If the businesses shape clear requirements the learning programs will become more effective.
A state assistance will allow the two echelons communicate more efficiently. Active exchange of experience between local and foreign experts, regular training of teachers and self-education are also very important because marketing, like any communicative practice, develops at lightning speed, and ideas and tools which are relevant today, may simply not work tomorrow.
ARKA – How fast marketing practices and use of marketing tools are introduced by Armenian companies?
Tatevik Simonyan - Naturally, the progress is tangible, and the situation is quite different from what we had 5-10 years ago. There are major changes: the functional units deal with their direct duties, close communication between consumers and companies is emphasized, focused on society, and now we can even talk about corporate social responsibility.
In this respect, companies spare no effort to raise consumers’ self-identification with the brand. In many ways, contacts with international brands both in the form of franchising and other forms of cooperation, the operation of various offices and distributors is a great help.
All this encourages the development of marketing. Regarding the application of new tools the contribution of advisory companies is important. If five years ago you asked someone to name the best marketing campaign, many would not answer. But today one can cite many examples of successful marketing tools ranging from telecommunications, automotive, milk, cosmetics, chocolate, and so on.
ARKA - What resources do Armenian companies use to promote their own products? And how active they are in using available Internet marketing tools to promote their products online?
Tatevik Simonyan - Today we can cite numerous examples of promoting goods and services. Naturally, creative, alternative ways prevail, containing new elements, with the focus on social promotion, the online space does not recognize borders.
Active use of social networking websites as an essential tool for monitoring and marketing, awareness of the importance of using marketing research tools and other factors all contribute to conducting productive marketing campaigns. Naturally, the Internet marketing is still a new instrument and some companies are still wary of it. It was the same with television commercials.
You just need to wait to form a society and in the end of the day it will give good results. We have here an annual contest in the field of Internet marketing and technology - ArmNet Awards.
ARKA - What new tools are now available to marketers? What are the future prospects for the use of marketing models?
Tatevik Simonyan - SPRIN Group as a PR partner was actively involved in preparations for the visit to Armenia by Philip Kotler and constantly urges colleagues to meet more often, actively discuss and exchange experiences and knowledge, share problems and successes.
We are talking about the formation of an active professional community, which should become the main source for the creation of new specific marketing and communication models, a kind of a generator of ideas and creativity. Some experts, focusing on the characteristics and differences of our market, call for theorists to invent a special tool for it. I think we should not go to extremes, because specific tools are being created every day in our daily work and our consumers are able to perceive all this diversity.
ARKA – Marketing guru Philip Kotler is arriving in Armenia in November. What prospects his visit may open for Armenian market?
Tatevik Simonyan - Personally I am very encouraged by his upcoming visit because he is a marketing guru. We gained a substantial part of our marketing knowledge from his books. It's great that the living legend of marketing will be in Armenia, and we will be able to listen to him, ask questions and get invaluable advice. Naturally, his visit is a great event for Armenian marketers, a big step to improve competitiveness, a huge competitive advantage, especially considering that a Kotler center of excellence is to open here. By the way, Kotler’s visit is not limited to his lectures.
This is only a part of "Philip Kotler in Armenia - 11/11/11" project, including a number of activities aimed at enhancing the marketing and management, strengthening the credibility of marketing as a profession and activity. I would like to name some measures implemented as part of this project – such as round table discussions, conferences with students and business representatives, with participation of marketers and mass media so that to be able to adequately cover Kotler’s visit. After all, not only Kotler but also more than 500 professionals from the region and European countries will visit Armenia to attend his course and take part in the ongoing Marketing Week.-0-
