Armenian "Oscar" in digital world: how the Armenia Digital Awards competition is changing the market
YEREVAN, April 28. /ARKA/. The Armenia Digital Awards competition will be held in Armenia for the second time. Applications are now open and will run until September 15, and the names of the winners will be announced at the end of October. In an interview with ARKA news agency, co-organizer of the competition, founder of the E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Association Evgeniy Mishchenko speaks about how to take part in the competition, why it is important, as well as about global digital trends and how the digitalization market is changing in Armenia.
ARKA - A year ago, in an interview with our news agency, you said that the digitalization in Armenia was in its infancy: customers were expecting online services, and businesses were not always ready to provide them. What has changed since then?
E. Mishchenko - Over the past year, we have seen positive changes in certain areas. For example, in the delivery of products, the development of mobile applications, and websites. However, the market as a whole is still far from mature - both in fintech and in other areas.
ARKA - Is there still potential for growth?
E. Mishchenko - Of course. As long as there are solvent clients, the demand for online services will grow. The question is who will satisfy this demand - local companies or large international players like Ozon, Wildberries or Temu.
ARKA – In which projects will it be able to participate in the second Armenia Digital Awards?
E. Mishchenko - We have retained the main categories from last year, but added a new one - for influencers. It is important for us to see those who really influence the online audience. We have also expanded the categories for professionals: we want more individuals to prove themselves in marketing, e-commerce, digital transformation. This helps to form personnel for the market. Websites, mobile applications, startups, online stores can participate.
ARKA - What are the conditions for participation, application deadlines and voting procedure?
E. Mishchenko - There are several stages of submission. The first one - early registration - ends at the end of April. It is cheaper for participants. The final submission is until September 15. We have specifically extended the deadline to avoid a decline in activity in the summer, as was the case last year. Voting will take place from September 20 to October 15: both public and jury voting, but in separate interfaces. The winners will be announced at the end of October.
ARKA - Is participation paid?
E. Mishchenko - Yes. The cost depends on the category. For professionals, for example, only 10,000 drams - a nominal amount to confirm the seriousness of intentions.
ARKA - Last year, we participated in the award ceremony. It was clear that the event generated interest. How did the market perceive the initiative?
E. Mishchenko - Overall, we received a positive response. We understand that the coverage was not maximum - not everyone who wanted to knew about the competition. This year, we plan to expand the audience and convey information to a larger number of businesses and specialists.
ARKA - Are you aiming for the role of the "Oscar" in the field of digital technologies in Armenia?
E. Mishchenko - Yes, in the digital sphere - definitely.
ARKA - What global trends in digitalization have not yet come to Armenia, but can become in demand?
E. Mishchenko - First of all - the speed and quality of the Internet. In China, they recently launched 10G home Internet, and in Armenia we would like at least a stable 100 megabits anywhere in the country. We hope that with the launch of Starlink the situation will improve.
The second important trend is neural networks and artificial intelligence. They are radically changing human interaction with the Internet: finding information is becoming easier and faster. Chatbots are still poorly developed in Armenia, but interest in this topic is growing.
ARKA - Do neural networks help to buy?
E. Mishchenko - Yes, neural networks help not only buy and find the necessary information, but also generally simplify the lives of users.
ARKA - And to sell?
E. Mishchenko - The same. Neural networks help save on operating costs: for example, they replace some of the functions of call centers, consultants, and work 24/7. They also help generate content product descriptions, images, which is especially important for marketplaces. Therefore, this is a powerful tool for business.
ARKA - Name three reasons why it is worth participating in the competition.
E. Mishchenko - The first is to show concern for customers and confirm that the company is actively working online.
The second is to compare yourself with competitors and understand in which areas there is potential for growth.
The third is to receive expert feedback from the jury.
And, of course, participation is additional advertising: your projects will be seen as part of a public vote.
It is very easy to take part: you need to fill out a short questionnaire, attach screenshots of the product or demo access so that the jury and users can get acquainted with the project. As I said last year: who does not participate does not win.
