A Market That Is More Spontaneous Than Systematic

Shuhrat Qurbonov is the Director of Simple smart systems LLC.

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Can we say that marketing and advertising in Uzbekistan operate as a well-functioning system? I lean towards "not yet". As someone who has mostly stood on the client side, I believe the market is more spontaneous than systematic. Most agencies and specialists today sell standalone "packaging" — polished visuals, social media posts, or one-off ad campaigns. Very few connect marketing to the real objectives of a business: sales, return on investment, and customer retention.

Where It Hurts for the Client

Looking at the market through the eyes of a user and a client, two pain points stand out most clearly.

• It is hard to find professionals who understand business. The market is full of contractors who can produce visual content, but very few of them understand the product, the numbers, and customer behaviour.
• No one takes responsibility for results. Agencies often report impressive reach and views, but the problem is that these never convert into actual customers.

Rules Written on the Fly

Are the rules of the game transparent? As in other industries, they are still taking shape. The dialogue between government and business is largely reactive: regulators step in only after someone has gone too far — say, in advertising financially risky services or aggressive discounts. What businesses lack are clear and predictable rules, especially in the digital space — on Telegram, in influencer advertising, on online platforms. Companies should know in advance where the boundaries lie.

Responsibility You Can Actually Feel

From the consumer's perspective, corporate social responsibility is barely felt today. Genuine responsibility, in my view, means:

• Honesty. No fine print, no hidden fees, no inflated promises.
• Respect and education. Not exploiting customers' limited financial literacy, but doing the opposite — explaining how to use a product properly and safely.

The Unique Telegram Experience

Assessing the industry's intellectual potential, I would note that we adopt new technologies remarkably fast. And we have something no other market has.

Our experience of using Telegram as the primary platform for sales, communication, and customer service is unique. Why not export this model of audience engagement to other countries?

We Need a Direct Conversation

All these issues need to be discussed more widely than they are now: my impression is that marketers often talk only among themselves. For real progress, we need a direct conversation between businesses — the people who pay for marketing — and the specialists who deliver it. That is how we will arrive at a common language, where the measure of success is not "likes" but real value for businesses and their customers.