9 Nov 2026
Uzbekistan’s marketing and advertising market has laws and a system, but enforcement lags — the market needs a systematic dialogue between the state and business and protection of the rules of the game.
Mirpayoz Mirsaatov is the Executive Director of the Energy Drinks Association. On why Uzbekistan’s marketing and advertising market needs a genuine dialogue with the state and protection of the rules of the game.
Today one can hardly claim that marketing and advertising in Uzbekistan operate in a fully systematic way. The market does have a system, but it is a rather peculiar one. First of all, it is worth assessing what share of companies understand the need for marketing before they make decisions and major investments.
Unfortunately, many launch production or open food-service businesses without first studying the market in depth. Only after a failed start do they begin to see marketing as a rescue tool that will help them break even.
Yet marketing matters not only in sales but also in procurement. Dedicated legislation governing these processes exists, but it is far from always observed. The situation resembles traffic rules: drivers know them, yet break them from time to time. The legal framework and the system are in place, but enforcement practice lags behind.
The list of pain points in Uzbekistan’s market is a long one:
Products that fall under a ban are often advertised, or consumers are sold on product properties that cannot be proven — advertisers simply ignore these requirements. When the regulator turns a blind eye to umbrella advertising or to selective compliance with the rules, it breeds unfair competition and undermines trust in the regulator itself.
The state of dialogue between the state and business is particularly worrying. Today, effective dialogue is often simply absent.
Any investor planning to enter Uzbekistan’s market relies on a stable legal and regulatory framework — and that is impossible without a systematic dialogue between the state and business, transparent decision-making and the rule of law.
Adopting closed resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers without prior open public discussion — for example, on sugar import quotas — runs directly counter to the principles of transparency. In effect, we are returning to the era of quotas and a distribution system, which inevitably leads to more corruption and smuggling and to higher prices for sugar-containing products.
This hits hard at a population that traditionally makes home preserves, not to mention industrial processing and exports. Under such conditions, global giants end up at the top of the quota list, while small and medium-sized businesses are left as the “poor relation”.
The notion of corporate social responsibility also calls for a differentiated approach. For a manufacturer, the essence of responsibility is producing high-quality goods that meet every standard. But market segments differ — production, sales, food service, logistics — and everywhere they are staffed by people with different mindsets. Entrepreneurs with high moral principles build a healthy economy, but there are also those focused solely on short-term gain.
Gaps in legislation, overlapping agency functions and excessive protection from inspections in some cases leave consumers defenceless against unscrupulous sellers. Genuine social responsibility is only possible when business feels reliable support from the state. At the same time, responsibility also lies with the buyer: by purchasing goods with labelling that breaks the law, the consumer is supporting the unscrupulous seller.
Despite institutional barriers, the intellectual potential of the field in Uzbekistan is enormous and rooted in a centuries-old culture of trade. For centuries, Tashkent’s Chorsu bazaar, where caravan routes crossed, was the centre of gravity. Sales channels and settlement currencies change, but the entrepreneurial spirit remains the same. In Uzbek, the root of the word “marketing” itself sounds like “bozor”.
Today the structure of exports is changing: instead of raw cotton, the country supplies textiles, fresh fruit and modern freeze-dried products sought after by the world’s food industry giants. Electronic trading platforms and exchanges are developing rapidly.
Uzbekistan has vast experience of adopting advanced technologies on its own. As early as 1995, the republic set up an electronic stock exchange, with its software and trading technology developed by local specialists. Today e-commerce and social networks such as Telegram and Instagram reach every home, and modern payment systems allow purchases in a single click. The country is capable of producing strong talent — people from Uzbekistan work successfully at leading global companies and teach at prestigious universities.
Anyone who remembers the planned economy clearly sees the difference with today. Back then, the concept of “studying market conditions and demand” strictly required upfront spending and analysis before launching any production. Today many start a business with no financial preparation and hire marketers only after the fact.
However, none of these achievements or this potential can be realised without a broad and productive discussion of the industry’s problems. As Eastern wisdom has it, saying “halva” won’t make your mouth any sweeter: discussions on their own are ineffective unless they lead to concrete measures.
A permanent feedback mechanism is needed at the level of the government and the members of parliament, so that business can believe in the rule of law and the predictability of the regulatory framework. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other business associations could act as the link — for example, by organising quarterly hearings of entrepreneurs’ proposals at meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers or the Oliy Majlis.
Only through systematic dialogue, consistent protection of investors’ rights and broad consumer education can Uzbekistan build a transparent, civilised and competitive advertising and marketing ecosystem.