27 May 2026
Uzbekistan can become a regional technology and intellectual hub in marketing — but only through systematic practices, specialized education, and its own standards, not by copying foreign models.
Umid Yakubov — Lecturer in Marketing and PR at UJMC, Executive Producer of the International Press Club.
It is premature to speak of fully systemic marketing in Uzbekistan. The industry is in a transitional period: a significant proportion of players continue to operate on inertia, using outdated approaches. There is a stark gap between the capital's market and the regions, as well as excessive copying of both local and foreign practices instead of developing unique strategies.
The situation is further complicated by the absence of quality analytics, monitoring, and in-depth audience research. A paradoxical situation has emerged in the digital market: despite an acute shortage of quality inventory, competition remains high, leading to unjustified price increases. As a result, consumers are exhibiting "advertising fatigue" from monotonous and weak content.
The question of transparent "rules of the game" and the effectiveness of business–government interaction remains open. A vivid example of how far the industry still is from desired standards was the recent signage case in Tashkent, which exposed the absence of unified and clear communication mechanisms between the regulator and entrepreneurs.
Most companies mistakenly interpret CSR exclusively as philanthropy or sponsorship of cultural events. However, the modern CSR model presupposes a much deeper integration of social values into business processes.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the country is still felt only partially — the market is just beginning to embrace it.
Despite existing challenges, Uzbekistan's intellectual capital positions the country to claim a role as a strong player in the Central Asian region and the Turkic world. This is supported by the active development of the IT sector and a high level of foreign language proficiency among young people.
The process of adopting advanced methodologies has already been initiated by national technology leaders such as Uzum and Artel. These companies are actively integrating:
For the market to become truly mature, the current format of discussions in narrow circles must evolve into a large-scale public and professional dialogue. Marketing and PR issues need to be elevated to the level of conferences, major media outlets, and the discussion must involve government bodies, educational institutions, and young people.
Today, Uzbekistan's marketing industry is on the rise. With a transition to systematic practices, investment in specialized education, and the development of its own standards, the country has every chance of becoming a regional technology and intellectual hub.