RUSSIA. Smart Project has established an association for advertising agencies in Russia.
It is officially called the ‘Operators Association of Advertising Agencies in Duty Free Shops and in the Territory of Air Terminal Complexes’.
Smart Project CEO & Founder Nadezda Emelyanenko will serve as the association’s president.
“The idea to establish an association has been brewing for a very long time,” said Emelyanenko. “The major barrier for the owners of agencies was the competition between us. But thanks to the successful implementation of joint projects with our colleagues from St. Petersburg, we came to the realisation of the need to coordinate joint efforts for the growth of our market and to development common standards of doing business.”
Emelyanenko said that the association’s main goals and objectives in the travel retail industry were to:
- Promote quality and ethical standards of advertising services;
- Provide members with informative, analytical, advisory and methodological assistance;
- Study duty free consumer opinion and behaviour;
- Assist in the introduction of progressive modern elements in the advertising services;
- Establish and develop relations in the international business community;
- Create favourable legal conditions for improving the quality of advertising;
- Organise interaction between association members and public authorities with the aim of protecting the interests of members;
- Create a print publication and actively cooperation with mass media.
The association will also organise industry business conferences, roundtables and educational workshops.
The announcement of the association came during an awards ceremony held in April to mark the 30th anniversary of the Russian travel retail industry. The event was founded and organised by Smart Project.
“It is a great honour to lay a red carpet for the stars of the Russian travel retail market,” commented Emelyanenko. “I am delighted to see duty free operators from all cities of Russia, representatives of world famous companies and the members of professional duty free trade associations.”
