IN THE FLOW OF CHANGE

In 2021, our clients often asked us not only to describe the changes in Russian people’s consumption and purchase behavior, but also to characterize the socio-cultural profile of Russian residents. Indeed, the value of this information during periods of change increases. Cultural attitudes that exist in society influence how people will react to changes, the speed of adoption and adaptation, and the mentality we take into the future.  

We have decided to take a systemic approach to answering this question and study the socio-cultural profile of the Russians within the framework of Flair Russia, which in 2022 is our fourth edition. Read more about the research methodology and findings in the first article of this issue. 

I would like to share my conclusions from these findings: 

• The data disproves the myth that the Russian people have a negative outlook. It is common to hear that we are not positive and are distrustful, but we find that, actually, the attitude towards other people is neither positive or negative.  

• There is a trend towards being more active: making independent decisions, not waiting until something passes on its own, and encouraging initiative. 

• Russians are not prone to fatalism and are ready to take their fate into their own hands. 

• Being “savvy”; demonstrating the ability to find unconventional solutions, has always been a strength, and people have become even more ingenious in the past five years: constant crises, falling incomes – all these factors contribute to people’s ability to adapt to difficult environment conditions, while avoiding risks when possible. 

We took a detailed analysis of the profile of the Russian population one step further and looked at the findings through the prism of transition from the complex VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world1 to a new concept: the chaotic and disturbing BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible) world2. We would like to offer our readers some food for thought. Which features of the Russian mentality will represent “superpowers” for a person’s more comfortable life in the new BANI world? Where can companies and brands place their efforts to power-up the qualities that so far are under-developed for this context?  

In this issue of Flair Russia, we also reflect on how everyday life in Russia and the Russian character are changing from different perspectives that include family values, the home, life in the city and the countryside, leisure activities, shopping, and health. 

All this will help brands to understand their customers not only as consumers and buyers, but also as people from a more human point of view. This can also become a starting point for building an empathic brand ecosystem3 which, in turn, will provide fuel for further strengthening the strategic role of insights4 and their more active influence on decision-making in the future development of brands. 

We have called this Flair Russia 2022 issue “In the Flow of Change”. Developing businesses and brands in a world where stability is becoming an anachronism is quite challenging. Yes, changes are constantly taking place today, and we must get used to it. But what does it mean to “be in the flow”? 

Flow is a state of high engagement when you get maximum satisfaction from the process.5 I believe it is completely applicable to the researcher’s work. In a constantly changing world, the value of the researcher’s work and the scales of research tasks are only growing. That is why it is so important to learn to be in the flow. This will both bring the most efficient result and generate inspiration. 

I hope that you will find many starting points for understanding the current changes in our new Flair Russia. The team of Ipsos in Russia is always ready to help you choose the right direction in this flow of change. 

Access the details of Flair Russia 2022, in Russian.
Download full edition of Flair Russia 2022 in English.