FEATURES OF BRANDING IN THE WAR CONDITIONS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of branding strategy formation in the conditions of war. The article analyzes the challenges faced by Ukrainian business and the opportunities to overcome these challenges. The classification of branding strategies of global companies in the context of their behavior during the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is provided. The war in Ukraine forced numerous global brands to publicly express their positions on this issue. They took to their social media channels to communicate their initiatives, which ranged from simple announcements to more significant actions such as donations and divestments. The phenomenon of brands coming out in support of important but polarizing socio-political issues is known as brand activism. Brand activism is associated with various positive outcomes, such as favorable brand attitudes and price rewards. In recent years, consumers have put increasing pressure on brands to take a stand on social issues. As a result, a certain level of activism and activist politics is no longer the prerogative of only progressive niche brands. Branding strategies of Ukrainian companies are analyzed. It was determined that in the context of the war, Ukrainian brands face complex reputational and ethical challenges, communication during this period really becomes more complicated due to increased demands on the social mission of brands, and their responses to the crisis significantly affect consumer perception and loyalty. The research concluded that during wartime, the brand's marketing strategy needs significant changes to cope with the complexities of the situation and ensure its relevance and effectiveness. An analysis of the activities of leading Ukrainian brands during hostilities on the territory of our country shows that the main brand strategy was reflection on events on the territory of Ukraine, namely active reflection, i.e. direct participation in activities to help citizens, or the implementation of charitable projects, that directly provide help to those who need it, using the assets of the company.