How to build a strong IT brand in 2026: insights from brand strategist Olesya Appazova

In our Telegram channel, we held a live stream with Olesya Appazova, founder of the branding agency APPAZOV and the brand academy. We are sharing the most useful takeaways: how to create a unique brand image, why value-based positioning is more important today than just the product, and how to properly research your audience.

Olesya Appazova, city — Astana, founder of the branding agency APPAZOV, LinkedIn

About herself

I am the chief strategist and founder of the branding agency APPAZOV and the brand academy. I hold a Master’s degree in Psychology and am an NLP trainer with over 15 years of experience in brand management and business strategies. I create comprehensive, scalable solutions for companies, conduct strategic sessions and consultations, and also train entrepreneurs and specialists in effective brand building and business development.

About branding

There are many definitions of branding, but for me, a brand is not a logo, but an image that we create in the consumer's mind. And branding is the process of creating this image through studying the audience, market, and competitors, in order to form a value that the customer truly needs.

For me, marketing is logic: it answers the question of who needs the product and how to build a relationship with that customer. Branding, on the other hand, is about who we should be so that this customer chooses us. To simplify: marketing is logic, branding is emotions and a value framework.

The market has changed significantly today: competition has grown, and demand is decreasing. There are too many products, and simply having a "good product" is no longer enough. People choose not just the product itself, but the value around it—service, convenience, and experience.

For example, two identical dishes may cost differently because in one case, you are paying not just for the food, but also for the atmosphere, service, and emotions. The same applies to IT: users pay for speed, convenience, and comfort.

Therefore, it is important now to understand not only what your product is, but also what additional value you provide to the customer—this becomes the key factor in their choice.

How to start branding research

All research is built on a clear and universal methodology, which differs only in depth depending on the business tasks. A startup at the initial stage is sufficient with basic research to form a hypothesis and test it. If a brand plans to scale or enter the international market, the research should be more detailed and comprehensive.

In general, we divide research into three types: desk analysis, quantitative, and qualitative. Desk analysis is the foundation: studying the market, competitors, their communications, and benchmarks. Quantitative research provides specific numbers but requires resources, so in practice, open data is often used. Qualitative research, especially in-depth interviews, provides the most valuable insights—understanding the audience.

If you do not know how to conduct qualitative research, it is enough to read one book, "Ask Your Mom," to understand how to properly ask questions to your audience. If you, as a brand owner or brand manager, marketer, conduct at least these 10 interviews, you will obtain important data about your audience. 

It is important to understand: artificial intelligence is a tool, but not a replacement for analysis. The main meanings are always hidden in people's words. When you conduct interviews, you start noticing recurring phrases—these become the foundation of a strong brand. Therefore, it is important not just to collect data, but to listen carefully to your audience and work with their real language.

On examples

Using the example of Happy Cake, we can see how audience polling works: many research participants mentioned "that very milk girl," and now this slogan is used everywhere. The brand is associated with this image, and everyone understands that Happy Cake is "that very milk girl." It is recommended to pay attention to the phrases the audience uses; GPT chat is not a helper here.

In the case of KOMPRA, it was a startup, so the approach to branding was different. The product had already passed the testing stage, so we limited ourselves to basic desk analysis: we established positioning and visual identity. We worked with the team and developed a logo for the counterparty verification program, which is still used today.

The story with Astana Hub was more fundamental. For example, the logo itself was conceived as a metaphor for a brain generating impulses—a symbol of the technology development center. But it is important to understand: a strong brand is not just a logo or strategy. It is the result of the entire system's work—the team, processes, product, and financial model.

Today, brands compete not with products, but with values. There are too many good products, and those who build long-term relationships with their audience win. Loyalty becomes a key asset because attracting new customers is becoming more difficult and expensive. Therefore, branding today is not about external image, but about capitalization and business sustainability in the long term.

About banner blindness

Today, there is indeed an effect of "banner blindness," which has already turned into irritation. People are overloaded with content and no longer want anything imposed on them—they want to choose themselves what to watch and which brands to interact with. Therefore, ethical marketing is gaining more importance: not aggressive sales, but value and respect for the user.

Currently, it is important for a brand not just to sell, but to build relationships through its value. If you are an educational product—educate through content. If you are about care—show it in every touchpoint: through useful materials, service, and communication. For example, brands can build interaction by helping with clients' daily tasks, simplifying their routine and becoming part of their lives.

Advertising has not disappeared—its tone is changing. In conditions of audience fatigue, those who speak honestly, calmly, and to the point win. Today, it is important not just to attract attention, but to do so ecologically and with an understanding of the person's real needs.

Do owners need a personal brand

A business owner is just another communication channel, like social media or advertising. But it is important to understand: it does not suit everyone. Today, the idea is often promoted that every entrepreneur must develop a personal brand, but in practice, this does not always work. If a person is uncomfortable with it, they look unnatural—such a channel is more likely to harm than help.

Therefore, one needs to approach this consciously: if the owner has charisma and desire, it can become a strong tool. If not, it is better to choose other channels. There are no universal solutions in marketing: each channel has its own role, and the task is not to force the use of all of them, but to choose those that really work for a specific business.

Common mistakes made by marketers

The first mistake is when we create content instead of solving business tasks. Marketing should start with understanding where the business is moving and what its problems are. Everything else—the logo, visuals, content—becomes clear only after that.

The second mistake is when we project ourselves onto the audience. Often, marketers rely on their own taste and thinking: "if I like it, the audience will too." But this does not work. Even with experience, such hypotheses are regularly not confirmed. Therefore, it is important to study the audience first and only then make decisions.

The third mistake is reducing marketing only to social media. Social media is only part of the system. The audience lives in different channels, and limiting oneself only to digital means missing opportunities.

The fourth mistake is not considering the entire customer journey. We attract the audience through marketing, but then sales, service, and communication come into play. And if there are weak links there, the customer gets lost. Although it is here that the real experience of interacting with the brand is formed.

How best to build a brand at the B2B level for the Middle East market

When a business enters a new market, such as the UAE, there are two scenarios: scaling an existing brand or launching a new one.

If the brand already exists, it is important to understand: its foundation does not change. The platform, values, mission, positioning—all must be preserved. The brand should be recognizable in any country, just like Starbucks—wherever you are, you recognize it immediately.

At the same time, the communication strategy requires adaptation. This includes channels, tone of communication, format of interaction with the audience—everything related to how the brand speaks. Sometimes the product also changes to suit market specifics. For example, in one case, when entering the UAE, the brand kept its platform and visuals but adapted the menu and serving format to local demand.

The key point is that all of this is built through research. And not just desk research: it is important to observe audience behavior, understand their habits and consumption context.

If a brand is created from scratch for a new market, then cultural features must be taken into account at the platform level. And here it is important to understand the owner's ambitions in advance: whether they plan to enter international markets. Because a strong brand should initially be created in such a way that it can scale and not look "foreign" in another country.

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