Made in Ukraine. Which Ukrainian Brands Are Known in the World

In 2023, Ukraine became the 16th most recognizable country in the world. However, the most persistent association of foreigners with us remains war. What do people know about Ukraine outside of the news context? Which Ukrainian brands have international recognition? What is the connection between the demand for Made in Ukraine products and the formation of a positive image of Ukraine in the world? This is reported in the new BRAND UKRAINE study, which examines the perception of Ukrainian brands abroad.

Promotion of Ukrainian businesses to foreign markets can be one of the most effective ways to diversify Ukraine's international image and attract foreign investment, which is critical for rapid post-war reconstruction. This is evidenced by the results of a new BRAND UKRAINE sociological survey on the recognition of Ukrainian brands and famous personalities abroad. The research was conducted in May 2024. It covered the adult urban population of seven countries of the world — Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Poland, the USA, Turkey and France. The total sample was 2,800 respondents (400 in each country).

Ukrainian brands are not (yet) well-known in the world

About 20% of foreigners know about Ukrainian brands and can name at least one of them. Without special prompts about the answer options, 3% of respondents mentioned Roshen confectionery corporation (in Poland, this brand was named by 10% of respondents). other 2% of people surveyed mentioned women's clothing brand Sleeper (actress Margot Robbie wore this brand's pajamas to a special screening of the movie "Barbie"), alcoholic beverage manufacturer Nemiroff, and clothing brand Paskal.

In Turkey, without prompts, the juice company Sandora was most often named, in France, respondents named the headwear brand Ruslan Baginskiy, and in Great Britain, the surveyed citizens mentioned the couture clothing brand FROLOV, which is loved by singers Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, and Jennifer Lopez.

With prompts, that is, when it was necessary to choose familiar brands from the proposed list, foreigners most often named Ukrainian product IT companies. The most recognizable was Grammarly, a company that created an AI-based communication assistant that improves English communication. The GitLab web repository took the second place, and Roshen took the third position. They are followed by the IT company BetterMe, which creates applications to support physical and mental health, and the manufacturer of security systems Ajax.

These indicators may testify that not all companies actively talk about their Ukrainian roots to external audiences, despite the obvious advantages. This is a problem, because the main factors preventing the purchase of Ukrainian goods are the insufficient level of awareness of products from Ukraine, the habit of buying other goods and the lack of information, in particular advertising.

The more our brands openly talk about their Ukrainian origin, the higher the probability that foreigners will buy their products and have a positive experience with them. In the long term, such an approach could help Ukraine improve its international perception and build a more multifaceted brand, thereby attracting the foreign investment needed for post-war recovery.

There is a demand for Made in Ukraine products on foreign markets

The main incentive for foreigners to buy Ukrainian goods is the opportunity to support Ukraine. It is worth noting that 47% of respondents are ready to try a Ukrainian product if they see it in a store. In second place among the reasons to pay attention to Ukrainian brands is the affordable price. This is especially important for the French (49%) and Poles (48%). The third place in the list of motivations is the curiosity to try Ukrainian products or goods. This indicator is the highest in Poland (52%) and the USA (45%).

Two key spheres of public life, from which the world knows the most famous Ukrainians, are politics and sports. Politics, as the field in which Ukraine has the most famous and influential people, won in four countries (France, Turkey, the USA, Great Britain), and sports — in the rest of the studied countries (Poland, Germany, Spain). Business is in third place, and music and the fashion industry are in fourth place.

Ukraine is still perceived as an agrarian country, but the situation is changing

Agriculture is considered the strongest branch of Ukraine's economy abroad. Energy is in second place, and food and mining industries are in third and fourth place.

In Turkey, our production of alcoholic beverages is rated significantly higher than in the rest of the countries. Metallurgy as a powerful branch of the Ukrainian economy is most often noted in France and Spain, and the defense industry is highly appreciated in Turkey and the USA. In the UK, our pet products are rated significantly higher than the average in other countries. At the same time, the United States of America is well aware of Ukrainian technological products and the machine-building industry.

Many foreigners are also well informed about our brands in defense, technology, pet products and fashion.

In order to overcome the gap between the perception of Ukraine as an agrarian country and its achievements in other areas, it is necessary to comprehensively rethink the Made in Ukraine brand. For this, representatives of the government, business and civil society should jointly form a common vision of communications in this area and fill the collective Made in Ukraine brand with new modern meanings in close connection with the desired brand of Ukraine in the world.