Here’s why Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is my marketer of the year, even though we still have 10 months left to go till this year comes to a close!

1. Segmentation – He has clearly segmented his audiences such as NATO leaders, his Ukrainian people, Russian citizens, etc. Instead of constantly messaging the whole world, he messages them individually, and differently.
2. Targeting – He has targeted each segment with unique messaging: 1-on-1’s with NATO leaders, encouraging short videos for Ukrainian citizens, compassionate long pleas for Russian and global citizens etc. (Don’t also forget his veiled aggressive threats to Putin, sandwiched between his direct messaging to the conscience of Russian soldiers.)
3. Positioning – He has positioned not just Ukraine as the good guy, but also Russia as the bad guy. Even people and nations who were singing Putin’s praises or choosing not to speak against him, have now decided to speak up and/or sanction him.

But it’s not just that President Zelensky is leveraging the STP (Segmentation Targeting Positioning) mode for marketing his message. 

Most importantly, he leads by example in the battleground as not just a shrewd strategist, but also a brave soldier that heartens global minds, inspires Ukrainian hearts, and worries Russian plans.