Project SberUslugi en

media launch • C2С • PR strategy

SberUslugi

Launching a service marketplace from scratch and leading the 'Person-to-Person Economy' conversation

Client

SberUslugi, part of the Sber ecosystem

Challenge

To successfully launch and promote a new marketplace for household and professional services in a highly competitive market. The core challenge was the dual-sided nature of the platform: simultaneously attracting both service providers and customers, while building trust in a service that was a completely new venture for the Sber brand

Objectives

Сommunication strategy

To establish and lead a media narrative around the "person-to-person economy," positioning SberUslugi as the expert and driving force in this market's development
Service launch

To generate powerful initial resonance in top-tier business and mass media to rapidly attract the first wave of users
Brand awareness

To build brand recognition and trust through expert commentary from key spokespeople, primarily Oleg Golubtsov
Attracting an audience

To execute a two-phase communication strategy: first building a base of service providers, and only then opening the platform to customers

Impact in Numbers

200+

Monthly publications by the end of the campaign
5M+

Audience reach during the launch phase
Tier-1

Regular presence in leading business outlets (RBC, Kommersant, Forbes)
7k

Brand queries in search engines per month

How we Did it

We moved beyond a single press release tactic in favor of a comprehensive, multi-month program designed to guide the audience from awareness to active engagement

A Two-Phase Launch Strategy

We divided the communication plan into two distinct stages:

Phase I (Launch): Focus on attracting service providers. We communicated the benefits of working "above board"—official transactions with receipts, insurance, and simple registration via SberID
Phase II (Growth): After reaching a critical mass of providers, we opened the service to customers, shifting the messaging to emphasize convenience, safety, and the all-in-one technological solution for them

Expert Leadership through Oleg Golubtsov

We positioned Sber's CEO of Classified Industries as the central figure and voice of the launch. His interviews in RBC and Kommersant, visionary columns on the future of the service market, and commentary on "formalizing" the industry created the necessary level of trust and authority for the new service

A Constant Stream of News Hooks

To maintain monthly momentum, we created a calendar of news angles that went beyond product updates. This included joint research with Rabota.ru on side hustles, rankings of the most in-demand services before the New Year, and storytelling about unique providers on the platform

Results

Shaping a New Market Narrative

Over 65% of the publications were not just feature announcements, but discussions on the trends of the "person-to-person economy," the need for transparency, and the digitalization of the service sector. SberUslugi became synonymous with this conversation
Sustained Presence in Top-Tier Media

We exceeded our KPIs, securing 3-4 news hooks monthly and over 200 publications per month. The service maintained a consistent presence across business, mass-market, and digital media
Successful Two-Sided Launch

The "providers first, customers second" strategy prevented a scenario where the marketplace would be empty of services, minimizing negative feedback at the start. We successfully met our targets for attracting both audience segments
Synergy with the Sber Ecosystem

We executed joint projects with corporate publications ("SberPro," "Svoe Delo") and other Sber services, which amplified cross-promotion and brand recognition

Kommersant

SberUslugi will help transform the Russian services market.Sber's CEO of the classifieds industry, Oleg Golubtsov, appears on the "Goals and Means" program.

How does Sber's new ecosystem service, SbeUslugi, differ from its competitors? What categories of services can be ordered through the service? How does Sber vet its service providers? Economic commentator Oleg Bogdanov discussed these and other questions with Oleg Golubtsov, CEO of Sber's classifieds industry.
Read the article
RBC

Russians named the optimal cost of home renovations.

Two-thirds of users of the "Repair with SberUslugi" service are willing to spend less than 1 million rubles on apartment renovations.
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The secret of the company

Sberbank launched an online repair management service.

SberServices has launched the first platform in Russia offering online access to renovation loans, payments, and tracking of any stage of the project. The "Renovation with SberServices" platform will help you find a contractor for a variety of tasks, from design to implementation, according to the service's press service. The transaction is completely secure for both customers and contractors.
Read the article

The Bottom Line

Thanks to the two-phase strategy, a focus on Oleg Golubtsov's expertise, and the constant generation of relevant news hooks, we did more than just announce another service. We launched it from scratch, built foundational trust, and established SberUslugi as the flagship brand for the digitalization and formalization of Russia's service market