Reputation vs reach: PR is changing across Central Asia, and here is how
Over the past five years, PR in Uzbekistan has evolved from a function focused on “getting our story into the media” into a full-fledged part of business strategy. Where the effectiveness of communications was once measured mainly by volume of coverage, the focus has shifted to trust, corporate reputation, stakeholder engagement, and a company’s ability to explain its decisions to society.
Uzbekistan’s economy has also transformed, becoming more open to international investment, infrastructure projects, and global companies. Over the past five years, the economy has grown steadily: after 1.9% growth in 2020, real GDP reached 7.7% in 2025. From 2020 to 2024, nominal GDP nearly doubled from $59.9 billion to $115 billion, and foreign direct investment increased from $1.7 billion to $2.8 billion. This growth has intensified competition for customers, investors, partners, and talent.
Five years ago, companies competed primarily on products and marketing budgets. Today, brands increasingly compete on trust, which influences decisions by customers, investors, partners, and future employees. As a result, communications is now part of business strategy, and corporate reputation is a key intangible asset.
The defining trend in recent years is the move from traditional PR to strategic communications, where communications leaders are involved not only in promotion but also in discussing strategic business decisions.
What international companies need to know when entering the Uzbek market
A common mistake is assuming that a global communications strategy, or one successful in other Asian markets, will automatically work in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is a market of long-term relationships. People watch closely not just what a company sells, but how well it understands the country, respects local culture, invests in human capital, and is willing to become part of the country’s economy.
As money flows into the country, competition for investors’ attention grows too — it matters not only what a company sells, but what value it creates for the country, its economy and the society.
Being present institutionally is just as important as being present in the media: taking part in industry discussions, supporting education, innovation, and digital initiatives, and building partnerships.
Localisation requires more than translating press releases; it demands a deep understanding of the country’s cultural, economic, and institutional context.
PR in Uzbekistan and Central Asia
It is inaccurate to treat Central Asia as a single market. Despite a shared history, each country has its own business culture, media landscape, and decision-making processes.
Uzbekistan stands out for its rapid pace of change. Economic reforms, digitalisation, and the growth of fintech, telecoms, and e-commerce have created strong demand for effective communication among business, government, and society.
Uzbekistan is a market defined by both rapid change and the gradual building of trust. Trust develops through consistent action, open dialogue, and the personal reputations of business leaders.
Central Asia is developing rapidly, yet each country maintains its unique identity despite regional integration. Combining a regional perspective with deep local understanding is becoming a competitive advantage for international companies.
Most common communications mistakes foreign companies make in Uzbekistan
Foreign companies entering the Uzbek market often repeat similar mistakes.
The first is entering the market with only a product, without articulating the company’s long-term role in the country’s development.
The second is relying on generic global messaging that lacks local context.
The third is beginning to build relationships only after a crisis occurs.
Another common mistake is viewing communications solely as media relations.
Communications connect business, government, professional communities, employees, investors, and customers. It is a strategic responsibility for the entire management team, not just the PR department.
What corporate reputation means
Reputation is no longer solely a PR function; it is now a strategic business asset.
Reputation directly affects a company’s investment appeal, brand value, speed of project launches, quality of partnerships, ability to attract talent, and resilience during crises.
As a result, boards of directors increasingly consider reputational risk alongside financial, operational, and cyber risks.
Reputation is shaped by multiple factors, including product quality, business transparency, leadership behaviour, customer experience, government relations, social responsibility, and open communication.
Reputation cannot be managed through communications alone; every management decision influences it.
Recent cases show that reputational risk can arise from various sources: overly aggressive advertising, creative work that overlooks local culture, or internal practices that become public. In each situation, communications cannot substitute for management decisions, but they determine how effectively a company explains its position.
Dialogue with the audience
With over 20 years of experience in telecoms across various markets, I have found one rule applies universally: from market entry, it is essential to explain how the technology works, what safety measures are in place, the reasons behind decisions, and the benefits for customers.
In practice, a crisis rarely damages reputation on its own. More often, damage results from inadequate communication and loss of trust in the initial hours following the event.
Modern crisis communications begin well before any crisis, through building trust, ensuring transparency, and maintaining ongoing dialogue with the audience.
This requires a sustainable, integrated approach to communications, leveraging media presence, marketing, social and investment initiatives, products, and internal communications.
Professional media remain important. However, increasing emphasis is placed on leaders’ public visibility, expert commentary, industry conferences, professional communities, LinkedIn, educational projects, and companies’ digital platforms.
People trust consistent expertise and real action, not loud statements. Actions that reflect a company’s values, both internally and in leadership decisions, build reputation throughout the supply chain, with contractors, and with regulators.
The CEO’s role
The CEO’s role is expanding, with leaders becoming more public. This benefits companies, as people trust individuals more than corporate logos. A leader’s public visibility is not just about personal branding; it is integral to corporate strategy and reputation management.
That is especially true in fast-growing sectors like the digital economy, telecoms, fintech, and AI, where companies constantly need to explain the meaning behind the changes taking place.
A leader’s openness about strategy, willingness to acknowledge challenges, and ability to explain decisions are significant competitive advantages. However, this also introduces reputational risk, making it increasingly important to have advisers working directly with the CEO and senior leadership, not just PR departments.
What next for corporate communications
We are on the threshold of a new stage in this profession. Communications now address not only “what happened” but, more importantly, “why it matters.”
The role of the communications leader is evolving. It is no longer limited to media relations, but now includes acting as a strategic business partner who helps build trust with all key audiences, including employees, customers, investors, government, and international partners.
Central Asia is experiencing significant growth in investment, the digital economy, infrastructure projects, AI, and financial technology. This environment requires communications that are more mature, transparent, and strategic.
I am convinced the next stage for corporate communications in Central Asia is the shift from managing information to managing trust.
In the coming years, companies will not compete solely on product quality, technology, or investment scale. The ability to build honest, consistent, and long-term relationships with customers and stakeholders will be a key competitive advantage.
Corporate reputation is no longer just the responsibility of the PR department. It is now part of business strategy, a leadership concern, and a topic for the board of directors.
Ultimately, trust is the only asset that begins working before the first sale, supports a company through crises, and continues to create value as markets, technology, and business models evolve. For this reason, I am convinced that the future of communications lies in managing trust, not just information.
