Aviasales Brand Communication

Its target audience includes, in particular, young people aged approximately 18 to 35 — those who actively use social media, understand trendy, modern humour (including memes, irony, and sarcasm), and are generally willing to follow a brand if that brand can afford to be funny. Additionally, due to their ambition and drive, a significant part of this audience considers relocating or emigrating, but cannot spend too much money. This is precisely why the idea of cheap flights is especially relevant and appealing to them.

Firstly, it is worth noting that the brand has its own accounts on platforms such as Telegram, Instagram*, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, VK, Yandex Zen, and even Odnoklassniki and Pinterest, where the content posted is largely based on memes and jokes.

Whether it is their own wordplay or meme-style responses to equally humorous comments, this happens across a wide variety of posts — both their own and those of others. One of the key characteristics is that Aviasales does not behave like a corporation, but rather like an ordinary social media user — one might even say, like a real person. No matter where you are, which platform you are on, or what posts you are looking at, you can still come across Aviasales. On the one hand, this may seem annoying, but on the other hand, it is a clever strategy to constantly remind people of your existence everywhere.

(*) Instagram is a social media platform developed by Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation.

This approach works well for the brand because such content creators also target a fairly young audience with a well-developed sense of humour. Moreover, in this kind of collaboration, the transition to the advertisement often becomes part of the show, or does not feel contradictory at all. This is because Aviasales, thanks to the tactics described earlier, has itself become a kind of meme.

This theory argues that people do not consume media content passively; instead, they actively choose it to satisfy their needs. Four groups of needs are identified: information, personal identity, social interaction, and entertainment. In the context of social media, U&G explains why users follow certain brands — often not for direct practical benefits, but for emotions and a sense of self-identity.

In the case of Aviasales, this theory helps to understand why meme-based content works. Users do not follow the brand’s social media accounts primarily to search for cheap flights — for that, they can use the website. Instead, they come for entertainment and identity. Memes about emigration, crisis, and absurd situations help meet the need for emotional release. At the same time, the feeling of «I understand this joke, so I belong here» strengthens the identity of a young, irony-driven audience. Aviasales builds loyalty not through rational benefits but through emotional connection.

This theory describes the principles of effective communication in a digital environment: a brand should not simply broadcast monologues, but rather engage in dialogue, be accessible, behave like a real person, acknowledge mistakes, and provide feedback.

In the case of Aviasales, this theory explains why their «ubiquitous audacity» works rather than annoys people. First, the brand not only replies to comments on its own posts but also shows up on other accounts, leaving meme-style comments. This creates the effect of an «omnipresent character» — the brand is perceived as a living friend who manages to be everywhere at once. Traditional dialogic theory suggests that a brand should be available for dialogue on its own territory. Aviasales goes further: it enters other people’s territory and starts a dialogue there.

Second, the brand speaks the audience’s language — memes, hyperbole, self-irony. Their replies to comments are not generic templates like «Thank you for your feedback, please contact support.» This breaks down the barrier between a corporation and a consumer.

Third, the brand is not afraid to joke even with potentially dissatisfied commenters, turning risk zones into assets. Aviasales demonstrates that behind the account there is a real person (or a team with a shared sense of humour) who is willing to spend time engaging in conversation.

The application of the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Aviasales' strategy shows that the brand has intuitively — or perhaps consciously — overturned the traditional model of communication between a company and a consumer. According to U&G, the audience is not a passive receiver of advertising; instead, it actively chooses content to satisfy its psychological and social needs. Aviasales clearly understands that for finding cheap flights, there is its website and app — that is where the rational task is solved. Users go to social media for something else — primarily for emotional release.

In practice, this is achieved through irony and a meme-driven approach. Consider the visual evidence: a screenshot of a post from Aviasales Uzbekistan on Threads*, where the brand «sincerely apologises that the website offers cookies».

(*) Threads is a social media platform developed by Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation.

Theoretical analysis shows that this post addresses several groups of needs at once, according to Katz and Blumler.

Entertainment: The absurdity of the situation provokes laughter and serves as a form of escapism. Social interaction: The joke creates a reason for discussion in the comments, making users feel like part of a community. Personal identity: A user who laughs at this confirms their belonging to a generation familiar with digital slang.

Aviasales deliberately abandons the role of an «informant» (it does not say: «Buy discount tickets here») in favour of the role of a «clown» or a «friend». This increases brand recognition, as noted in the theoretical section, because an emotional connection works on a deeper level than rational benefit. A person remembers not the ticket price — which is more or less the same everywhere — but the feeling of «someone here understands me.»

From the perspective of the second theory — the Dialogic Communication Theory by Kent and Taylor — this post is an example of humanising the brand’s voice to an extreme degree. Aviasales deliberately uses broken language, exaggerates an absurd request, and openly declares its love for the subscriber («lav yu»). This completely breaks down the barrier between a corporation and a consumer. The brand does not just broadcast — it parodies itself and its own attempts to sell something. According to dialogic theory, this approach reduces audience scepticism: users understand that the brand does not take itself too seriously, and therefore they are more willing to engage in communication.

Moreover, apologising for «cookies» fits perfectly into dialogic theory through the principle of acknowledging a mistake. Although there is technically no error on the website’s part, the apology is used as a rhetorical device to build rapport. The brand shows that it is capable of self-reflection («we are ashamed, but we cannot fix this»), which breaks down the consumer’s defensive barrier against a «perfect» corporation. Thus, Aviasales' communication works as a dialogue between equals, where the brand listens, understands, and responds in the same language.

On Threads*, Aviasales uses a hybrid strategy. On the one hand, it completely avoids dialogue in the comments (unlike on VK) and does not reply to users. But on the other hand, the very structure of its posts implements the principles of dialogic theory through indirect dialogue: the brand speaks to the audience in the same language, acknowledges imperfection, and provokes discussion. The U&G theory explains the success of this approach by noting that on Threads*, Aviasales addresses needs not related to buying tickets, but rather to entertainment, identity, and emotional release — exactly what people come to that social platform for.

*Threads is a product of Meta, a company whose activities are recognised as extremist and banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Based on the theoretical analysis conducted, it can be concluded that Aviasales' communication strategy is highly effective, but also extremely risky. Its effectiveness is supported by numbers: the implementation of the mass commenting strategy increased the brand’s social media reach by 2.5 to 5 times, generating 8.5 million free impressions. U&G theory explains this success by the fact that Aviasales became a source of entertainment content for users, rather than an advertising insert. Dialogic theory explains the growth in loyalty by noting that the brand reduced the psychological distance to zero, responding to comments as an ordinary friend would in a messenger.

By analysing the brand’s history, we identify the main risk zone. As long as a joke is aimed at self-irony or current news topics, it works. But as soon as a joke touches on political or socially sensitive issues (or is perceived as doing so), different audience groups begin to interpret the message differently. What is satire to one audience is offensive to another.

1. Implementation of a «Contextual Filter» system based on emotion management theory. Given that U&G works through the escalation of emotions, it is necessary to introduce an internal content review protocol for the area of «forbidden humour». If a joke relies on humiliating a third party (rather than self-irony or situational absurdity), it should be rejected.

2. Using U&G not only for attraction but also for customised retention. Currently, Aviasales does an excellent job of addressing the entertainment and identity needs of Gen Z and millennials. However, the theory also highlights the need for information. It is recommended to create a brand account (or a section) with ultra-rational, meme-free content. This would help capture the audience over 35, who may be put off by the brand’s «audacity» on its main account, but still have a need for security and data reliability. At present, Aviasales risks losing a segment of customers with a high average ticket value — those who simply want to buy a ticket without accompanying jokes.

3. Legitimising community management within dialogic theory. Following Kent and Taylor’s framework, it is advisable to strengthen feedback. Aviasales responds well to comments but rarely reacts publicly to constructive criticism in the form of longer posts. It is recommended to introduce a regular Q&A section, where complex issues (such as technical failures or ticket refunds) are addressed not with memes but in plain, human language. This would increase trust in the brand as a reliable service, not just an «entertaining character», thereby addressing the need for safety.