Interview with Artis Krilovs, Managing Director of WRONG (Latvia), is conducted by Hando Sinisalu.
How is business going now in the summer of ’25?
From what I hear – from our clients – the picture is quite mixed. There are a few who are actually increasing their budgets right now.
But there are also clients cutting back. I think it’s important to understand the broader context: there are two wars going on, the global political situation is chaotic. So overall, the feeling is cautious. That’s probably the best word – cautious.
It means more focus on efficiency than before. That translates into more digital, less branding. More call-to-action oriented marketing.
What about your own business? How big is your agency now?
We’re around 40 people.
We’re a totally hybrid-oriented company. Some people are working from Liepāja and other cities. We have a programmer who shows up maybe once every three months. Others come in every day.
The 40 I mentioned are employees, not freelancers. We’ve stayed around that number for the past three years.
Our business is very consistent. Turnover and revenue are almost the same every year. You can check the data – it’s pretty steady.
Where do you see growth potential? You can stay flat for a few years, but long term – five or ten years – you’ll need growth just to offset inflation.
You’ll be surprised, but it’s still social media. That’s been our thing since day one. We were born on the Internet.
And even now, 15 years later, some agencies and brands still treat TV as their main channel. It’s strange, but it’s true.
So we’re still seeing brands shifting more towards social media, which is good for us. Budgets are moving there too. A single TV ad can be turned into dozens of quality social media pieces.
That’s a space that still works for us. And then there’s technology. One of our core values is embracing new technologies. Now it’s AI. Before it was something else. But we try to be the partner that helps companies integrate new tech – that’s another revenue stream.
Influencers and brand ambassadors are a growing trend in social media – what are you seeing in Latvia?
That’s definitely happening. There are influencers, and even more interesting, there are individuals who function like one-person agencies. They manage a brand’s social media for three months and actually boost it.
We have to be honest – they’re our competitors. But they’re also our clients. It’s a strange dynamic.
What’s the agency’s role in this world of mega-influencers and direct-to-brand relationships?
We often step in as the strategic producer. Someone who can see the opportunities and connect the dots. We might say, “You should work with this person – they reach a different audience and it could benefit your brand.”
That’s the role: producer, but in a strategic way. Like an event producer who sees opportunities and builds connections – but with a clear marketing strategy.
How do Latvian companies think about social media?
In general, I think understanding is quite good. Every CEO or B2B marketer is on social media themselves – they see their kids using TikTok, they use it too. So we don’t have to explain what it is.
But sometimes we do need to emphasize the impact. It’s not just entertainment – it can shift perceptions and behavior.
Short-form video is still the thing everyone’s trying to master. Not just TikTok – LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Shorts – they’re all moving that way. And we’re all still figuring out how to do it right.
There’s this debate – quality vs. quantity. Everyone talks about “don’t spam,” focus on quality, etc. But successful brands seem to post constantly, every few hours. What’s your view?
You’re absolutely right. The machine-gun approach often wins.
On social, you only see content that’s either paid or organically strong. Bad content just disappears thanks to the algorithm.
So if you have the resources – and you’re not doing anything dumb – posting frequently is fine. It can actually help you improve. Quantity becomes quality over time.
You can’t sit and wait six months to polish one piece. You need to test, iterate, and learn from what works. Post a hundred pieces, and maybe one goes viral. But if you don’t try, you’ll never know.
But resources are a limiting factor, right? Especially for brands.
Exactly. It depends on how much a brand can actually produce.
This is where AI helps, right? Especially for scaling content.
Yes. With AI, you can theoretically create a post every minute. You can automate it, scale to thousands of posts a day.
But then – if everyone does that, the value of each piece drops.
And that’s the danger: infinite garbage.
Totally. I’m a big fan of AI – been promoting it from the start. But what I’m seeing out there is disappointing.
I’ve seen huge banners on the streets – AI-generated, from big brands. And they’ve come down to the same level as what small brands can now do with AI. They’ve lost their edge.
I call it the “Euroremont” phase of AI. You know that 90s-style quick fix? Cheap, fast, looks okay at first glance? That’s what AI feels like now.
It’s fine for small businesses. But big brands – those that have invested in craftsmanship, aesthetics, authenticity – they’re putting plastic windows on their castles.
It’s disappointing. Of course, it’s cheaper. But the quality drops, and as an agency, it’s painful to watch.
Same thing happened with stock photography a few years ago.
Exactly. Everyone used the same fake-smile library shots. Eventually, it became a negative – “looks like Shutterstock.” Now, brands invest in real photography again.
Same will happen with AI. Eventually, it’ll become obvious and undesirable. People will value the real, the analog, the crafted.
Okay, very practically – how did you use AI yesterday, for example?
First and foremost – research. Not precise data – I wouldn’t trust it for that – but general topic exploration, understanding different angles, asking dumb questions. It’s a good tool for planners like me.
I use Gemini right now. I also use AI to generate images, to proofread English, to rephrase things so they sound better. Just yesterday, probably.
My colleagues use it for coding. Some of our campaigns are built around AI from the start. One ongoing project involves music and AI – it’s really cool, authentic, not just a gimmick. That’s what we aim for.
There are two ways to use AI in creative: either so seamlessly that no one can tell, or so boldly that it adds real value – funny, wow, useful. But if it’s mediocre and obvious, it’s bad use.
Do you see jobs being eliminated by AI? Not just in your agency, but across the industry.
Not in the next 3–5 years. But efficiency will increase.
So maybe slightly fewer designers or copywriters. But not job eliminations. I tell my people – don’t be afraid. Just be better than AI. If you’re not, then learn something new.
Alright, switching gears: how would you describe the Latvian consumer to someone from Germany or Mars? What makes us different?
Tough question. Compared to Estonians or Lithuanians, we’re quite similar. But you still can’t just copy-paste concepts across markets.
So much of marketing now is about social media – posting, reacting, engaging in conversations. You need local knowledge. Pop culture, politics, current events. If you don’t understand the meme, you can’t do the marketing.
So even if you’re a great agency, you couldn’t just take over social for a Swedish brand without some local help.
Exactly. We do pan-Baltic work, but we always have one Estonian and one Lithuanian helping us adapt content. Otherwise, it won’t work.
Are there any particular Latvian traits?
I’d say we’re very value-for-money oriented – maybe even more than Estonians. Lithuanians are similar in that sense.
Also, very connected to nature. Not just trendy forest running, but simple things like picnics, kayaking, picking mushrooms. It’s deep in the culture.
BalticBest 2025
You can find rules HERE.
Submission deadline: 08.08.2025 -> extended until 12.08.2025 5 PM (Estonian time)
Shortlist published: 19.08.2025
Live judging and awards announced: 27.08.2025
