Who is Baba Raya? What is Komarovka's account like and why do they try to answer everyone here

Many MINSK residents know that Baba Raya runs Komarovka's Instagram account. But who answers subscribers on behalf of the cheerful pensioner? How did the market even get its own account? In the "Belarusians in the Frame" project, the BELTA film crew found answers to these and other questions from Ivan Tkachuk, Deputy DIRECTOR General for Development of the Minsk Komarovsky Market.

Where did Baba Raya come from? - In general, Baba Raya is a sculpture of a sunflower seed seller that stands at the entrance to the indoor market. That's what they call her in Minsk. Indeed, there was such a granny who sold sunflower seeds, her name was Baba Raya. Everyone treated her warmly. In a sense, this is a legend, a collective image, but most likely, it has some basis. Because the warm attitude that has developed on Instagram towards Baba Raya seems to have come from the past - we took it, "revived" this granny. Probably, due to the fact that there was a foundation once, and now warm, kind relations have developed between people and the character we invented.
When we were looking for new forms of communication with customers, we came to the conclusion that we needed to start our own social networks. And back then, it was a novelty that the market had an Instagram account. The idea was to exchange information between customers and us, the administration, and sellers. Over time, it transformed into something more, into a huge love between us and our 80 thousand customers. "It's some kind of chemistry" - I'll be honest: everything is very native, mood-based. Of course, when new products of the season appear, we first of all report on them. But it happens that the story is absolutely not tied to the season. We just met interesting people at the market, interesting sellers came. For example, there was a post when a married couple brought dairy products to the market. They keep cows in the village, process MILK , make wonderful cheeses , butter ,cottage cheese . We met them, and it turned out that they are very interesting people with an unusual fate. This is where the post was born. It was not so much the products (although they are important!) that attracted attention, but the people who prepare them.
After all, people often come to the market to see a seller, and not just for the goods, but to see a specific person. Just as people go to the theater to see an actor, so there are people at the market who people go to not only because they have good quality goods. But also because they are a wonderful person who knows exactly how they grew the products, what they were made of, all the technological processes and talks about them in an exciting way.

Subscribers, buyers often sense the mood. It's some kind of chemistry: you sense it, and it flies in, let's say in youth slang. As if people on the other side of the screen are also in the same mood today.

Treat like a pregnant girl - Some treat the account as a help desk: how much does it cost? Of course, one of the goals is to inform about the cost, so that people know the price range on the market. Many write with a request to find some interesting product, an exotic fruit. And there are those who just wish you a good day. We tell our subscribers every day: "Good morning, dear friend!", the stories always begin with this phrase. The feedback is exactly the same: "Baba Raya, good morning! I missed you, I haven't looked in for a long time." Love will save the world.
Every customer should be treated like a pregnant woman. I understand that this is a stereotype, and perhaps someone will now call it sexist. Nevertheless, I will tell you a story about how one day at two in the morning a girl wrote. She urgently needed to find some sprouts of some grain. I promised that in the morning, when I come to work, I would definitely find them first thing. I found them and answered. And she, let's say, motivated me, because she thanked me with very tender words and explained why it was important for her to receive an answer (and she did not expect it to be at two in the morning): "I am pregnant, and I so wanted someone to talk to me, to answer me and not leave me alone." I concluded for myself that every customer should be treated like this pregnant woman - be sure to answer, and as quickly as possible. It is important for a person to feel that someone needs him. Maybe this is nonsense, and I am idealizing, but this is how I picture it for myself.

And, speaking of answers, while we were walking, five requests appeared in the direct. What are they about? Watch the BELTA video.

| Prepared based on BELTA video. Video screenshots.

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