MAX Messenger Begins Testing Ads in Channels

The Market Watches the Expansion of Formats

Dmitry Gulyaev, CEO of the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC), noted that advertising has appeared in MAX before — but only in the format of authors' posts in channels. Now the platform is moving to full-fledged ad inventory.

"Expanding ad inventory is a logical step in the platform's development. It will allow entrepreneurs to find their audience, grow the recognition of their channels, and promote goods and services," Gulyaev concluded.

For the advertising market, the launch means the appearance of a new major distribution channel within the VK ecosystem. Targeting user categories through the Discovery platform is already a proven mechanism: it is used in other services of the company.

Audience and State Functions

User statistics reinforce the platform's potential as an advertising venue. On September 15, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko stated that more than 9 million people use the MAX messenger's digital ID. According to him, citizens are interested in using such capabilities.

The government plans to expand the app's functionality. As Grigorenko noted, the state now intends to introduce digital documents into MAX — primarily driver's licenses and birth certificates.

What's Next

The test mode leaves key questions open for advertisers: ad formats, the payment model, inventory volumes, and moderation rules. MAX representatives promised to reveal details upon the full-scale launch — the company did not name a timeline.

Channel advertising at the start points to the platform's strategy: first MAX builds up its internal audience economy by increasing subscriber engagement, and only then opens access to external advertisers. This scenario repeats the path of classic social networks and reduces the risk of user churn during the period of adjustment to the advertising load.