The Remarkable Story of Aleksandr Alimov: How the Creator of Multilanding and Hypersegmentation Changed the Game in Marketing

From Pokémon Pogs to Multilanding: The Success Story of Aleksandr Alimov

Once upon a time, Aleksandr Alimov was a schoolboy from a small village in Russia, dreaming of building a business. He started by selling Pokémon pogs, then created an SMS-based bus schedule service, and a few years later, his ideas transformed an entire industry.

This isn't a movie plot—it's the real-life story of a man who invented multilanding and hypersegmentation, which became the new standard in marketing. Aleksandr Alimov's journey is a testament to how perseverance and a deep understanding of the market can lead to a revolution. Let's dive into how it all happened.

The Beginning: From School Projects to First Business

Aleksandr Alimov grew up in a small village near a provincial town in Russia and showed an entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. His first steps in business were simple, but even then, they hinted at his future strategy: identifying problems and offering solutions. In school, he started by selling Pokémon chips and later came up with a project that helped villagers receive up-to-date bus schedules via SMS. This was his first experience using technology to solve everyday problems.

The next step for Aleksandr was creating an online library featuring biographies of authors, celebrities, and writers. Even as a high school student, he learned to monetize his projects by selling links on the library's pages to SEO specialists. This was his first foray into SEO, which later became the foundation of his marketing career.

In 2009, Alimov took another leap by founding the advertising agency "Union of SEO Specialists." The company started providing search engine optimization services but quickly expanded to include search engine and social media advertising. Even then, Aleksandr understood that advertising costs would rise and sought ways to make it more effective. This became the starting point for his future innovations, which would revolutionize the marketing industry.

The Birth of an Idea: Multilanding and Hypersegmentation

While working at his advertising agency, Aleksandr Alimov actively studied ways to improve website conversion rates. He conducted dozens of experiments, analyzing what factors influenced the effectiveness of landing pages. The key factor turned out to be the headlines on the first screen of the page. Simply changing the headline could increase or decrease conversion by 30–40%. However, the real breakthrough came when Alimov realized that if the headline on the landing page matched the ad the user clicked on, the effectiveness would multiply. This gave birth to the idea of "multilanding"—landing pages that automatically adapt to the parameters of advertising campaigns and ads. This not only increased conversion rates but also made advertising more personalized. From multilanding emerged the concept of "traffic hypersegmentation," which describes the process of setting up such advertising campaigns.

The first prototype of multilanding pages was implemented on the websites of Alimov's agency clients, and the results exceeded all expectations. Conversion rates increased severalfold, proving that the idea worked. This became the foundation for the creation of Yagla, which later evolved into one of the most innovative advertising platforms on the market.

Yagla: From Startup to Recognition

After creating the multilanding prototype, Aleksandr Alimov founded Yagla, a company whose name was designed to be memorable—even if people mispronounced it. Early successes followed quickly: Yagla won a local startup competition, "Startup Sabantuy," and then made it into the top 10 at the international WebReady competition, which featured around 2,500 teams. This gave Alimov the opportunity to pitch to investors at Skolkovo (Russia's "Silicon Valley," a modern science and technology innovation hub in Moscow) and secure initial funding from RWM Capital. Later, Alexey Dovzhikov, founder of eLama (part of Yandex), joined as an investor, seeing Yagla's potential to revolutionize advertising.

Alimov actively promoted his ideas by speaking at marketing conferences such as SPIК (St. Petersburg Internet Conference), "Days of Internet Advertising," and RIF (Russian Internet Forum). His terms "multilanding" and "hypersegmentation" quickly became a part of marketers' vocabulary. Moreover, major website builders such as Tilda, LPgenerator, and LpMotor began integrating multilanding features, confirming the concept's relevance.

Alimov's concepts became so popular that entire advertising agencies emerged, specializing in launching campaigns based on the "hypersegmentation" framework. His approaches became the new standard in advertising, used by both startups and major market players.

The Book "Traffic Hypersegmentation" and Industry Recognition

Aleksandr Alimov authored the book Traffic Hypersegmentation, which quickly became a must-read for marketers. In it, he detailed his methodology, supported by real-world case studies and practical examples. The book not only explained how hypersegmentation works but also showed how to apply its principles to boost the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

The publication received widespread recognition in the professional community. Insales, a platform owned by Sber (Russia's largest bank), called it the "#1 book that will change your approach to business." Pressfeed Magazine, a popular Russian publication for journalists and PR specialists, included it in its list of three essential books on marketing and PR, while the email service Unisender ranked it alongside works by marketing gurus such as Philip Kotler and Phil Barden.

The book not only solidified Alimov's authority as an expert but also influenced the development of the entire industry. His concept, outlined in the book, became the basis for new standards in marketing, and hypersegmentation became a must-have tool in modern advertising strategies. For many marketers, Alimov's book became a starting point for mastering new approaches to traffic management.

The Deal with Kokoc Group and a New Career Chapter

Yagla's success didn't go unnoticed. Major players in the Russian market, including Yandex, Gazprom Media, and Tochka Bank, expressed interest in the company. However, Alimov saw the greatest synergy in an offer from Kokoc Group, a company specializing in advertising technologies. In 2017, the deal was finalized, and Yagla merged with one of Kokoc Group's key platforms—Vitamin.tools.

After the deal, Alexey Dovzhikov, an investor in Yagla and founder of eLama, wrote: "Aleksandr approaches business not as a sprint but as an ultramarathon that he runs with confidence. Yagla started as a tool to improve website conversion through hypersegmentation. Then it evolved into a full-fledged advertising ecosystem including tools, media, and courses. Eventually, Yagla was acquired by Kokoc Group. I believe Aleksandr will create a unicorn in the future, as I see immense potential in him."

Aleksandr Alimov took on the role of Marketing Director in the new structure and quickly became one of the key drivers of the company's growth. This helped Vitamin.tools rise from the top 20 to the top 3 of Russia's largest advertising platforms in just two years. The company's revenue grew fivefold in the first year after the merger and another 2.5 times in the second year, exceeding $150 million ARR.

For these achievements, Alimov was recognized as one of the best marketing directors for online platforms by the Association of Top Managers and the prominent Russian business publication Kommersant. His contributions to the industry were acknowledged not only within the company but across the entire sector. Aleksandr continued to influence the market by heading the Internet Marketing Committee at the Marketing Federation, where he worked on developing industry standards and educational initiatives.

Market Impact and Future Prospects

Aleksandr Alimov never stopped at business success. He became an active participant in industry associations like RAEC (Russian Association for Electronic Communications) and the Marketing Federation. Within these organizations, he worked on developing standards, conducting research, and launching educational initiatives aimed at advancing the advertising market.

Today, Aleksandr continues to shape the market, remaining one of the key figures in marketing. His experience and innovative approach fuel expectations of new breakthroughs. What's next for Alimov? Judging by his track record, he won't stop at what he's achieved. His potential for creating new innovations is immense, and perhaps his next project will be another step toward changing the rules of the game in whatever industry he turns his attention to.