Advertising in Russia - statistics & facts
Russia has the largest advertising market in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with an expenditure of 9.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The past decade saw a rise in digital advertising. Spending on online ads surpassed television commercials in 2018 and has continued to grow even during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The war in Ukraine had a dramatic impact on the advertising industry, as numerous Western brands suspended investment and marketing activities in Russia. As a result, Russia's advertising spending shrank by more than 10 percent in 2022.
The Russian advertising market has been recovering and seeing increasing budgets in most segments. While the growth of online advertising drives the market, significant inflation rates remain a challenge.
Traditional advertising trends
Most traditional advertising segments grew in 2023. The TV advertising segment, particularly hit by the exit of Western advertisers, was estimated to have grown by 20 percent in 2023, with domestic companies having the largest budgets. To compare, radio advertising saw an almost 33-percent increase in 2023, which was the highest figure in the past two decades. Out-of-home (OOH) ad spending also reached a peak value in 2023. Moreover, traditional OOH revenue in the country was forecast to increase in the following years until 2029. At the same time, the expenditure on print media advertising has been in decline in recent years.Leading advertising agencies in Russia
In terms of media buying volume, Russia's leading media agency was OMD Optimum Media, at around 28.3 billion Russian rubles in 2023. SberMarketing and Media Instinct had the second- and third-highest billing volumes, respectively. Non-media advertising agencies, which do not appeal to the mainstream media such as television, radio, press, cinema, and billboards but instead focus on direct marketing and sponsorships, are also popular in Russia. With a score of 8,703 out of the maximum 10,000 points in 2023, the Kokoc Group was the leading non-media digital agency, followed by Digital Twiga. In the spring of 2022, Russian branches of several international advertising agencies separated from their global businesses due to the war in Ukraine. For example, GroupM changed its name to Group4Media, and its agencies Mindshare, Mediacom, and Wavemaker were renamed Mediamind, Mediasystem, and Mediamaker, respectively.The Russian advertising market has been recovering and seeing increasing budgets in most segments. While the growth of online advertising drives the market, significant inflation rates remain a challenge.
