The volume of advertising placed in printed media products in Romania reached EUR 30 million in March this year, up 22 percent on the previous month, according to a study by the Romanian Audit Bureau of Circulation (BRAT). The value was calculated based on ratecard prices, while the actual sales prices are usually discounted. Around 40 percent of the amount went to promoting media products or cultural events, while 11 percent was covered by classifieds ads.

Most of the advertising – 80 percent - went to publications sold on news stands, with only 20 percent placed in free media products. Mobile telecoms, cars, alcoholic beverages, banking services, face care products were the main products and services which advertised the most in the Romanian print media in March this year. The clients which invested the most in print media advertising during this period were Vodafone, Orange, Heineken Romania, L'Oreal, Beiersdorf AG.

Sports newspapers took 20 percent of the advertising budgets, followed by business publications, women magazine and tabloids. Gazeta Sporturilor was the only newspaper having exceeded EUR 1 million in advertising – based on ratecard prices – in March this year. It was followed by Adevarul de Seara Bucharest, Ziarul Financiar, Adevarul and Romania Libera.

The BRAT study monitored 202 publications belonging to 57 publishers. 13 advertising agencies and two media sales houses have access to the results of the study.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com