“Investments in the first quarter indicated a 25 percent rise compared to the first three months of 2008, mainly due to gaining some large accounts at the end of last year. If we had not gained these accounts, we could have registered a 20 percent drop in revenues year-on-year,” Prajisteanu added. At the end of 2008, two new accounts entered MEC’s portfolio: Altex and Danone.
On the whole, the company official said that the media market fell by an annual 27 percent in the first quarter of 2009. “The biggest decline was on TV, outdoor, and cinema. We do not know for sure, but the online registered probably the lowest drop, if not even a slight increase,” Prajisteanu said.
The value of the Romanian media market amounted to some €590 mln in 2008, and players estimate a 15-30% percent drop this year. Major agencies operating on this market include Zenith Media, Initiative Media, MediaCom, and Media DirectionMedia Investment.
