Alfacont monitors data promoted on TV, radio, central newspapers, and magazines.
GSK, which did not make it into the top 10 in previous years, has two divisions in Romania, with different legal advertising permissions, according to the company’s Communications Manager, Liana Rusu. Thus, GSK Pharmaceutical is the one in charge of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, while GSK Healthcare provides some OTC drugs and healthcare products. “For most of the GSK Pharmaceuticals portfolio, we cannot have advertising in the general media, and investments in publicity for OTC (Eurovita, Vitamax, Paracetamol Sinus) were probably lower in the first quarter of 2009 than in the first quarter in 2008,” Rusu said. However, the healthcare division introduced several new products to Romania, and invested in products that were already on the market. Furthermore, according to Rusu, the actual funds invested by GSK in advertising are significantly below the rate-card calculated by Alfacont.
Meanwhile, seven of the top 10 advertisers registered significant decline in promotion spending in the first three months of 2009. Only three of them increased their budget for advertising.
Consumer goods producer Procter&Gamble leads the ranking with €37.8 million in advertising, the same as last year, but with a 42 percent drop in promotion expenses. Another major consumer goods producer, Unilever, ranks third, with €31 million, 38 percent lower year-on-year.
