Foreign Firms Explore Resuming Advertising on Russian Television
Western firms that were once among Russia’s top advertisers before 2021 and suspended their marketing activity in 2022 are now reaching out to the National Advertising Alliance (NAA) to enquire about current advertising conditions on federal TV channels, Vedomosti reports, citing sources at two major advertising groups. Similar enquiries from South Korean companies were also noted by two other advertising agencies.
The NAA, is one of the key players in the Russian media advertising market, and controls over 90% of TV advertising sales in Russia.
A representative of the NAA, without naming specific brands, confirmed to the publication that a number of foreign companies are indeed exploring advertising pricing and conditions. However, these enquiries are preliminary and exploratory: the companies are trying to understand what opportunities and formats for interaction exist.
According to experts, substantive discussion on resuming marketing activity on Russian television will begin after signals emerge about the easing of anti-Russian sanctions by the states that are the main jurisdictions for advertisers – a scenario still uncertain due to the geopolitical situation.
Following recent improvements in diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States under President Donald Trump, discussions about the possible return of foreign brands to the Russian market have intensified. In February, the Union of Shopping Centres mentioned unofficial negotiations regarding a potential return of Inditex Group (the parent company of Zara, Massimo Dutti, etc). French car company Renault may consider the possibility of returning in the future, but this is unlikely for now, say its senior managers. Swedish brand H&M stated that it currently has no plans to resume operations in Russia.