Russian Online Ad Market Doubles

FEBRUARY 14, 2008


The Russian online advertising market is projected to reach $685 million in 2008, after doubling in 2007 to $369 million, according to Mindshare Interaction.

The results surpass previous predictions, according to an article in the Russian daily Kommersant.

Video International analytical center, which is a research division of the largest Russian ad agency, estimated last September that Internet media advertising in Russia in 2007 would amount to 4.1 billion rubles (about $164 million, counting VAT). ZenithOptimedia estimated it at 4.32 billion rubles (about $171 million, counting VAT).

More than half of 2007 Russian online ad spending went to search and contextual ads, while 43% went to online display ads.

The two largest Russian Internet companies, Yandex and Rambler, dominate the market, accounting for 63% of all online ad spending. Google, by comparison, earned less than 3% of the total online ad market and about 5% of the contextual advertising market.

The majority of top advertisers in Russia came from the mobile telecommunications, automaker, technology and consumer goods sectors. Automakers were the biggest spenders with a quarter of total spend.