advertising
March 12, 2010, 09:46 CET
Television ad revenue in Hungary drops 16% to Ft 60 billion in 2009
Television advertising revenue in Hungary fell 16pc to HUF 60bn in 2009, Valentin Nemeth, a senior consultant at Ernst and Young, said on Thursday. Revenue from advertising by national terrestrial broadcasters fell 21pc to HUF 48bn, while that of thematic... [read complete entry]
February 15, 2010, 11:23 CET
Hungary's first media surface auction site launched
A new website where media owners can auction off advertisement surfaces was launched recently, kreativ.hu reports. Founders of Mediafield.hu say it is Hungary's first media surface auction site. In addition to holding auctions, users will also have the option for... [read complete entry]
January 12, 2010, 04:20 CET
And the pixels at the very bottom of the screen are being sold by an agency in Patagonia
Here's a small but still interesting/weird story for anyone involved in the Hungarian media market: According to kreativ.hu, ad sales for the website of Hungary's most widely read political daily - nol.hu - will now be handled by the Adaptive... [read complete entry]
December 14, 2009, 10:23 CET
Survey finds few Hungarians tuning in to radio news
Three out of every four adult Hungarians listen to radio on a regular basis, while every eighth has the radio turned on for 4 to 6 hours daily, but few listen to the news, according to an Ipsos survey published... [read complete entry]
December 07, 2009, 09:03 CET
Mindshare wins Ft 600 million media contract from National Development Agency
Mindshare Media Agency has won an accelerated, closed tender to use HUF 600m in European Union funding to buy advertising and place announcements for the National Development Agency (NFU), the latest issue of the Public Procurement Gazette shows. Mindshare beat... [read complete entry]
December 03, 2009, 12:33 CET
Local management group buys Icelandic-owned printing firm
The management of Infopress Group (IPG) Hungary has purchased the company -- including its HUF 6bn printing plant near Budapest which started production in February -- from its Icelandic parent KVOS, IPG told MTI on Tuesday. IPG Hungary was bought... [read complete entry]
November 26, 2009, 09:58 CET
Online auction site Vatera.hu reaches million members via new ad campaign
Hungary's largest online auction site vatera.hu broke new records last week, as its number of registered users rose to over a million. The number of new users rose 67% in the period from October 12 to November 15 as the... [read complete entry]
November 24, 2009, 08:01 CET
Swiss outdoor advertising group Affichage selling Hungarian operations
Swiss outdoor advertising group Affichage is selling off two of its three Hungarian units as part of a broader divestiture of its international operations. According to napi.hu, the reorganization of the parent company APG is behind the sale of local... [read complete entry]
November 20, 2009, 10:49 CET
Media group CEMP takes control of regional text ad network Etarget
Central European Media & Publishing (CEMP) has purchased the remaining 20% of text ad network Etarget, reports napi.hu. According to the portal, CEMP bought 20% of Bratislava-based Etraget SE on November 12, thus becoming a 100% owner of the company,... [read complete entry]
November 17, 2009, 08:34 CET
Commercial channel TV2 projects big fall in revenue for this year
Commercial television channel TV2 projects a revenue fall of 17pc or HUF 4bn for 2009, the business daily Napi Gazdasag reported on Monday, quoting commercial manager Krisztian Kovacs. Mr Kovacs said the company's turnover moved in line with the trend... [read complete entry]
November 03, 2009, 09:31 CET
Online auction site Vatera launches offline marketing blitz
Leading Hungarian auction portal Vatera.hu has launched a "guerrilla" marketing campaign to raise awareness of its service, writes kreativ.hu. Five companies were invited by Vatera to pitch for the job, which was one by a new firm called Cluso. The... [read complete entry]
November 03, 2009, 09:05 CET
Survey finds most Hungarian newspapers losing readers
National dailies in Hungary had fewer readers in the second half of last year than during the same period three years before, a survey on the Hungarian media market revealed. Only tabloid Blikk had a camp or readers over one... [read complete entry]
October 27, 2009, 09:47 CET
Hungarian agencies hit jackpot in Full Tilt Poker regional ad bid
Leading global gaming website Full Tilt Poker has chosen two Hungarian agencies to execute its East European campaign, writes kreative.hu. Coordination of the initial campaign in Eastern Europe will be the task of Young and Rubicam Budapest, while the regional... [read complete entry]
October 09, 2009, 12:12 CET
Public TV broadcasters spending billions to scare away viewers
While Hungarian Television (MTV) now trails in third place in the race for Hungarian teevee viewers, it spends billions of forints more on programs than ratings leaders RTL Klub and second-place TV2, writes index.hu. Last year, RTL Klub spent an... [read complete entry]
October 06, 2009, 09:25 CET
Hungary's ad market may drop by 20% this year. Sounds like a good start!
A recent conference held by the Hungarian Advertising Association seems to have been the occasion for a major round of doom-mongering and bellyaching by those in the domestic ad business. And for good reason: the numbers are just awful. While... [read complete entry]
September 30, 2009, 10:05 CET
Est Media joins bidding for nationwide-wide radio broadcast frequencies
A consortium of Est Media Group (EMG) and its radio station radiocafe 98.6 on Monday submitted a bid for one of Hungary's two country-wide broadcast frequencies, the companies' parent, econet.hu, said late on Monday. If the FM1 Consortium wins the... [read complete entry]
September 17, 2009, 11:09 CET
Groups sign updated code of advertising ethics
Twenty-six professional organisations signed an updated form of the Hungarian Advertising Code of Ethics on Wednesday. The code, established in 1981, has been updated six times. The last update was made in 2005. The number of organisations signing the code... [read complete entry]
September 14, 2009, 03:21 CET
CEEMS Marketing summit to be held in Budapest on Sept. 22/23
For the third time Stamford Global is organizing the CEEMS summit series, the largest gathering of Marketing professionals in the region in English. The summit’s theme this year is "The Downturn’s New Rule for Marketers." The aim of the conference... [read complete entry]
August 11, 2009, 10:22 CET
Sziget Festival aims to replace falling sponsor revenues with higher ticket sales
The Sziget Festival, an annual week-long musical extravaganza on an island in the Danube is expected to cost HUF 2.5bn this year, about the same as in 2008, however, sponsor fees have decreased to HUF 440m in 2009 from HUF... [read complete entry]
August 07, 2009, 10:01 CET
Hungarian shoppers favoring cheaper, less-advertised brands
Value-based turnover on less-advertised and generally less-expensive product brands increased 2.8pc yr/yr in the first four months of 2009, while that for more-advertised, generally more-expensive brands decreased 9pc during that period, market-research company GfK revealed in its most recent analysis.... [read complete entry]
August 04, 2009, 09:44 CET
Hungarian ad market contracts 7.5% in first half of '09, TNS reports
Ad sales in Hungary fell 7.5% in the first half of the year, with the largest drop experienced by cable TV stations and the printed press, Napi Gazdaság writes, citing a fresh survey by TNS Media Intelligence. The number of... [read complete entry]
June 09, 2009, 10:36 CET
E-mail newsletter launch suggests printed program guides increasingly uncool
According to mediainfo.hu, Budapest has just joined a group of eight European cities getting the "Le Cool" weekly e-mail newsletter. The free "e-magazine" offers tips on concerts, exhibitions, dining and other related fare. The tone is informal, and the publisher... [read complete entry]
June 04, 2009, 10:24 CET
Competition office fines Austrian retailer Intersport for misleading ads
Hungary's Competition Office (GVH) on Wednesday said it fined Austria's Intersport HUF 5m for advertising bigger discounts than it actually delivered at its stores in Hungary. Between June 2007 and July 2008, Intersport advertised an "original" price and a discounted... [read complete entry]
May 26, 2009, 09:19 CET
State-owned Hungarian Development Bank awards Ft 180 million media tender
Mindshare Mediaugynokseg has won a HUF 180m media planner tender called by the state-owned Hungarian Development Bank (MFB), the latest issue of the Public Procurement Gazette shows. The tender was an accelerated negotiated procedure. Mindshare Mediaugynokseg is owned by Ogilvy... [read complete entry]
May 26, 2009, 09:18 CET
Competition heats up over television rights to Hungarian football championship
Digi TV, the Romanian cable company owned by Hungarian-born businessman Zoltán Teszári, is close to bagging a contract offered by the Hungarian Soccer Association (MLSZ) to broadcast the Hungarian football championship in 2010-2011, kreativ.hu reports. Digi, which is about to... [read complete entry]
May 18, 2009, 10:27 CET
Radio ad spend plummets in Hungary as companies focus on "big media"
Spending on radio advertising plunged HUF 1bn -- about one-third of total spending for radio spots -- in January-April because of the economic crisis, business daily Vilaggazdasag reported on Friday. Ad revenue has fallen so sharply that some of Hungary's... [read complete entry]
April 28, 2009, 09:44 CET
Hungarian news media divided on mysterious closure of news portal
Hungary's market for online news last week lost one of its most promising new entrants, with the sudden shutdown of portal zoom.hu, which in its one year of operation had zoomed to upwards of 200,000 unique users a week. But... [read complete entry]
April 20, 2009, 08:58 CET
Hungary TV ad revenue rises marginally, radio slumps in '08
Revenue from television advertising in Hungary grew a slight 2pc to HUF 71.5bn in 2008, director of the Business Consulting division of the Hungarian unit of Ernst and Young Istvan Nagy said at a press conference on Friday, citing an... [read complete entry]
April 16, 2009, 10:27 CET
Much-delayed media law reaches dead end in Parliament
Any hope of enacting new media legislation in Hungary faded away on Wednesday as the main opposition party Fidesz withdrew its support for a bill based on a compromise by the country's five parliamentary parties.... [read complete entry]
April 09, 2009, 12:05 CET
Office in charge of handing out EU cash hands out EU cash to promote handing out EU cash
Despite all the gloomy talk about austerity, it's business as usual at the National Development Agency (NFÜ), the state body mostly known for handing out mostly EU-sourced cash to businesses across Hungary. According to various sources, the NFÜ has just... [read complete entry]
April 07, 2009, 12:13 CET
Hungarian online ad network slashes prices, citing crisis
Hungary's CTnetwork, which focuses on cost-per-click (CPC) online advertising, has moved to cut its list prices by more than 30% due to the ongoing economic crisis, mediainfo.hu reports.... [read complete entry]
March 17, 2009, 09:31 CET
Top Hungarian TV channels earn record income in '08
Hungary's top two commercial TV channels, RTL Klub and TV2, both reported record turnover last year in the face of global economic turmoil, fn.hu reports.... [read complete entry]
March 12, 2009, 09:25 CET
March 09, 2009, 08:06 CET
Experts warn of catastrophic '09 for Hungarian media market
Some executives at local media agencies believe that the Hungarian ad market could suffer up to a 20% overall decline in 2009, as an ongoing fall in ad spends accelerates due to the larger economy's continuing woes, napi.hu reports. At... [read complete entry]
March 03, 2009, 08:59 CET
Forward Digital takes Ringier award for best online "appearance"
Advertising agency Forward Digital Works has bagged the award for this year's "Online Appearance of the Year", which was given out for the third year as part of the Ringier Népszabadság Awards, HR site BTL.hu reports.... [read complete entry]
March 02, 2009, 09:39 CET
Stricter tobacco advertising regulations in force from Sunday
Tobacco advertising regulations in Hungary became stricter as of March 1, meeting EU demands. Advertisements can now only be displayed at sales points, and brand names can only be promoted with health warnings.... [read complete entry]
February 13, 2009, 10:44 CET
SHOCKER! Competition authorities may bless "unholy marriage" of country's top tabs
For large foreign businesses operating in Hungary, the country's Competition Office (GVH) can be a major pain in the behind, coming down hard on firms it suspects of engaging in anti-competitive or monopolistic behavior, or of just being too big.... [read complete entry]
February 11, 2009, 09:57 CET
Hungarian ad spend grew by 8.6% in 2008, TNS says
Hungary's advertising market expanded 8.6pc to almost HUF 599bn in 2008, TNS Media Intelligence said on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
January 20, 2009, 07:05 CET
Competition Office fines Tesco, Spar and Cora for misleading advertising
Hungary's Competition Office (GVH) on Monday said it fined supermarket chains Tesco, Spar and Cora a combined HUF 14m for misleading advertising.... [read complete entry]
January 13, 2009, 08:41 CET
Millenáris media tender attracts only one bidder
Only one agency decided to offer a bid for cultural center Millenáris' media tender, Kreativ.hu wrote. Since the bid was found to be agreeable, a two-year contract has since been signed.... [read complete entry]
January 09, 2009, 02:26 CET
€14 glossy quarterly bravely bucks publishing trends
While we continue to believe that print media is on its way out, there are always fresh surprises lying in wait, such as flagship daily Népszabadság's recent decision to launch a Sunday edition. And while the most successful print publications... [read complete entry]
December 30, 2008, 10:39 CET
Gov't to spend Ft 300 million on financial crisis media campaign
The government will spend 300 million forints (EUR 1.3m) on a media campaign to present the effects of the global crisis on Hungary to the general public, government spokeswoman Bernadett Budai said on Monday.... [read complete entry]
December 18, 2008, 12:15 CET
Online ad spend seen growing up to 35% in Hungary in '08 as print, TV stagnate
Although the Hungarian media market as a whole is stagnating, online and interactive media continued to see rapid growth, media association (MRSZ) board member Judit Skriba told business weekly hvg.... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2008, 11:17 CET
Hungarian mineral water leader "dilutes" brand with new skin cream
Szentkirályi, one of Hungary's leading mineral water brands, is launching a new line of skincare products, reports business daily Napi Gazdaság. The new products, jointly developed with chemicals company EVM, will be known as Vizek Krémje (The Cream of Waters).... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2008, 10:28 CET
Budapest to increase fees for use of public spaces in 2009
The use of public spaces in Budapest for temporary markets, restaurant terraces, advertising surfaces and other uses will become more expensive next year, with the new proceeds going to help enforcement operations, mayor's office spokesman Krisztián Nyári said earlier this... [read complete entry]
December 09, 2008, 11:48 CET
Salaries drop for Hungarian "admen," but top executives still commanding big packages
While salaries in the field of communications and advertising in Hungary have been under pressure for several years, top managers are still making a good living, writes Kreatív Online, based on results of a survey carried out by Hewitt Associates... [read complete entry]
December 05, 2008, 02:13 CET
Free Budapest newspaper discontinued
Local Budapest free newspaper Szuperinfó has ceased publication, kreativ.hu reports. At the root of the newspaper's demise is the new strategic partnership between Expressz Magyarország and Budapesti Piac Marketing (BPM).... [read complete entry]
November 27, 2008, 11:44 CET
Blog.hu cashes in with advertising
One of Hungary's leading blog providers, Index.hu's Blog.hu, is no longer advertisement free, reports Kreatív Online. Users have the option of choosing between keeping their blogs banner free or allowing Index to display advertisements on half of the page impressions... [read complete entry]
November 25, 2008, 11:06 CET
Hungary's leading daily to launch Sunday edition just in time for print to disappear
While newspaper companies in much of the world are retrenching in the face of the global slowdown and the migration of readers and advertising to the internet, the local unit of Swiss publishing giant Ringier is turning the conventional wisdom... [read complete entry]
November 21, 2008, 12:08 CET
YouTube begins serving ads targeting Hungarians
Advertisements on popular streaming video website YouTube will now be geographically targeted, kreativ.hu announced. From now on, advertisements can go online that will only target Hungarian audiences.... [read complete entry]
November 17, 2008, 11:06 CET
PR campaign by State Opera draws kudos, police crackdown
A recent PR campaign organized by the State Opera House to promote a modern version of Bizet's "Carmen" was so successful it was almost shut down by the police, reports deluxe.hu. As part of the campaign, hostesses dressed as policewomen... [read complete entry]
November 12, 2008, 01:07 CET
TV stations bow to agency pressure over demand forecasts
Hungary's two national commercial TV channels have agreed to implement changes to their demand-based practice of pricing slots for commercials in response to an ongoing campaign by media agencies to increase transparency.... [read complete entry]
November 11, 2008, 05:23 CET
Hungarian online advertising market grows by 30% in first three quarters
Hungary's online advertising market grew by 30pc in Q1-Q3 2008, the internet site origo, a member of online advertising index MOHI reported on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
November 11, 2008, 10:27 CET
Students to be targeted by classroom marketing
Media agency Iskolamarketing (School Marketing) is planning to offer free folders to university students as advertising space, reports Kreatív Online. Distribution of the folders, which will contain a calendar and a school schedule, will start at Budapest's higher education institutions... [read complete entry]
November 10, 2008, 02:26 CET
Anti-establishment outlaw becomes favored marketing tool of Hungarian establishment
Via Hungarian media and adverting trademag Kreatív Online I see that third-place mobile provider Vodafone has launched a new campaign featuring mythical English bandit Robin Hood and 19th-century Hungarian highwayman and agrarian socialist revolutionary Sándor Rózsa to promote new discounts... [read complete entry]
November 06, 2008, 09:42 CET
Plus fined and Match warned for misleading advertisements
The Competition Office (GVH) recently investigated two grocery chains over misleading consumers. Both Plus and Match were found to be advertising sales without stocking any or enough of the discounted items. Plus was issued a Ft 5 million (roughly €20,000)... [read complete entry]
November 04, 2008, 09:21 CET
Budapest launches new winter tourism campaign
State tourism promotion agency Magyar Turizmus is organising its third winter season campaign to attract tourists to Budapest, changing the name from last year's Budapest Winter Invasion to Budapest Winter Invitation. Participating hotels offer discounts on overnight stays.... [read complete entry]
October 29, 2008, 01:18 CET
Study finds Hungarian television market more developed than regional peers
Hungary is one of Central Europe's best-developed television markets, with more national TV channels than the much larger Poland, writes Világgazdaság, based on data collected by the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO).... [read complete entry]
September 24, 2008, 08:18 CET
Ad market set to jump 5%-6% this year, despite consumption slowdown
Hungary's advertising industry is expected to expand 5-6pc to HUF 220bn this year, in spite of a slowdown in consumption growth, Hungarian Advertising Association head Balint Nagy said at a conference in Eger on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
September 17, 2008, 10:08 CET
Electro World fined for misleading advertising
Hungary's Competition Office (GVH) on Tuesday said it fined electronics retailer Electro World HUF 5m for misleading advertising.... [read complete entry]
September 09, 2008, 11:18 CET
New telecom law only forbids spamming of private individuals
The Hungary's National Telecommunications Authority (Nemzeti Hírközlési Hatóság; NHH) currently must investigate spam complaints submitted by private individuals only, not companies, according to new laws effective as of September 1. The rules on advertisements which can be sent only with... [read complete entry]
July 28, 2008, 03:45 CET
Online direct marketer LightMail enjoys succesful year
The company helps small and medium sized enterprises reach potential customers through targeted advertising with a high success rate. [read complete entry]
July 28, 2008, 12:13 CET
New legislation redraws boundaries for direct marketing
Hungary's new law on advertising, to become effective September 1, will raise the price of direct marketing for advertisers, but will place considerably less of a burden on them than a previously considered version, writes Napi.hu (subscriber only). The new... [read complete entry]
June 12, 2008, 12:52 CET
Ad spend projected to break €850 million this year, online nearing 10% of total
Mediaedge:cia is projecting that ad spend by companies will reach Ft 214 billion (€856 million) this year in Hungary, writes index.hu. As in the past, television will grab a major chunk of overall spending, and 85% of revenue will remain... [read complete entry]
June 10, 2008, 11:28 CET
Many changes in store with new advertising law
The new advertising law passed yesterday will dramatically change the way Hungarians can receive information, and also restrict the advertisement of products that have been deemed harmful in some way. [read complete entry]
May 23, 2008, 03:05 CET
Hungarians passive when it comes to sexism in advertising
Compared to other European nations, Hungarians are rare to voice their displeasure with an advertisement they find objectionable. [read complete entry]
May 22, 2008, 04:06 CET
Government increased public relations budget
Last week, the government decided to allocate Ft 2.6 billion (€11 million) in funds toward public relations, ">napi.hu reports. The original 2008 budget allocated Ft 1 billion, but the government added the additional sum, taking the funds from their communication... [read complete entry]
May 08, 2008, 02:07 CET
The Hungarian tax authorities love you!
Are Hungary's monstrously high tax rates, bewilderingly complex and constantly-changing tax rates, and imperious tax inspectors making you hate on the APEH? Well, if it's any consolation, the Hungarian state tax office wants you to know that they actually love... [read complete entry]
May 06, 2008, 03:12 CET
Domestic mineral water bottlers splash out for foreign stars
Just a month after it was revealed that leading Hungarian mineral water brand was hiring Portuguese football star Luís Figo to be their new pitchman, there are reports of another two deals between purveyors of bottled H20 in Hungary and... [read complete entry]
April 30, 2008, 11:45 CET
Hungarian Internet surfers increasingly "modern" but bloggers remain an oddity
A pair of recent surveys of Internet usage in Hungary reveals that, while Hungarians are increasingly "modern" in their use of the web, the country lags badly in one key area. The most recent survey of Hungarian Internet use by... [read complete entry]
April 28, 2008, 11:10 CET
Hungarian TV ad spend rose, radio dropped in 2007
Advertisers continued to pile into Hungary's TV market last year, while radio ad spend declined, a survey compiled by Ernst & Young for the Hungarian Broadcasting Association revealed. According to inforadio.hu, the total market for radio and TV rose by... [read complete entry]
March 18, 2008, 08:40 CET
MindShare wins Magyar Posta media buying contract
The Hungarian office of global branding company MindShare has won a media buying tender with Magyar Posta. [read complete entry]
February 15, 2008, 10:32 CET
Clear Channel-Outdoor wins Ferihegy advertising contract
A consortium led by U.S. advertising giant Clear Channel has won a contract to sell the advertising surfaces of Ferihegy Airport. [read complete entry]
February 06, 2008, 11:15 CET
NGOs turn to illegal spam to solicit for income tax donations
Running on low budgets and desperate for hand-outs, non-governmental organizations have been increasingly resorting to unsolicited e-mails to persuade taxpayers to give away 1% of their income tax as a donation, Menezsdment Fórum reports.... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2008, 11:42 CET
Hungarian government to launch pro-reform ad campaign
The Hungarian government will spend €3 million on an advertising campaign to promote its reform plans, ahead of a referendum that could spell doom for key reforms in health care and education. [read complete entry]
January 11, 2008, 12:00 CET
Massive changes in store for Hungarian online advertising market
The Hungarian online advertising market, while experiencing continued growth, is set to undergo changes as traditional advertising methods give way to newer means of reaching target audiences. [read complete entry]