〽️ Russian Advertising Market Slows Its Pace

According to a study by the communication group Okkam, total advertiser spend across traditional media channels (television, internet, out-of-home, radio, and print) rose 4% year-over-year to reach 560.3 billion rubles, excluding VAT.

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising emerged as the primary growth driver among traditional channels, expanding by 10% to 59.4 billion rubles. The digital segment grew by 3%, reaching 333.1 billion rubles. Television revenues ticked up to 151.3 billion rubles, radio rose to 13.9 billion rubles, while print media remained flat at 2.5 billion rubles. Other major industry players (notably ADV Group) offered similar estimates for traditional channels, reporting growth ranges between 2% and 8% depending on the sector.

The e-commerce and retail media segments present a strikingly different picture. Incorporating e-commerce into the broader mix pushes the overall market’s H1 2026 growth rate up to 7–13%, with retail media alone surging by 20–25%.

Businesses are showing a clear trend toward rationalization: amid subdued consumer demand, advertisers are prioritizing tools that offer measurable return on investment (ROI) and a direct link to sales. Performance marketing, video advertising, and marketplace promotion are seeing the largest influx of funds. Furthermore, the bulk of this investment is driven by major corporations, whereas marketing spend among small and medium-sized businesses remains stagnant.

For full-year 2026, Okkam and Rodnaya Rech Communication Group project traditional market growth of up to 5% (reaching 1 trillion rubles), rising to 20–22% when factoring in e-commerce. Group4Media offers an even more optimistic outlook for the total market—including all digital and trade platforms—forecasting 15% growth to 1.7 trillion rubles.