EGYPT
2017 is definitely a year of change for traditional media advertising.
Unlike every other year, advertising hasn’t witnessed any tangible increases in traditional media; print declined significantly in 2017, whereas TV only increased by 5% despite the launch of two big networks, DMC and ON. Radio has the highest increase across the traditional media platforms with 15%. NRJ launch has contributed to this increase. The same as every year, the telecommunications category has led the advertising race, especially with the entry of the new local player WE that formed around 70% of the total category spend since launch. Carbonated soft drinks used to be the top contributor to TV advertising alongside telco, but not anymore in 2017. CSD has shifted most of their budgets to online, which justifies the huge decrease in TV advertising. Pepsi has dropped traditional media significantly in 2017, contrary to previous years where Pepsi used to have the TOM ads, mainly from TV advertising. For the second year in a row, real estate shifts most of their advertising budgets to TV instead of print. The leading player Mountain View started it in Ramadan 2016 and is still one of the top 10 advertisers 2017. Banking & finance still allocates their main budgets on print, mainly local governmental banks e.g. National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr and Housing & Development Bank. Banking is followed by cars, which mainly advertised in print in 2017, leaving a small share for radio. Radio represented a common ground for top advertisers of both TV & print. Banks & telecoms are the top radio advertising categories. As the market enters 2018 with caution and speculation on how the media scene will go, in light of the numerous challenges that the Egyptian market is facing, e.g. lack of media insights, budget cut-offs, the digital effect on traditional media and many others, we will be waiting to analyze and identify the new trends and strategies resulting from an interesting 2018.