Executive Director, Brand and Innovation Kolle Rebbe
Andrew Mason
Media Operations Director, UK and EMEA Digitas
Michael Zeisler
Regional Director, Central Europe Pubmatic
While digital ad spending in Germany pulls in the largest share of spending—30.7%—TV and newspapers are close behind at about 25% each. eMarketer's Patricia Orsini and Sean Creamer spoke with agency executives about why traditional media stays strong even as digital makes inroads, and what is driving the shift of ad dollars to digital.
eMarketer:
Why do brands still like traditional media in Germany?
Andrew Mason:
The German market is driven by people wedded to tradition. They can be super-cautious, and they will do a lot of research, watching and waiting before they make a decision. That's one reason print is still massive in Germany. It's a fascinating marketplace.
Michael Zeisler:
For traditional brands, print magazines are still very popular. But, consumer habits are changing. The user is moving faster to digital than the media budgets are.
eMarketer:
How important is TV?
Andrew Mason:
From a consumer point of view, TV is still very important. And the advertising spend going into it is still big. One interesting stat to look at: The sales of larger-screen TVs are not declining. TVs are the modern day fireplace—they are still an important part of people's households.
A lot of brands like to use brand awareness ads to say, 'We are here, we are trustworthy, we are still a great brand.'
Tim Keller:
TV is still the most efficient channel in Germany. If you want to reach a bigger audience, it's important, and it's not going away.
A lot of brands like to use brand awareness ads to say, 'We are here, we are trustworthy, we are still a great brand.' Financial services comes to mind.
