Research in Physical Education, Sport and Health
2014, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 139-142
ISSN(Print):1857-8152; ISSN(Online):1857-8160
MEDIA IN MACEDONIA AND THEIR IMPACT ON CONSUMER ATTITUDES
FOR CERTAIN BRANDS IN THE MARKET
UDC:316.774(497.7)
(Original scientific paper)
Snezana Ristevska - Jovanovska
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Economics, Skopje, Macedonia
Abstract
In Macedonia there are many different types of media that companies can use to get their message to
the audience. Television, as a traditional medium, has the greatest impact on consumer attitudes about a
particular brand by raising their awareness of its existence in the market. But the social networks also
have a great contemporary significance on younger consumers. Macedonia is a country with the largest
number of television stations per capita. But if your goal is to build a positive attitude between potential
consumers aged 20-40 years (especially between the female population), according to this paper, then it
is the best to use the following media: (1) Internet (2) television (3) outdoor advertising (4) print media
and at the end (5) radio.
Keywords: media, print media, television, internet, radio, perception.
Introduction
The main objective of the paper is to recognize the influence of the media in Macedonia on the
consumer attitudes on a particular brand. In this context, we analyzed: (a) the habits of the audience in the
use of different types of media; (b) consumer opinion on the type of media that are most exposed during
the day and (c) the impact on the media for brand awareness and desire for consumption and purchase.
During the preparation of this paper we have used several research methods and techniques.
For the analysis, we used a relevant literature and an official data collected through online surveys,
personal interviews with marketing and media professionals. R. Macedonia is a country with the largest
number of television stations per capita. In comparison, the economic powerhouse Singapore has only
eight TV stations. The largest influx of TV stations and new concessionaires was recorded in summer
2008th. In the structure of media ownership in Macedonian broadcasting, there are two characteristics
(Mediaonline, 2014): 1) behind the largest and most influential media houses there are owners of
powerful trade, manufacturing, mining or other companies, or those who are close to certain political
parties and 2) most local media are owned by individuals, with other smaller local businesses, so the
media work is not their primary occupation.
A dramatic development in the Macedonian television market was the closure of the most popular
channel A1 TV in July 2011, which in 2010 had a 25% share of the market. The broadcasting
company went into bankruptcy in the summer of 2011 and then the frequency was withdrawn by the
Electronic Communications Agency.
The closure of the "A1" TV was a chance for the second TV station (TV "Sitel" has had a
massive increase in audience share from 8% in 2010 to almost 29% in 2012) and the third (TV "Channel
5") to take the leading positions on the media market. (Mavise.obs.coe, 2014) In November 2012
Macedonia there are officially registered 67 private television stations and one public television 
"MTV", which has 3 channels (Broadcasting Council, 2012). In November 2011, in accordance with the
Council, 80 television stations, 77 private and three public service channels were registered (Broadcasting
Council of RM, 2011).
The cable industry (serving 50% of homes) has been subject to several consolidation processes. The
most important cable operator is the Bulgarian company Blizoo. Makedonski Telekom (controlled by
Deutsche Telekom) launched MaxTV, the first Macedonian IPTV package, in November 2008. By June
2013 it had 80 000 subscribers . Cosmofon (a subsidiary of Telekom Slovenije) launched a four-channel
3G package (Boom TV) for its mobile telephone network in the summer of 2009. Under the
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MEDIA IN MACEDONIA AND THEIR IMPACT ON CONSUMER ATTITUDES …
Telekom Slovenia Group, three telecommunications companies (Cosmofon, Germanos and On.Net)
merged in 2010 under the name One. In September 2009, Cosmofon also launched a DTT
network (Boom TV) and by the end of 2012 it had almost 60 000 subscribers. The Free DTT system was
launched in 2012, and switch-off was completed in the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” in
June 2013. (Mavise.obs.coe, 2014)
Today, the television market in Macedonia consists of 52 private and 4 public channels, the latter
operated by the public service broadcaster MRT. Four of the private channels have national coverage (TV
Alsat, TV Kanal 5, TV Sitel and TV Telma), 10 regional and 37 local. The first public channel, MTV1,
is a generalist channel, the second, MTV2, is a cultural channel aimed at various ethnic minority
communities in the country, the third channel is the Assembly channel and the 4th channel is an
international satellite channel. (Mavise.obs.coe, 2014).
On June 1, 2013 the process of digitization of TV signals began on the whole territory of Macedonia,
which improved the signal reception, the clarity and quality. According to a growing number of
marketing managers, the TV Media Market in Macedonian is in a state of complete chaos.
First, the price lists of all TV stations in Macedonia, with the exception of “Macedonian Radio
Television” are based on the pricing model EUR/second. Almost all national TV stations sold a total of
realized Rating of a particular target group - GRPs "(Gross Rating Points GRPs).
Second, television stations use the model price for a second and then approve the biggest and not
transparent price discount.
Third, sponsorship packages or a number of broadcasts across different programs of a given TV
station have a fixed budget (often very low budget). TV stations offer more favorable terms if companies
go directly to them (without marketing agencies), if given a bigger budget and larger percentage of the
allocation to the designated TV-station.
In Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Greece TV stations are selling and buying rating points. In Kosovo,
Albania and Montenegro, TV stations still sell seconds and therefore are in last place in the region. (AMC
Communications Montenegro, 2012).
The Internet as a digital medium is often considered as a new marketing tool. On this subject there are
numerous debates and analyzes worldwide. If the rate of penetration of the Internet in Southern Europe
for 2012 is 61%, and for the first quarter of 2012 in Macedonia amounted to 58.3% we can safely
conclude that the rate of Internet penetration in Macedonia is among the major European level (Bureau of
Statistics, 2012). Internet Media market in Macedonia is rising both in terms of the number and quality of
online media that exist on the Macedonian media market and in terms of the budget is determined for
Internet advertising. Currently registered domains and approximately 2000mk daily emerging online
media start too enthusiastically, without marketing strategies, which often results in the mildest form of
abandonment of enthusiasm, keeping alive the expectation that it will happen by chance or ultimately
leading to their extinction. Macedonian market is too small to be commercially operated as a lot of online
media.
In 2011 the company invested budgets for advertising media in accordance with data from the "AGB
Nielsen" and "Ipsos" declined by 8% on a general level. The largest decline was seen in the print media
(19%) and then invested in the budgets for TV advertising (≈ 7%). Growth is seen only in the budgets
allocated for advertising on the Internet. If we compare the situation with budgets invested in advertising
media in the first half of 2012 to the same period in 2011, we may observe a decline in budgets invested
in advertising on television and in print media, and the growth of the budget invested in advertising on the
Internet. The largest decline was seen in Media budgets that are invested for propaganda in the press
(down from 31%). Besides the constant growth of the budgets for Internet advertising, unfortunately, they
are still very low, i.e. smaller than those for print media and television and can affect the overall media
picture.
In accordance with all the above data we can conclude that despite the existing chaos in the process of
trading on the Macedonian media market, television with approximately 70% is still the most widely used
medium for advertising by companies.
In 2012 the largest decline in advertising budgets was recorded in the print media (31%). Most
noticeable decline in weekly inserter (38%), monthly magazines (34%) and newspapers (33%). This
decline is due to the crisis and dwindling advertising budgets in 2011, 2012 and in early 2013 stopped out
a number of weekly and monthly magazines ("Click", "Sports Club", "Playboy", "Life Magazine", "1G",
"Globe", etc..)
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S. R. Jovanovska
Results from the online survey
For marketing managers analyzing the impact of certain media on attitudes and behavior of consumers
is important when buying certain brands. For this purpose, we conducted an online survey in the period
January-April 2014 to 150 participants. Hereafter we will present some of the results obtained through the
survey. The majority of respondents (70%) were aged from 20 to 40 years, the remaining 28% of
respondents were aged between 41-60 years and only 2% were aged over 60 years. 51% of all
respondents were female and the remaining 49% were members of the male sex.
Chart 1. Exposure of respondents by types of media throughout the day
Source: Own an online survey conducted March-April 2014
The question - what medium are you most exposed to throughout the day? - The majority of respondents
– 81% reported for the Internet, 10% reported for television, 7% reported for radio and only 2% reported
in the press.
Between the 81% which reported for the Internet, 92% of them (of which 61% are women and 39% men),
are between 20 and 40 years, 6% between 41 and 60 years and 2% of respondents aged over 60 years.
From this we can conclude that the Internet is a medium through which during the day companies can
contact and influence to the greatest number of potential customers especially the female population aged
20 to 40 years.
The question: Which type of medium respondents prefer to “consume” during the day?
The majority of respondents 72% aged 20 to 40 years reported that the Internet is a medium that they
most want to consume 14% of respondents said television, 11% prefer radio as a medium, and 3% want to
consume print media.
Graph 2. Type of medium that most respondents prefer to consume during the day
Source: Own an online survey conducted March-April 2014
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MEDIA IN MACEDONIA AND THEIR IMPACT ON CONSUMER ATTITUDES …
About a question related to the influence of different types of media on consumer attitudes for a
particular brand - 86% of respondents said that the Internet influences their views on a particular brand,
11% said that the Internet has very little impact, and (3%) reported that the Internet has no effect on their
views on a particular brand. As for the TV 79% of respondents said that television influences their views
on a particular brand, 15% said that television has very little impact, and (6%) reported that television has
no effect on their views about a particular brand. In terms of print media, 42% of respondents said that the
press affect their views on a particular brand, 45% of respondents said print media partially affected and
13% of the print media have utterly impact on their views on a particular brand. In terms of radio, 24% of
respondents reported that radio affect their views on a particular brand, 65% of respondents said radio
partly influence their perceptions of a particular brand, and 11% for radio has no effect their views on a
particular brand
Chart 3. Influence of different types of media on consumer attitudes about a particular brand
Source: Own an online survey conducted March-April 2014
Respondents were equally divided about the impact of external advertising on their perceptions of a
particular brand. Conclusion - The quantitative number of media in Macedonian media market is really
great in terms of the number of media per capita. Television and the internet have the greatest impact on
consumers for building awareness for a specific brand. But if your target audience is aged between 20 to
40 years (especially the female population) then the internet has the greatest impact.
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Corresponding Author
Snezana Ristevska - Jovanovska
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Economics,
Skopje, Macedonia
E-mail:
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www.pesh.mk