NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 15 – Television and radio are still the biggest recipients of advertising spending, despite growing competition from digital channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, among others.
According to the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), firms spent a total of Sh17 billion in advertising in Q2 of the 2023–24 financial year (Oct–Dec 2023), up from Sh16 billion in Q1 of 2023–24 (July–Sep 2023).
Out of Sh17 billion, radio and TV got the lion’s share.
The winners of advertising revenue are free-to-air TVs, which CA says have received attention as their content reaches a wider consumer base.
“The predominant allocation of advertising spending is directed towards free-to-air TV, highlighting its central role in the advertising landscape,” CA data states.
“This emphasis on free-to-air TV underscores its effectiveness in reaching a wide and diverse audience,” it adds.
The growing popularity of digital media has exerted pressure on traditional forms of media, whose viewership and listenership have significantly declined, leading to an advertisement decline.
The leading spenders, as per the CA report, are financial service providers with high spending on radio. On the other hand, corporate and multi-brand media advertise more in print media.
Nonetheless, the Authority agrees that there has been a decline in media purchasing, particularly in TV, radio, and print media, which they attribute to the economic downturn caused by high inflation in the second half of the year.
