The Baltic advertising markets are some of the smallest in Central and Eastern Europe; however, they are growing at a fast pace, especially in the digital segment. Lithuania's ad market is the largest in the region, with an estimated 368 million U.S. dollars spent in 2024, followed by Latvia and Estonia. A trend that stands out throughout the region is the advancement of digital advertising. The regional spending in that segment amounted to around 387 million euros in 2022, with the Lithuanian market seeing the highest growth. As a result, Lithuania's online advertising spending reached 157 million euros.
As the Baltic region is embracing digital transformation, the surge in online advertising expenditure reflects a shift towards more targeted, data-driven approaches to reaching audiences. However, traditional media channels still maintain their relevance, particularly television advertising.
Traditional vs. digital advertising
Digital advertising has emerged as the dominant force in the Baltics, fueled by the increased use of smartphones, social media platforms, and online streaming services. Noteworthy is the rising share of online ad spending, even though traditional media continues to hold relevance in the region. TV is the leading advertising medium in all three countries, with approximately 120 million euros spent on its advertising in 2022. Furthermore, radio ads remain a popular advertising channel, ranking as the third-leading medium by ad spend in Latvia.Social media impact
Social media has become an integral part of everyday life in the Baltics, with Latvia leading the charge with 86 percent of its population actively engaged on various platforms. Estonia closely follows suit with 78 percent, while Lithuania boasts a 76-percent penetration rate. Moreover, Latvia has the largest share of enterprises using social media for business purposes. However, given its largest advertising market size in the region, it is Lithuania that is expected to have the highest social media ad expenditure in 2028, at around 65 million U.S. dollars.Advertisers and brands
Companies from the retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors spend the most on advertising activities in the Baltics, with some of the most prominent advertisers including Lidl, Maxima, and Rimi. Tuta was the brand with the highest reach of its internet ads in Lithuania, at approximately 76 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022. Lidl amounted to around 55 percent of internet ad reach in the same year and was ranked fifth.As the Baltic region is embracing digital transformation, the surge in online advertising expenditure reflects a shift towards more targeted, data-driven approaches to reaching audiences. However, traditional media channels still maintain their relevance, particularly television advertising.
