Public funding of €29 million granted to ORF for promotional purposes
In 2024, an intriguing shift in advertising patterns emerged among Austrian ministries, states, chambers, and public companies. Combined, they spent a staggering 28.8 million euros on advertising with the ORF, marking a significant portion of the national broadcaster's revenue.
The Climate Protection Ministry of Leonore Gewessler, in particular, made headlines as the largest ORF advertiser among ministries, spending a whopping 1 million euros on advertising. Notably, the ministry also ventured into advertising with US tech giants Google and Meta, shelling out 850,000 euros for digital advertising.
The Climate Protection Ministry's advertising expenditure was not limited to the ORF. In fact, it surpassed the combined total of the ORF, oe24, and Heute, indicating a broader digital advertising strategy. The ministry's total advertising spend in 2024 amounted to 9.1 million euros, making it the largest advertiser overall.
The Standard, another prominent recipient of advertising revenue from public institutions, garnered 8.1 million euros in 2024. This places it among the top recipients, alongside the ORF, Google, and Meta. Interestingly, the Standard's reach is lower than that of oe24 and Heute, suggesting a potential focus on targeted or digital advertising strategies.
The ORF, historically the main media outlet for public advertising spending in Austria, continues to hold a substantial share. It received 28.8 million euros from public institutions in 2024, more than the combined total of the three major reach media Krone, oe24, and Heute.
The growing influence of digital platforms like Google and Meta is evident, with their share of the advertising pie increasing. However, precise figures or ratios for Austria's public institutions' advertising spend on these outlets are not publicly documented.
The media transparency database of the RTR revealed some surprises, such as the PULS4/ATV group receiving 918,000 euros from the Climate Protection Ministry of Leonore Gewessler. The ministry also extended advertising support to the Standard, providing over 370,000 euros.
In conclusion, the ORF continues to receive a substantial share of Austrian public advertising spending, while Google and Meta's share is growing with the digital advertising trend. However, exact shares from public institutions in Austria are not publicly documented, requiring further investigation through Austrian government procurement reports, ORF’s annual reports, or digital ad monitoring agencies specializing in Austria.
- The Climate Protection Ministry, in addition to its advertising with the ORF and US technology companies like Google and Meta, has also allocated finance for other digital platforms, such as the Standard and PULS4/ATTV group.
- As technology advances and more businesses shift towards digital media, it's crucial to examine the finances of this transition, including the advertising expenditure of government bodies, like the Climate Protection Ministry, on various tech-based platforms such as Google, Meta, and other digital media platforms.
