Summer 2017 / Issue 54
telecommunications operators.
Car importers were another group
that drastically reduced their
advertising spending due to a
populist government decision to
allow citizens to import used cars
without any age or environmen-
tal constraints. This move led to
a drastic decline in sales of new
vehicles, and hence importers’
advertising budgets.
There was a downturn in adver-
tising in the financial sector, even
though banks, insurance com-
panies and pension funds in the
country Macedonia continued to
realize strong profits throughout
the crisis. Global corporations –
which are the biggest advertisers
in Macedonia – followed suit. They
directed their budgets toward
larger and more stable markets
and began centralizing their mar-
keting teams. This means adver-
tising spending is done more often
from headquarters, especially
for Facebook, YouTube, Google,
etc. In such cases, globaliza-
tion generally does not benefit
local agencies and media. This
is also true for satellite stations
like Sport Club, Arena, Discovery,
Fox, HBO, which don’t translate
to local ad spending with local
agencies. While globalization is a
reality everywhere, it poses espe-
cially difficult challenges to small,
underdeveloped markets like ours
in Macedonia.
While facing the crisis, the
Macedonian advertising scene
proved to be quite resilient and
united through its industry asso-
ciation, MAAM. The group suc-
cessfully defended itself from a
government attempt to national-
ize the measurement of television
viewership. Around the world,
this activity is typically private
with hardly any role for the State.
Under pressure from MAAM and
the media, a bylaw established the
Joint Industry Committee to over-
see an international tender inviting
bids from the world’s largest ser-
vice providers (e.g., Cantor Media,
GFK and Nielsen). Many regional
associations congratulated us on
our success in regulating a pro-
cess that elsewhere is still largely
unregulated. Encouraged by this,
MAAM initiated a Joint Industry
Committee for online media and
COVER STORY
advertising. Slovenia is the only other country in our region where
such a model exists.
Regarding regulation of our work, though not consolidated in a
single law, there are several laws that regulate advertising in detail.
Additionally, under MAAM’s statute, there is a code of ethics that
is in line with that of the European Association of Communication
Agencies. The scope of advertising is regulated in various ways
throughout EU countries, in some cases with very precise legis-
lation, in others very loosely with an important role for self-regula-
tion. This certainly means that our advertising industry functions
along according to a set of ethical rules that ensure that our work
is legal, decent, honest, truthful, with a sense of social responsi-
bility toward clients and society.
In terms of unethical behavior, perhaps the most pronounced
has been in the PR sector, where we have unfair competition
from companies whose owners are the main editors of some of
the most important media in Macedonia. Lack of ethics on the
social networks is appearing somewhat, which is also part of our
business, yet this area is more difficult to control and regulate.
However, with the Law on Audiovisual Media Services and the
Law on Consumer Protection and other laws, as well as with the
codes of MAAM and ZOYM, the Macedonian marketing scene is
sufficiently regulated.
The situation in political marketing is much worse; there, we
have literally seen it all - dishonesty, untruths, insinuations, direct
insults. However, in recent political campaigns, no agency has
been officially identified nor taken credit/responsibility. To a large
extent, the party’s election headquarters are doing that work,
especially for negative ads. It is unclear whether Macedonia’s laws
and codes for ethical advertising apply to such cases.
Regulation of copyright and other related rights is likely lacking.
The law hardly touches on agencies’ intellectual property. At least
in my experien ce, there has never been a court case with respect
to copyright infringement of any artist or agency. Given that there
is no one in Macedonia who could serve as an expert witness in
such a case, it is clear that such a dispute would be difficult to
win in a Macedonian court. This situation definitely discourages
agencies and creators to seek justice in court. Proving property
rights is never an easy, straight-forward process. Arguments and
disputes among creators occur constantly – even on a daily basis
within an agency. As “creatives” or idea generators, artists can
have rather inflated and sensitive egos.
The fact that not a single case for copyright infringement has
been settled in favor of an artist in Macedonia demonstrates the
lack of confidence that citizens and the business community have
in the impartiality and objectivity of the courts here.
AmCham Macedonia Magazine
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