19. 12. 2011

A MILLION DOLLAR CAMPAIGN

Belgrade, December 19, 2011 (Vecernje novosti) - A serious pre-election campaign cannot cost less than one million Euros. This amount could "go" up to two or three million. As marketing experts, familiar with the tariffs used by parties in pre-election contesting, the price depends on the method of campaigning, duration and resources available to a political party.

"Campaign costing less than a million Euros is pointless", says Marko Blagojevic, CeSID program director. "This amount may be higher, but anything over three million would be considered as critically high expense".

The parties have argued that they still do not know how much money they will spend on pre-election campaigns, and will make a calculation of when elections are called.

Officially, TV advertising costs the most. The highest price for one second of advertisement is for the 2^nd News of the Public Service - 17.000 RSD. One second of an ad after 8 p.m. costs 12.000, while "interruption" of TV coverage of sport events with ads costs 11.000 dinars. The cheapest advertising is in the morning hours, and the party that wants to save up on its campaign can buy one second for 3.300 RSD in the morning program.

Billboards are also very pricey. One week of advertising on a billboard in Belgrade costs from 500 to 1.000 Euros. Printing of posters is between 15.000 RSD for a less number of prints, to 40.000 for larger number.

Marko Blagojevic, however, claims that the official price list is usually just a formality and that nobody has ever paid such services at those tariffs.

"Pre-election advertising is bought in bulk, where, as with any other goods, is possible to get a wide range of discounts. Payment is, however, a matter of agreement", says Blagojevic.

Part of the money from the state budget

Parties should get about six million for the campaign from the state budget. This sum, however, does not include their share of funds for participation in local and provincial elections.