Faces and Markets of PRGN is a new series of blog posts in 2024 that puts PRGN member agencies and their markets in the spotlight.
Each week, expect to read about a market from an economic, business and communications point of view, brought to you by the very people living and working on the ground in that country, state or region.
The blog pieces illustrate the vast amount of in-depth knowledge of business, media, communications and marketing PRGN brings together having presence in more than 40 countries and 70 cities on six continents through its member agencies globally.
In this week’s blog post, Ieva Naujalytė, Managing Partner of Adverum, describes the business and communications environment in Lithuania and offers advice to businesses navigating her home market.
Business environment in Lithuania
Lithuania offers an ideal environment for business growth with minimal bureaucracy and efficient processes. It ranks highly globally for its digital skills availability and economic freedom. Setting up your business here is quick and easy, with the entire process conveniently completed online within days. This streamlined setup process contributes to Lithuania’s rising international rankings.
Vilnius, Lithuania
Moreover, Lithuania leads in innovation, boasting a thriving startup ecosystem that contributes significantly to the region’s value. Factors driving this success include stable and technologically advanced business infrastructure, supported by a collaborative mindset fostered by authorities, associations, and academia. With over 18,000 talented individuals working in startups, Vilnius serves as the epicenter of Lithuania’s vibrant startup scene, particularly in sectors like Fintech, ICT, and GameDev.
Global database company Dealroom shows in its latest report that the value of Lithuania’s startup ecosystem has exploded relative to the rest of Europe, growing more than seven-fold from 1.9 billion euros to 13.7 billion euros between 2018 and 2023.
Communications, media and PR market in Lithuania
Media outlets in Lithuania are increasingly functioning as content marketing agencies. The largest commercial media groups, which often combine various formats such as TV, radio, print, social media, and others, are gaining larger and larger market shares.
While TV remains the most popular media platform, companies that engage in influencer campaigns benefit from increased visibility that can be quantified and leads to positive outcomes. Conversely, businesses that receive negative mentions from influencers risk damaging their reputations.
Demand for crisis communications is growing. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, there has been a noticeable increase in civic engagement and societal polarization. Users of social media, influencers and journalists are more inclined to uncover and discuss various issues, and call out wrongdoings.
TV news remains the channel with the widest audience reach in the country and establishes a standard for what is considered important for the general public. It also aids in understanding the attitudes and tone of the media in the country.
Top 3 advice for a foreign company seeking to navigate the media environment in Lithuania
Create high quality and non-promotional content: The media values high quality content, so it is essential to provide information that is current, interesting, and beneficial to the public. The responsibility of PR professionals is to provide such content to the media. Messages that are even slightly promotional will not reach the media quite naturally.
Be prepared to respond to media cases relevant to your business: Have a strong opinion on challenging topics related to your business environment and provide the media with expert and valuable community information. In a relatively small country and market like Lithuania, being average or using the same buzzwords as everyone else will not help your brand gain organic attention.
Be proactive and responsive: Ensure you stay proactive in engaging with the media and the public in Lithuania. Respond quickly to media inquiries, customer feedback, and any communication challenges that may come up. This will show your company’s dedication to transparency, authenticity, and fostering positive relationships with the local community.
Most influential media for consumer communications in Lithuania
Delfi – Online
15min – Online
TV3 – Online +TV
Lrytas – Online
LRT – Online +TV
LNK – TV
Most influential media for corporate communications in Lithuania
Verslo žinios (online and newspaper) – Business news, stories, statistics, market reviews, tips
Delfi (online) – Avg. daily Real Users 534,950 (2024 January)
15min (online) – Avg. daily Real Users 485,223 (2024 January)
LRT (online/TV/radio) – Avg. daily Real Users 312,211 (2024 January)
The most popular social media channels in Lithuania
YouTube: 2.10 million users
Facebook: 1.60 million users
X: 1.21 million users
TikTok: 0.934 million users
Instagram: 0.869 million users
LinkedIn: 0.740 million users
Snapchat: 0.495 million users
The most important international events in Lithuania in 2024
Kaziukas (Saint Casimir’s) Fair: The Kaziukas Fair is one of the oldest, brightest, and most popular traditional events in Lithuania. Held every year in early March, it is deeply rooted in Lithuanian culture and history. The fair celebrates the arrival of spring and showcases a rich treasure trove of Lithuanian customs, crafts, food, and folk traditions.
The Culture Night: Culture Night is a cultural celebration that is open to everyone and occurs annually in June or July. It features over 150 contemporary art projects in various fields. It is the only annual event of its kind in the capital city, unparalleled in its richness and diversity of events.
Lithuanian Song Festival: The Lithuanian Song Festival is one of the most wonderful cultural events that has been taking place since 1924 and will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. It is typically held at the end of June and beginning of July. The structure of the Song Festival also includes the celebration of National Day on July 6. Locals and Lithuanians from all over the world come to Vilnius to sing and dance to old and new Lithuanian songs, mostly folk and patriotic. The Lithuanian Song Festival is included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Sea Festival: The Sea Festival is a tradition that has been celebrated annually in Klaipėda since 1934. It takes place at the end of July and the beginning of August. The festival includes free concerts, a large market, and a carnival where people dress up as mythological sea creatures. Additionally, the festival highlights sports activities such as sailing and fishing competitions.
Ieva has over 17 years of communication experience in various industries in Europe & the Middle East.
Ieva has worked with international clients and award-winning integrated communication solutions, including large scale cross-borders communication projects, internal and external communication strategies, brand positioning strategies, ESG strategies and communication.
