This week, H&G are on international duty. While one half languishes rather nicely in Vegas racking up his debts before his softball tournament the other is earning a brief crust in Moscow.

How very Credit Crunch avoiding of us both.

So today sees my attempt to understand and navigate the entire Russian media market in the space of a morning before the team start their planning work on Coke.

Things are very much the same as when I started in media. TV is starting to become fragmented but only just. The internet reaches only 25% of the population. And Cinema still doesn't get used because it's so expensive. With increasing wealth and general optimism about the future people have more time for entertainment and spending on themselves but that means more time commuting and less time with the family.

So much so different !!!!

The biggest challenges it seems are the trading ones still rather fond of big TV buys of coverage instead of planning to where the audiences are going or spending their quality time.

We shall see if by the time I leave the concept of word of mouth can even be introduced. At the time of writing that's a very alien concept !