As advertisers in Croatia and Serbia increase their investments in digital channels, another opportunity to purchase advertising space is arriving in both markets. Through an exclusive reseller partnership with Aleph, OpenAI has enabled access to ChatGPT advertising across a total of 44 markets, including Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. For local brands and agencies, this means the opportunity to purchase advertising space in ChatGPT through Aleph’s teams, with local contracting, billing and customer support.
The partnership covers 14 markets in Latin America, 16 in Europe and Central Asia, ten in the Middle East and Africa, and four in the Asia-Pacific region. Among the European countries, alongside Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Ukraine.
For Aleph, which provides companies with access to global digital platforms through local sales and financial infrastructure, the collaboration with OpenAI represents an expansion of its portfolio of artificial intelligence-based advertising solutions. Advertisers will be able to sign contracts and receive invoices locally, with support from teams familiar with individual markets and their business conditions.
“Artificial intelligence provides companies with new opportunities to connect with people. Starting today, advertisers in 44 markets can work with OpenAI through a local team that speaks their language, issues invoices in their currency and offers deferred payment terms. This is precisely what Aleph does best – turning global technology into opportunities for local growth,” said Gastón Taratuta, founder and CEO of Aleph.
Croatia and Serbia Record Double-Digit Growth in Digital Advertising
The arrival of a new advertising opportunity coincides with growing digital investments in both regional markets. According to data from IAB Croatia, the estimated value of online advertising in Croatia during 2025 amounted to €190.9 million, almost 23 percent more than the previous year. Further growth to €202.8 million is forecast for 2026.
The largest share of Croatian investments went to display advertising, approximately €63 million, while social media attracted around €60 million. More than €47 million was spent on search advertising.
A similar trend is present in Serbia, where, according to the IAB AdEx 2025 study, the value of digital advertising reached €168.92 million, with annual growth of 28 percent. Display advertising, which in this study includes video formats and social media, accounted for approximately 68 percent of total investments, or €115.2 million. Paid search advertising reached €31.8 million, growing by 17 percent, while investments in social media advertising increased by 28.8 percent.
Despite this growth, the gap compared to more developed European markets remains significant. In Serbia, digital advertising spending amounted to €25 per capita in 2025, compared to the European average of €250.
AI Tools Are Becoming Increasingly Widespread Among Users
In Croatia, 32 percent of internet users used a generative AI tool during 2025, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and DeepSeek, while in Serbia, one in four citizens uses artificial intelligence platforms. These figures do not refer exclusively to ChatGPT, but they show how widely AI tools are already used in both markets.
For advertisers, ChatGPT represents a different environment from social media and search engines, as users explore products, compare options and seek information before making decisions through conversations. The partnership between OpenAI and Aleph gives brands access to this space with local support for contracting, billing and onboarding. How much advertising budget this channel will attract will depend on the results it achieves compared to existing digital platforms.
