Global marketing outlook improves – but Europe least optimistic
The outlook for global marketers is continuing to improve, according to the latest data from Warc’s Global Marketing Index.
The headline Global Marketing Index (GMI), which combines trends observed in marketing budgets, trading conditions and staffing levels, stood at 56.2 in February. This represents a 1.2 point increase compared with January, on a scale where values above 50 indicate a positive trend.
Regionally, Asia Pacific registered the greatest month on month rise, with the headline GMI rising to 56.2 from 53.8 a month earlier. This was in part due to marketing budgets in the region rising for the first time since October 2012.
The Americas remained the most positive region, with its headline GMI showing a strong reading of 59.5, up 1.5 points from January.
Europe, while showing improvement, was less optimistic than the other measured regions, with the headline GMI increasing 1.2 points to 53.1 in February.
“The continued upward trajectory in headline GMI is encouraging,” Suzy Young, Data and Journals Director at Warc, commented.
“The outlook for global marketing budgets has improved since the start of the year,” she added, “with both the Americas and Asia Pacific recording positive growth.”
The overall index of global marketing budgets was up 1.3 points to 51.7 in February, helped by the turnaround in Asia Pacific and continued confidence in the Americas, which recorded a figure of 55.5.
While marketing budgets continued to be cut across Europe, the regional index recorded a value of 48.8 in February, an increase of 2.6 points compared with January.
The Index for global trading conditions indicated rapid improvement for February, standing at 59.4, up 1.5 points from January and the highest reading since April 2012. The outlook for trading conditions remained most positive in the Americas on 60.9, followed by Asia Pacific on 59.7 and Europe on 57.4.
The global index of staffing levels – the third component of headline GMI – also registered further improvement in February to reach 57.6. Staffing levels continued to rise in all global regions, with the Americas on 62.1, Asia Pacific on 58.5 and Europe on 53.2.