Total UK adspend down 3.9% in 2008

Total UK adspend fell by 3.9% in 2008, with spend in Q4 2008 down 9.6% year on year, according to new research from the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) on behalf of the Advertising Association.

Newspaper spending was down 12% in 2008, with magazines also suffering, down 9.9% for the full year.

Newspapers grabbed a 25% share of total adspend last year, just ahead of TV with 23%.

Television and radio saw adspend fall 4.9% and 8.5% respectively in 2008, according to the WARC data, with outdoor down 3.8%.

Cinema performed relatively well, with a decline of 0.9%. Spending on direct mail, meanwhile, dipped 6% last year, leaving it with a 12% share of total adspend.

Internet spending was up 17.3%, although this was well down on the 39.5% growth it recorded in 2007. It now commands a 20% share of total UK adspend.