US Adspend Tops 5% During 2003, Says Nielsen

Adspend in local magazines increased by 21% while local newspapers put on 10% during the year. Press was a good performer overall, although the national newspaper category increased its revenue by just 2.5%. Syndicated TV was up 6.9%, and outdoor rose by 6.4%.

Of the top ten advertisers in the US market, only three saw their levels of spend fall during the year, and overall total budgets of the top spenders rose by 8.2% to $14,912m. Top advertiser Procter & Gamble increased its adspend by 26% during the year, and Nissan, the tenth biggest, spent 34% more than in 2002.

The prognosis for the coming year is of continued health. Managing director of Nielsen Monitor-Plus Jeff King said: “Although this accelerated growth rate may be difficult to sustain, we also expect a strong advertising market in 2004, which will be supported by political advertising and the Summer Olympics in Athens.”