Nielsen Monitor-Plus Reports 2.3% Increase In Advertising Spending For First Half 2002.

Advertising spending for first half 2002 rose 2.3% over the same period last year, according to preliminary figures released by Nielsen Monitor-Plus, a service of Nielsen Media Research. Six of the nine reported media categories saw increases in advertising activity, ranging from 1-9%, with Local Newspaper showing the greatest gain of 9%. Hispanic TV climbed almost 7%, partly due to this year’s World Cup. Network, Cable, and Spot TV showed gains of 2-3%, while Spot Radio rose only 1%.

Syndicated Television and Internet advertising fell more than 8% compared with the first half of 2001, and National Magazines declined slightly.

Commenting on the first half, Jeff King, managing director of Nielsen Monitor-Plus observes, “Advertising spending increased slightly in the second quarter of 2002 leading to overall first half growth of 2.3% versus a year ago. The Automobile category continues to be the largest advertising spender, followed by Restaurants, Motion Pictures, Department Stores, and Prescription Drugs.”

Advertising spending by the top ten parent companies generated $5.6 billion dollars through May 2002, 5.2% greater than the same period last year. Seven of these experienced growth, with Pfizer and Procter & Gamble increasing 32% and 21%, respectively. Much of Pfizer’s gain was due to increased spending in direct-to-consumer advertising for brands such as Lipitor, Zoloft, and Zyrtec, while part of P&G’s increase can be attributed to new product advertising for brands such as Torengos, Crest Toothpaste Whitening/Scope, and Pampers Cruisers, Easy Ups, and Swaddlers. Four automobile companies ranked within the Top 10; two experienced increases in 2002, while the other two reduced spending.

According to the Nielsen//NetRatings AdRelevance service, the music industry led Internet advertising, with BMG and Columbia House topping the list in 2002.

In traditional broadcast and print media, nine of the Top 10 2001 advertisers remained on the list in 2002. In contrast, only five of the Top 10 2001 Internet advertisers remained on the Top 10 list in 2002, demonstrating the dynamics of the online advertising marketplace.

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