International Ad Spend Soars 7.2% Higher in Q3

New York, 15th Dec 2015 – Advertising demand within some of the world’s largest markets has moved significantly higher in the third quarter of 2015, with total growth of 7.2% the highest seen since the Sochi Winter Olympics-inspired 11% quarterly increase recorded in early 2014.

By market, the UK has delivered the highest percentage growth of advertising spend in the quarter with total demand lifting 9.8% over the same quarter last year, no doubt at least in part due to the country hosting the Rugby World Cup in September.

But the large US market also delivered substantial growth of 7.4%, with double digit expenditure gains at each of the digital, out of home and newspaper media.

And while the smaller NZ market also benefited from the Rugby World Cup and ad spend within the Australian market is at record highs, the exchange rate has impacted the level of USD growth reported by those markets.

The outdoor and digital media were the only two major media to report quarter-on-quarter gains in each of the US, UK, Australian and NZ markets in the July to September period, with the trends the most pronounced in the US and UK.

SMI’s international category data shows the stronger demand is mostly due to large increases in ad spend by pharmaceutical advertisers. They collectively grew ad spend 35% on the same quarter a year ago) and advertisers in the computers/software market (+65% QOQ).

SMI captures 80% of total U.S. agency spend exclusively from the booking systems of five of the six global media holding groups, as well as leading independents. It reports monthly on actual spend data and is the clearest picture of the flow of dollars across the sector.