Ad spending for Q1 remained essentially flat compared to the same period last year, according to Monitor-Plus, the competitive ad info service of The Nielsen Company. Advertising was mixed across media with gains in some mediums and declines in others. Overall despite a continued softening of the economy, several media and companies are showing healthy growth in advertising for this quarter. Advertising in National Sunday Supplements saw the largest growth, with an increase of 19.2% over Q1 2007, while Local Sunday Supplements fared worst among the 17 media tracked by Nielsen, declining by 13.5% compared with the same period last year.
Cable TV (+12.9%), Network Radio (+10%), Outdoor (+2.9%) enjoyed healthy advertising growth in Q1 2008, compared with Q1 2007. In television, programming and networks targeting African American and Hispanic viewers grew 12.9% and 7.7% respectively.
Internet advertising impressions grew by 14.7% in Q1 over the same period in 2007. Sponsored search link advertising drove overall growth, and rich media led growth in the display category.
Among online advertisers, the health and telecommunications industries posted strong increases in sponsored search link impressions, up 108% and 80% respectively. Hardware and electronics advertisers drove results in display impressions with 65% growth, followed by automotive and consumer goods companies, who posted increases of 45% and 42% respectively.
Financial services companies, historically among the largest online advertisers, decreased investment during the period in both sponsored search impressions, down 15%, and display impressions, down 13%.
