Articles

27.8.2010 Outdoor and radio on the rise in US

Radio and outdoor advertising are seeing renewed spending, helped along by improved measurement and interest from national advertisers - big focuses for both industries' comeback plans.

Outdoor advertising grew to $1.9 billion in the second quarter, a 3.6% gain over the second quarter of 2009 and the first quarterly gain for the industry since the second quarter of 2008, according to figures from Kantar Media that were released today by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. First-half spending was up 1.8% in 2010, with June outpacing the previous months with a 7.1% increase over June 2009.

Radio revenue, meanwhile, grew to $4.5 billion in the second quarter, a 6% increase over the second quarter last year and radio's strongest quarterly jump since an 8% increase in 2000. With the first half of 2010 now up a combined 6% for radio, the medium is on track to outpace Magna Global's forecast of 3.4% growth for all media this year. The radio-industry stats came from the Radio Advertising Bureau, which reports data from accounting firm Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co.

Radio's rebound is riding a significant increase from national advertisers, who boosted their spending 16% in second quarter and 17% in the first half to a total of $1.27 billion in the first two quarters. Driving that growth is a return in spending from automotive marketers (up 26% to $336.4 million), financial services (up 22% to $250.9 million) and communications (up 14% to $385.3 million) as well as new spenders such as retailer Safeway and the American Beverage Association.

B.L. 27.8.2010