Articles

3.1.2011 Many big brands cut UK adspend

Half of the UK's ten biggest advertisers reined in their outlay last year, despite the improving financial climate. Newspaper The Daily Telegraph commissioned a studyby Nielsen Media Research covering the spending patterns of the largest organisations in the country. Procter & Gamble, the FMCG giant, took first place and boosted budgets from £158m in 2009 to £195m in 2010, part of a global effort by the owner of Tide and Pampers to ramp up its marketing output.

Unilever, the maker of Knorr and Hellmann's, occupied third with £135m, but had reduced its investment from £146m on an annual basis. Tesco, the retailer, heightened its outlay by £7m to £125m, claiming fourth position in the process. However, the Central Office of Information – responsible for the vast majority of governmental campaigns – registered a drop from £228m to £113m.

Elsewhere, supermarket chain Asda allocated £110m to this area of its operations in 2010, a £7m increase. BT, the telecoms specialist, followed on £108m, marking an uptick of £27m as the firm sought to attract subscribers to its pay-TV, broadband and landline services. Furniture retailer DFS was off £7m to £94m, and household goods manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser trimmed £8m of expenditure, posting £75m. Kellogg's, the food group, also cut its expenses, recording £73m in 2010, compared with £82m in 2009.

B.L. 3.1.2011