Strong internet growth could push UK adspend up 4.2%

by Jennifer Whitehead,, Brand Republic 06-Jan-05, 08:30

LONDON - UK advertising spend will rise by 4.2% this year, the Advertising Association is forecasting, although this figure falls to 2.9% when online ads are stripped out.

All media are set to show an increase, according to the AA, led by internet advertising, which is forecast to rise by a massive 38.1%.

Other sectors set to put in a strong performance for 2005 are: outdoor, with a 6.2% rise forecast; cinema, which could rise by 4.8%; and radio adspend, which the AA predicts will rise by 4.5%.

The overall figure of 4.2% is slightly less optimistic than that forecast yesterday by media agency Carat for the UK market, which is predicting a 4.6% rise.

The AA said that, based on figures for the first three quarters of the year, adspend for 2004 looked likely to show an annual increase of 5%, ahead of the 4.8% it had forecast in July last year.

The figures have been compiled by the World Advertising Research Centre, and the 'Advertising Forecast' report is available on WARC.com

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