Q1 Global Adspend Hits $128 Billion

NEW YORK: According to Nielsen’s latest Global AdView Pulse report, global advertising revenues were up by 3.1 percent in the first quarter of this year to reach $128 billion, led by gains in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Nielsen notes that spending on advertising in emerging markets increased at a faster pace than global ad spend as a whole. For example, ad revenues in the Middle East and Africa rose 23.3 percent in the quarter, with Egypt alone up 67 percent. Latin America was up 9.6 percent. Growth in the Asia Pacific, however, has slowed, with just a 1.7 percent gain. North American ad spend was up 2.1 percent, while Europe took a hit, with spend falling 1.4 percent. While France, Germany and Switzerland all saw increases, Greece and Spain showed significant declines.

“Advertisers continue to recognize the potential of emerging markets like Latin America and Africa as they look to reach new customers,” said Randall Beard, the global head of advertiser solutions at Nielsen. “These markets have proven their resilience through the down economy, and many consumers now wield spending power like never before.”