U.S. Ad Spend Down 15 Percent

NEW YORK: Advertising spending in the U.S. fell by 15.4 percent to $56.9 billion in the first half of the year, according to The Nielsen Company, with cable TV the only medium to have recorded growth in the period.

Ad spend on cable was up by 1.5 percent, according to Nielsen research, as compared with the 2.7-percent decline reported in the first quarter. Spanish-language cable TV, meanwhile, was up by 0.6 percent in the half. Network TV, however, took a 7-percent hit, Spanish-language TV fell by 10.1 percent and syndication TV was down by 11.6 percent.

“While some of the larger categories have cut back spending, we see others that continue to raise the ante on their media investments,” said Annie Touliatos, the VP for Nielsen’s advertising information services. “What’s interesting is that we’re not just seeing a rise in spending for recession-friendly products like fast food restaurants. We’re seeing a lot more promotion of technological innovations like smartphones, computer software, and consumer-driven web sites. These advertisers see potential for their products despite our stressed economy and are leveraging advertising to drive their success.”