ZenithOptimedia Forecasts 3.9 Percent Growth in Global Adspend

LONDON: ZenithOptimedia is predicting that global advertising spending will increase by 3.9 percent this year, reaching $518 billion.

Over the next two years, adspend is forecast to rise by 5.6 percent. The growth is expected to be led by "Rising Markets" (defined as everywhere outside of North America, Western Europe and Japan). The forecast is that Rising Markets will grow by 8.2 percent on average in 2013. Meanwhile, "Mature Markets" (North America, Western Europe and Japan) will grow by about 1.8 percent, due in part to the Eurozone crisis. For 2015, growing in Rising Markets is expected at 9.4 percent and Mature Markets at 3.5 percent.

The high growth markets are Latin America, Fast-track Asia (which includes China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam), Eastern Europe and Central Asia. An average of between 10-percent and 11-percent growth is expected between 2012 and 2015. The U.S. will remain the largest contributor of new ad dollars, however. Between 2012 and 2015, the company predicts that the U.S. will contribute 28 percent to the $76 billion added to the total global adspend.