Global as spending in the first quarter rose 3.1% to $128
billion, compared to a 2.1% increase in North America, Nielsen says in a new
report.
The gains followed a strong finish to 2011, Nielsen said. Ad
spending increased slightly in January, but the year-over-year change grew
steadily in the subsequent months. By March 2012, global ad spend was 4.5% higher
than a year earlier.
The biggest hikes in advertising came in the Middle East and
Africa, where spending jumped 23.3%. In Latin America, spending rose 9.6%.
Asia-Pacific turned in a below-average performance, with a
1.7% growth rate, while in Europe, spending declined by 1.4%. There were
significant drops in spending in Greece and Spain, where the economies are
under duress, but there were upticks in France, Germany and Switzerland,
Nielsen said.
"Market conditions and political unrest in 2011 may have
contributed to lower spending last year, and Nielsen will watch to see if these
increases are sustained in Q2," Nielsen said in its Global AdView Pluse
report.
