Strata

Ad spending-wise, a solid holiday season

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Most marketers will spend as much or more than last year

Originally appearing at Media Life, by Diego Vasquez on November 22, 2011

Yes, the economy is struggling, and yes, second-half advertising numbers trickling out over recent weeks have been sobering.

But most advertisers still plan to spend at least as much this holiday season as they did last year, and some are even increasing their budgets.

That’s the finding of a new survey of media buyers conducted by STRATA, a Chicago-based media buying and selling software provider.

The study found that a majority of holiday advertising budgets are at the same levels as last year or have increased, some by as much as 20 percent.

“We did notice a positive economic trend with budgets,” says John Shelton, CEO of STRATA. “So brands are still looking to get the most out of this holiday season.”

Forty percent of buyers said that advertisers’ budgets stayed the same compared to last year, while 26 percent said that budgets were up between 10 and 20 percent.

It’s not just retailers who are poised to spend more during fourth quarter, either.

STRATA’s survey also found that clothing and apparel, music and movies, electronics and hospitality categories are all poised for gains during fourth quarter.

Further, ad spending will also be up for categories having nothing to do with the holidays, and in fact they will outspend holiday-related categories.

“Sure, you are going to have categories that are often synonymous with the holiday season getting a share of advertising, but they weren’t the leaders,” Shelton says.

“Interestingly, healthcare and financial services (along with holiday favorite electronics) are the top industry areas that agencies are focusing on this holiday season. These were well ahead of traditional holiday categories.”

While a traditional form of advertising still took the top spot as the most important form of promotion this holiday season, digital continues to gain among buyers.

Sixty-nine percent of respondents said that spot TV and spot cable remain of high importance for advertisers this holiday.

That was nearly 10 points ahead of the No. 2 choice, internet and digital, at 59.5 percent. The 43 respondents could pick more than one answer.

Internet and digital bumped spot radio down to No. 3 with 52.4 percent of the vote.

Network cable was fourth at 21.4 percent, followed by print (16.7 percent), network TV (14.3 percent) and out of home (11.9 percent).

Advertisers are increasingly employing digital as part of a cross-media campaign that includes traditional media as well.

Nearly a third of respondents said that at least half their clients are employing cross-media campaigns this holiday season, up from last year.