Global Group M’s forecast for 2007 shows the market is healthy with this neck of the woods looking particularly promising. Global ad spend showed steady growth of  +5.3% in 2006, however Asia Pacific’s forecasted growth for 2006 is likely to outperform the trend with +8% growth predicted. Other trends highlighted in Group M’s, This Year Next Year report, delivered at a breakfast briefing in New York yesterday, included that China has now outstripped the US

as the biggest contributor to growth and that marketing services like direct marketing PR, market research and sponsorship are growing faster than mainstream at +6.2% (2006). There was bad news for print players as global print spending is set to drop dramatically with newspapers forecast to grow just +5% in 2006 after experiencing +14% growth in 2005, while magazines are expected to only grow +4% for 2006 compared to +15% last year.

 Not surprisingly internet ad spending was a stellar performer experiencing +22% growth in 2005 and a forecasted +27% in 2006.

 However TV also showed a healthy growth pattern with spend rising +38% in 2005 and +49% for 2006.

(Source: Marketing)