British TV Ad Spending Reached Record Amount In 2011

Digital advertising may be occupying the thoughts of marketers but don’t be in a hurry to write off good old television.

Actually, it seems to be in the best of shapes at present advertising-wise if a new report I read this morning is anything to go by. The publication is the work of trade body Thinkbox, which declares 2011 a record year for TV ad spending.

According to Thinkbox, TV ad revenues in the UK hit £4.4bn last year, rising by 2.2%. The amount includes linear spot advertisements and proceeds from sponsorships and is calculated on the basis of data submitted by broadcasters. Thinkbox notes in its report that TV ad growth may have been stronger than that of the overall market, which is believed to have expanded by about 1.5% in 2011.

Commenting on the results, Thinkbox CEO Tess Alps said that they show how resilient the medium had proved in a tough environment. Ad revenue growth amounted to 16% in 2010 and the fact that TV managed to deliver an increase in 2011 clearly demonstrates that. Moreover, through TVOD, it has become one of the growth drivers for online advertising, Alps added.

Separately, Nielsen Media Research reported that 887 brands deployed TV ads for the first time in 2011 or returned to the medium after a break of at least five years. Their collective ad expenditure made up 2.6% of the total. Among the names in that group were Internet search giant Google, sporting goods brand Asics, insurance company Unum and travel reward scheme Avios.