Direct Marketing expenditure

Growth in non-direct mail advertising fell below inflation in
January, with year-on-year spend up just 1.5%. But while DM spend by
the top 20 advertisers fell during the period, and cinema and
outdoor posted double-digit growth, a sharp decline in TV spend
actually boosted DM’s share of voice in this group to an unusually
high 12%.

Notable exceptions to January’s downward trend included the COI,
whose spend almost tripled in the first month of this election year
on the back of campaigns promoting anti-smoking, police recruitment
and stakeholder pensions; and Orange, which spent pounds 8m more
this January advertising its services and publicising its flotation.

Most motor manufacturers also upped their spend, especially Ford
(Focus), Renault (Scenic and Clio), Fiat (Punto) and Citroen (Xsara)
– only Rover showed a sharp fall (pounds 3.5m) against last year.

The top DM spenders included Norwich Union, for its Equity Release
Plan, and Book Club Associates, for its Softback Preview. The
biggest brand spend in other media included BT Talk Together,
Halifax Mortgages, and Beechams Flu Plus.

It is interesting to observe the relentless march up the table of
mobile phone, internet and computer advertisers, which accounted for
15 of January’s top advertisers, compared with just seven a year
ago.

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Top 20 advertisers, January 2001 (pounds m)
Rnk Company Press Direct Cinema Radio Out- TV
Total
mail door
1 Central Office
of Information 2.21 0.00 0.91 1.86 0.14 11.17
16.20
2 Orange 3.38 1.12 0.25 0.00 0.75 4.90
10.41
3 Renault 1.20 0.28 0.43 0.48 0.92 5.28
8.60
4 Procter & Gamble 1.55 0.35 0.00 0.13 0.18 5.01
7.22
5 Ford 1.26 0.21 0.00 0.17 0.00 5.15
6.79
6 Fiat 1.06 0.03 0.00 0.40 0.02 4.74
6.25
7 Van den Bergh 0.52 0.13 0.31 0.00 0.00 5.27
6.24
8 BT 2.35 0.50 0.00 0.34 0.00 2.68
5.86
9 Norwich Union 0.19 1.70 0.29 0.00 0.68 2.83
5.69
10 Vauxhall 1.64 0.19 0.03 0.01 0.00 3.64
5.52
11 Volkswagen 0.93 0.16 0.00 0.04 0.55 3.43
5.10
12 Halifax 0.93 1.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.26
4.84
13 Sainsbury’s 1.13 0.71 0.00 0.05 0.33 2.11
4.33
14 Book Club
Associates 0.83 3.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03
4.17
15 GlaxoSmithKline 0.05 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.52 3.53
4.13
16 Citroen 0.47 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.65
4.12
17 MBNA 0.23 3.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
4.10
18 Reckitt Benckiser 0.41 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.13 3.41
3.94
19 Tiny Computers 2.97 0.05 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.85
3.93
20 Peugeot 1.26 0.05 0.00 0.30 0.47 1.47
3.55
Total 24.57 14.35 2.24 3.85 4.59 71.40
121.00

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Copyright 2001 Marketing.
Source: World Reporter (Trade Mark) – FT McCarthy.
MARKETING, 15th March 2001