National media buying trends

See where the big players are spending their media dollars

Kantar Media recently released a report that details how much the country’s 10 biggest advertisers are spending on media, and how they’re divvying up their dollars on different media channels. Overall, the study found that advertisers are reducing their media spend and moving more dollars from traditional to digital media channels.

Media spending overall was cut by 4.2% in 2014 compared to 2013. Here are some more details on how these big advertisers are buying media:

• Television ad spending was up by 5.5%
  • Cable television ad spending was up by 6.8%
  • Network television ad spending was up by 2.5% (most likely due to the Winter Olympics)
  • Spot television ad spending was up by 5.5% (most likely due to the midterm elections)
  • Spanish-language ad spending was up by 14.47%, which can mostly be attributed to the World Cup
• Online display ad spending was up by 0.9%, but the second half of the year was much slower than the first
• Newspaper ad spending decreased by 10%
• Magazine ad spending decreased by 5.1%
• Radio ad spending decreased by 3.9%
• Outdoor ad spending decreased by 0.2%

As mentioned above, a lot of these big advertisers are moving their media dollars from traditional advertising, such as newspapers and radio, to digital channels, such as video and mobile. These channels are less expensive per impression and allow advertisers to finely segment their target audiences. It’s a win-win.

However, it’s also important to note that although there is a rise in popularity among digital channels, your organization should have a presence in traditional media channels, just not at the same volume. Keeping a balance will help to hit your target audience across multiple channels as they move about their day. It also allows your organization to repurpose creative. For example, a video made for digital channels can also be used on television.

How does your hospital’s media buy compare to these national trends?