Bullish ZenithOptimedia lifts 2014 global ad forecast for third time

Global advertising expenditure is growing faster than previously expected, fuelled by improvements in economies, the spread of programmatic buying, and the rapid rise of mobile advertising, according to ZenithOptimedia

The Publicis Groupe media network has revised its forecast for 2014 upwards for the third consecutive time, expecting global adspend to grow 5.5% in 2014 to $537 billion (£324 billion). Growth is then set to increase to 5.8 per cent in 2015 and 6.1 per cent in 2016.

This represents a 0.2 percentage points improvement on forecasts made only in December, after stronger than anticipated growth from the Americas and Asia Pacific.

It follows global growth of 3.9 per cent last year. According to ZenithOptimedia’s new Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, global adspend will be boosted this year by the three “semi-quadrennial” events – the Winter Olympics, the football World Cup, and the mid-term elections in the US, which will benefit television in particular.

Advertisers are also gaining in confidence as growth returns to the Eurozone, which now looks more stable and less likely to deliver more negative shocks to the world economy. In general, advertisers are said to be in a strong position to invest in expansion, with large reserves of cash and high profitabilityhttp://www.asi.eu.com/2014/04/08/bullish-zenithoptimedia-lifts-2014-global-ad-forecast-for-third-time/