Lebanon's advertisement spending totaled $174 million last year, down 3.3 percent compared to 2010 ($180 million), according to a report published by araBAD magazine and statistics provided by Ipsos -Stat.
In comparison, 2010 and 2009 ad spending grew by 15.4 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively.
In 2011, television represented the lion's share of advertising at $65.5 million, or 37.6 percent of total ad spending. This was followed by billboards at $45 million (26 percent), newspapers at $32 million (18.3 percent), magazines at $14.5 million (8.3 percent), and radio at $12 million (7 percent). Online spending reached $3.5 million (2 percent), and movie theater ads were $1.5 million (1 percent).
The biggest area of growth in the advertising market was in cinemas, up 25 percent in 2011, followed by internet (6 percent) and television (4 percent). However, ad spending declined by 14 percent for newspapers and 6 percent for billboards. Radio advertising fell by 4 percent and magazine advertising by 3 percent.
Earlier this month, the President of the Lebanese chapter of the International Association of Advertising (IAA) expected a more pessimistic picture for the Lebanese ad market. According to Naji Boulos, the advertising market in Lebanon had fallen by 15 to 20 percent in real terms during 2011, to $135 million dollars. "The value of advertising investment is the same as in the late 90s," he lamented. He added, "The amount of advertising is $35 per capita, but for a country like Lebanon, it should be closer to $100."
The Lebanese market is now divided into two, Boulos explained. There are international agencies and small agencies, whose strength lies in creativity. "There is more room for medium sized agencies, because the costs are very high," he concluded. (Source: english.nuqudy.com)
