In May, B-to-B ad pages rose 3.4 percent over May 2003, while ad revenues rose 6.1 percent. Through the first five months of 2004, ad pages are down 0.9 percent, while revenues are up 1.8 percent. Ad pages are deemed the more vital indicator of the magazine industry's advertising health, since revenues generally are based on rate cards that are negotiated and often discounted.
Nonetheless, Gordon Hughes, president-CEO of the ABM, said the organization is "encouraged" by the May results and predicted the "upswing in b-to-b will continue to the second half of the year."
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B-to-B Ad Pages, Revenue
Ad
Pages Ad Dollars
January -4.6% +2.4%
February -0.9% +0.2%
March -5.5% -2.6%
April
-0.2% +2.7%
May +3.4% +6.1%
Year-to-Date -0.9% +1.8%
Source: American Business Media from the Business
Information Network database. As of January 2004 estimates are derived from IMS/The Auditor.