• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 10, 2003

National, Retail and Classified Newspaper Advertising Spending Up

Newspaper advertising expenditures for the fourth quarter of 2002 totaled $12.8 billion, a 4.4 percent increase over the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America. Retail advertising spending rose 3.8 percent to $6.1 billion, national ad spending increased 12.4 percent to $1.9 billion and classified rose 2.2 percent to $4.8 billion.

Real estate ad spending led the way in the fourth quarter with an increase of 6.9 percent to $1.1 billion. Automotive gained 5.7 percent to $1.7 billion, recruitment advertising dropped 9.1 percent to $1.2 billion and all other classifieds were up 7.6 percent to $784 million.

NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm said, "Advertisers continue to depend on newspapers to deliver their message… they count on newspapers as an effective and cost effective medium."

Overall for the year 2002, retail advertising expenditures edged up 1.5 percent to $21 billion, national rose 2.9 percent to $7.2 billion and classified dropped 4.4 percent to $15.9 billion. Total 2002 ad spending in newspapers was $44.1 billion, down 0.5 percent from 2001.

Within the 2002 classified category, automotive grew 5.5 percent to $5.2 billion, real estate increased 4.5 percent to $3.7 billion, recruitment declined 23.1 percent to $4.4 billion and all other classified gained 6.8 percent to $2.7 billion.

2002 NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING EXPENDITURES ($ in billions)

	RETAIL	NATIONAL	CLASSIFIED	TOTAL
1st Quarter	$4.6	$1.7	$3.5	$9.7
2nd Quarter	$5.2	$1.8	$3.8	$10.9
3rd Quarter	$5.1	$1.7	$3.9	$10.7
4th Quarter	$6.1	$1.9	$4.8	$12.8
Total 2002	$21.0	$7.2	$15.9	$44.1

Prepared by Newspaper Association of America Business Analysis and Research Department

Quarterly ad spending trends can be tracked on NAA's Web site. Find out more here.