• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, February 24, 2012

In another strong indication that the advertising recovery is sustainable, U.S. advertisers and agencies continue to be near their most confident levels of future ad-spending plans, according to the latest installment of the Advertiser Optimism Index from ad industry B-to-B researcher Advertiser Perceptions. The findings, which reflect the sentiment of advertisers and agencies surveyed during October and November 2011, show their second-highest levels of confidence to increase their ad budgets over the next year since the global economic recession began in 2008.

While the index dropped two points from AP’s last semi-annual survey in the spring of 2011, it remains near its highest point overall, and individually for most of the major media. In fact, every major medium with the exception of broadcast TV --  which was flat -- and mobile -- which dropped one index point -- increased its level of optimism from the spring 2011 survey.

While mobile dropped a point, it remains the highest overall index -- a 60 -- representing the difference in percentage points of respondents who said they were likely to increase, versus those who planned to decrease their ad budgets over the next 12 months.

The overall “digital” category gained four points to an index of 52, and cable TV picked up two for an index of 21. Broadcast TV was flat at an index of 5. Magazines gained nine points to an index of 0. And while newspapers continue to be in negative territory, the medium improved six points to an index of -18.

News of the improvement in U.S. advertising sentiment comes a day after U.K.-based WARC released an update of its worldwide ad-spending index indicating that the U.S. was helping to sustain a global advertising expansion across the globe, and news that another key ad market -- Japan -- was recovering dramatically from the ad market infrastructure issues caused by last year’s earthquake and tsunami.