• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, September 5, 2003

Heading into the fall of 2003 demand for ad inventory in all media has increased relative to the same point last year, according to nearly 500 media planners and buyers surveyed in recent weeks by MediaPost and InsightExpress.

Two out of five (39%) of the respondents who were surveyed online by InsightExpress in late August said their underlying demand for ad media has increased either somewhat or greatly, while 43% said it remained the even with last year. Only 18% said they had experienced a decrease in demand.

The findings are consistent with other recent positive indicators for the advertising economy that have emerged in recent weeks. First half 2003 trending data from ad tracking firms Nielsen Monitor-Plus and TNS Media Intelligence/CMR and from various ad trade associations have shown healthier than expected gains and analysts and economists speaking at last week's Television Bureau of Advertising forecasting conference suggested that momentum would continue to build, at least through 2004.

But some media appear to be poised for significantly greater growth than others, especially online and cable TV. More than half of the agency executives polled by MediaPost and InsightExpress said their demand for online and cable TV ad inventory had increased either greatly or somewhat (see table below).

The next strongest demand gains were experienced by radio and outdoor media. Late last week, the outdoor ad industry released figures showing a 5.3% rate of growth during the first half of 2003, a revision upward from its earlier predictions.

Print media continue to lag in terms of an upswing in advertising demand. Less than a third of media planners and buyers said they have experienced an increase in demand for magazine ad space. Only 27% said their demand for newspaper ad space has expanded, the same percentage that said it has decreased.

Interestingly, network TV, the medium that continues to enjoy the highest sell-out positions and the highest rates of ad cost increases, ranks only ahead of newspapers in terms of the relative change in demand from media planners and buyers.

August 2003 Ad Demand Index

How Ad Demand Has Changed Relative To The Same Point A Year Ago 

          Increased    Stayed The Same    Decreased

Online        56%             33%             11% 
Cable         53%             35%             13% 
Radio         41%             45%             15% 
Outdoor       35%             45%
19% 
Magazines     31%             47%             20% 
Network TV    31%             47%             22% 
Newspapers    27%             45%             27% 
All Media     39%
43%             18% 

August 2003 MediaPost and InsightExpress survey of media planners and buyers. Base = 494 respondents.