• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 30, 2025

March came in like a lamb and went out like a roller coaster ride in the U.S. ad marketplace, according to just-refreshed data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Tracker.

The index, which decelerated to 2.4% in February -- the worst expansion since the last ad recession ended -- bounced back to a 7.8% gain in March, implying a relatively healthy signal for the U.S. ad marketplace despite continuing concerns about the nation's economy, the macroeconomy, and geopolitical instability that have some economists predicting another looming recession.

The March index data also follows Guideline's release of "forward bookings" estimates for advance buys for the first two months of the second quarter showing a scant 1.8% gain (see below).

At the very least, the volatile nature of final buys and forward bookings compounds the uncertainty of the underlying health of U.S. ad spending.