Swiss advertising market collapses in the first month of 2021
The Swiss advertising market plummeted by about one-third in January 2021 compared to the same month a year earlier (-34.9%). Gross advertising spending totaled just 291 million francs in the first month of 2021, according to Media Focus’s “Advertising Market Trend” report.
This is 156 million less than in January 2020 - and at the same time the lowest figure since July 2012. The reduction extends across all media groups and, with two exceptions - cleaning & beverages - also across all sectors.
While 2020 as a whole closed on a conciliatory note at minus 14 percent, despite the advertising slump during the 1st lockdown, the first month of 2021, with the 2nd lockdown in full swing, shows the consequences of the Corona crisis for advertising budget planning in the new year.
Cleaning and drinks alone on the floor
"Mr. and Mrs. Swiss, you're wondering how to get through the second lockdown well? The answer: stay clean and stay hydrated." That's the message of January 2021's advertising efforts, with the cleaning industry increasing ad pressure by 53 percent and the beverage industry also seeing a whopping 37 percent increase.
Some of the other 19 sectors are making significant cuts. First and foremost, the beleaguered event industry (-80.9%). But the media sector (-70.5%), leisure, catering, tourism (-68.7%) and tobacco products (-64.1%) are also losing more than two-thirds of their advertising print compared with January 2020. Food (-7.4%), cosmetics and personal care (-10.5%), pharmaceuticals and health (-11.3%) and telecommunications (-14.2%) are getting off lightly in comparison.
McDonald's campaign on top
The top 10 products in January contain a colorful mix of products and industries. The McDonald's campaign is at the top of the list, followed by Home24.ch. The best way to place an order for new furniture is with the new Apple iPhone 12 Pro in 3rd place. Weight Watchers on rank 4 helps one to get rid of the home office pounds again and to implement the New Year's resolutions. Two new cars follow in 5th and 7th place - the Renault Clio Hybrid and the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV. In between, Pharma und Gesundheit ranks with Triofan Schnupfen. UPC Giga Internet and campaigns by Coke and Amazon complete the top 10.
Out-of-home high further slowed in January
The high for out-of-home advertising in summer 2020 comes to an abrupt end. What was already apparent in winter 2020 manifested itself in January with a decline of 53.1 percent. The share of the media mix thus slips below 10 percent for the second time in a row (9.3%). But the other media groups also have to accept high declines. Internet advertising is down significantly (-48.3%), as is print (-31.1). Cinema advertising continues to be non-existent. TV (-14.3%) and radio (-10.9%) show only moderate losses in January 2021, compared to the other media groups. TV thus remains the strongest media group with a share of 36.2 percent of the media mix, followed by print with 26 percent and the Internet with 25.5 percent.
