The advertising market felt the spring in March
The first month of spring is bringing new momentum to the Swiss advertising market. As in previous years, the Swiss advertising market is once again showing significant growth in March 2018.
At 697.8 million gross advertising francs, advertising print is up 34.3 percent on the previous month (without online data expansion: 560.4 million francs). Compared to the previous year, this means an increase of 27.4 percent (without online data expansion: 2.4 percent). Once again this month, the leisure, hospitality and tourism and services sectors are engaged in an exciting battle for pole position in the sector rankings.
Data integration: Internet and TV
Since January 2017, the Internet media group has been reported in the Trend advertising market, including Search Desktop advertising. As of the end of July 2017, Search-Mobile was also integrated into the advertising statistics of Media Focus. In January 2018, Search was integrated for French-speaking Switzerland on the basis of tens of thousands of French search terms (share of Search YTD: 87% DE/13% FR).
Since March 2018, YouTube data (display and video) has also been reported retroactively from January 2018 in the advertising market trend (share of media mix YTD 1%). In addition, the TV media group includes TV sponsorship as well as the advertising formats pre-split, post-split, single split and time from January 2018.
New: Integration YouTube data
The Internet media group now also includes data for YouTube (video pre-rolls and display). These were integrated retroactively from January 2018. In March, YouTube accounted for 3 percent of the Internet media group and 1 percent of the media mix. More than 600 advertisers, led by Apple, Swisscom and Wix.com, use the channel to reach their target groups.
Advertising pressure in the overall market
Development of advertising print as of March 2018
Recreation, gastronomy and tourism picks up again
Leisure, hospitality and tourism remains the top industry YTD. After declining (-28 percent) in February, the industry rebounds (24 percent) in March. Services remains in second place, with a new bronze medal. Construction, industry, furnishings can secure third place with an advertising print of 59.4 million in March. Retail trade and vehicles thus slip to 4th and 5th place.
Service industry with focus on search in lead
The services sector with Comparis, Siroop and Co. led the way for the first time in 2018 in March, narrowly overtaking leisure, hospitality and tourism in the sector ranking with a gross value print of 66.5 million. At 89.7 percent, this represents the third-highest year-on-year increase. Only the Political Campaigns and It, Hard & Software product groups saw even stronger growth (109.2 percent and 90.7 percent respectively).
Tobacco industry almost invisible and less advertising for new cars
As usual, the tobacco industry was the worst performer in the sector and again suffered a year-on-year decline in March (-13.7 percent). The media (-12.5 percent), events (-7.7 percent) and vehicles (-6.7 percent) sectors also lost advertising pressure compared with 2017. The product group passenger cars (NEW), which is included in this figure, even recorded a drop of 14 percent.
Advertising printing in the industries
Advertising pressure in the sectors with year-on-year comparison
Top 10 of the month
Top advertisers and most advertised products and services (excluding assortment and image advertising) in March
Media Mix
The integration of Search data, Desktop (January 2017) and Mobile (July 2017) into the Media Focus advertising statistics has led to a significant increase in the share of Internet in the media mix. Since January 2018, Search data has also been collected for French-speaking Switzerland (Search share: 87% DE/13% FR).
