Global Ad Spend Forecast to Hit $502 Billion in 2012

ZenithOptimedia's latest forecast expects adspend to grow to 4.3 percent to $502 billion by the end of 2012, a slight downgrade of the 4.8 percent growth forecasted in March. Quadrennial events such as the Olympics and the presidential election are expected to add $6.3 billion to global growth.

Highlights include:

- Global ad expenditure forecast to grow 4.3% in 2012, slightly down from the 4.8% forecast we made in March

- Growth slowed in April and May as advertisers became more cautious about the world economy

- Growth to pick up during the major sport events from June to August, and in the run up to November elections in the US

- Quadrennial events to add $6.3 billion to global growth this year

- Ten developing markets to deliver half of global adspend growth between 2011 and 2014

- Developing markets to increase their share of the global ad market from 32.8% to 36.7% over the next three years

- Internet's share of expenditure to rise from 16.0% in 2011 to 21.5% in 2014, exceeding 30% in six markets