The “traditional” advertising market closed out July at CHF 242.6 million, putting it 5.6 percent up on the previous year’s figure. However, this was a striking drop of 23 percent compared to the month prior: the summer slump has officially begun.
All told, annual advertising pressure YTD was just a fraction – one percent – above the previous year, at CHF 2’151,4 million gross.
In terms of “traditional” media groups, only print (-2%) and cinema (-66%) were behind the previous year’s values. The drop in cinema advertising was due to Barbie and Oppenheimer, the two box office smash hits from last year. The other media groups were in the black, led by radio with an uptick of 21 percent. Out-of-home grew by 12 percent (after the half-year results, this figure once again includes Livesystems for 2023 and 2024) and TV by 7 percent.
In digital media, there was a positive trend in all categories. YouTube rose by 12 percent on the previous year, closely followed by search engine advertising at 11 percent, while display only recorded an increase of 5 percent.
From 2024, we will be reporting the traditional advertising market and digital channels (search, YouTube, display) separately to ensure better comparability to the previous year. Volatility in recording in the online sector, due to external influences such as adjustments made by Google, can lead to larger fluctuations throughout the year. In the search sector in particular there were numerous adjustments and changes made by Google in the last half of the year, which made comparing gross advertising spending with the previous year difficult.
Advertising pressure in the market as a whole
Advertising pressure development up to July 2024 in CHF million gross.
The food sector falls 10 percent
While the food sector remains at the top of the leaderboard YTD, its 9.9 percent drop saw it slip just behind retail in July – a sector that experienced an uptick over the same period (+8.3%). This makes the food industry one of eight sectors to report lower figures in July compared to the same month in the previous year.
Only the energy (-67.9%), tobacco (-49.1%) and media (-28.0%) sectors, home to low advertising pressure, saw double-digit percentage decreases. The decline was kept in check for the events (-4.5%), fashion & sport (-3.1%) and public transport (-2.5%) sectors.
An increase in 13 sectors
All told, 13 sectors saw an increase in July compared to the previous year. This was especially visible in the cosmetics & toiletries (+33.7%), pharmaceuticals & health (+28.6%) and leisure, gastronomy & tourism (+25.8%) industries. However, other sectors also made clear headway, including beverages at 21.0 percent, initiatives & campaigns at 17.2 percent and cleaning at 12.2 percent.
Sector ranking
Sector ranking in July.
Top advertisers and products
The top advertisers and most advertised products and services (excluding range, image and other advertising) in July.
Media Mix
Media mix for July.
Advertising pressure in the digital market
Advertising pressure development up to July 2024 in CHF million gross.
Sector ranking: traditional vs. digital channels in comparison
Leisure, gastronomy & tourism takes third place YTD in both markets. The food sector tops the table in the traditional market, followed by retail in second place. Retail even takes the lead in the digital sphere – but finance comes in second, with the food sector pushed down to 11th place. In the “traditional” market, initiatives & campaigns and construction, industry, furnishings come in fourth and fifth, taking 13th and 6th place respectively in the digital space. The services and fashion & sport sectors finish in fourth and fifth place, while these two sectors are to be found in the lower half of the leaderboard in the “traditional” market (12th & 13th place).
The tobacco sector is at the bottom of the table in both markets. It ranks last in the “traditional” market and second to last in the digital market, where the cleaning sector brings up the rear. This sector takes 16th place in the “traditional” market. Energy is in the penultimate spot here and third from last in the digital market.
Pharmaceuticals & health, cosmetics & toiletries and telecommunications are in the middle of the table in both markets.
Sector ranking
Sector ranking in July.
Top digital products
The most advertised products and services (excluding range, image and other advertising) in July.
The #WIRSINDZUKUNFT campaign leads the pack in the display space, while the TikTok mobile app takes pole position for YouTube. Temu.com comes in second in both markets: this Chinese retail platform has maintained a spot in the top three for display and YouTube since May. In terms of search, booking.com takes the lead, followed by sunrise.ch.
Media Mix
Media mix for July.
Contact: mediafocus@mediafocus.ch, Tel.: +41 43 322 27 50