11 March 2009
BEIRUT: The annual survey of the advertising market in the Arab world by ArabAd magazine and research firm IPSOS-STAT shows real advertising expenditures in Lebanon totaled $131.7 million in 2008, constituting a 21.9 percent rise from $108 million in 2007 and up by 58.7 percent from $83 million in 2006, as reported by Lebanon This Week, Byblos Bank Group's economic publication.
The report said 2008 had been a good year for Lebanon in all sectors. Television attracted $50 million, or 37.9 percent, of advertising expenditures, followed by print publications with $44.1 million (33.6 percent), outdoor billboards with $27.5 million (20.9 percent), radio with $8.6 million (6.5 percent) and cinemas with $1.5 million (1.1 percent). In terms of advertising revenues, LBCI was the top television station, Al-Balad led all newspapers, Achabaka was the top weekly publication, and Mondanit? was the leading monthly periodical.
Transmed was the biggest individual spender on advertising in Lebanon, followed by Khalil Fattal & Fils, L'Oreal, SMLC, BUMC, Zain, National Beverage Company, Obegi, Amana Care, and BankMed. Toyota was the top advertised brand in all media, followed by Zain, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Head & Shoulders, Amana Care, Pantene Pro-V, BankMed, Bank Audi and Zein Al-Atat.
According to IPSOS-STAT, monitored advertising expenditures in Lebanon, which are determined according to rate cards, totaled $784.4 million last year, up by 37.3 percent from $571.3 million in 2007. Lebanon accounted for 7 percent of total monitored advertising expenditures in the Arab world. It ranked in 4th place behind Pan Arab TV satellites (40 percent), the United Arab Emirates (22 percent) and Saudi Arabia (10 percent). Observers predict that in 2009 there will be a drop in advertising spending in Lebanon of at least 30 to 40 percent across the board. - The Daily Star
Copyright The Daily Star 2009.
