2017.10.18 – Affinity Media: A very slow first semester and careful forecasts for French advertising investments in 2017

According to data provided jointly by France Pub, Irep and Kantar Media, during the first half of 2017 the net advertising revenues of Medias showed a very slight increase of + 0.1%. For the first half of 2016, the increase was + 1.1%.

All the historical media are experiencing this slowdown and except for digital advertising, virtually no media is experiencing a positive evolution this semester. Some “niches” of progression appear like TV sponsorship (+ 17.7%), digital outdoor advertising (+ 13.2%) and the entire shopping segment (+ 9.4%), as well as ISA (prints without address) (+ 3.2%).

For the Total Historical Media + Internet segment, the first-half growth was + 0.6%. On this same segment, the annual forecast of French advertisers’ spending for 2017 is + 0.2%. However, the slowdown observed in H1 could be less pronounced over the whole year thanks to a second-half recovery freed from the electoral context and benefiting from a positive base effect.

To set up a forecast at +1.6%, France Pub integrates “owner media” (digital and content tools funded by the communication services of advertisers).

In terms of segments, the market references 44,961 advertisers, i.e. 2% more than in the first half of 2016. And even though the press still attracts nearly 1 advertisers out of 2 (47%), digital media still attract the largest number of advertisers with a rate of 59% (+3 points) for search and display combined.

Distribution pulls the market up and represents 15.7% of net investments The sector posted the strongest growth of 6.6% in the first half, followed by tourism (+ 6%) and telecommunications, which returned to growth (+ 8.2%) after two consecutive years of decline.

Conversely, beauty (-12.3%), automotive (-5.4%) and food (-6%) were down.