Despite having grown for over a year since the bottom of the downturn, UK companies’ marketing budgets were revised down this Spring, as the likelihood of an Age Of Austerity dawned on folk, according to the IPA/BDA Bellwether for Q2.
The cutback was equal to, and so cancelled out, growth seen during Q1.
Par for the course, internet, search and direct marketing were the only media to attract higher marketing outlay. But internet growth was the slowest for three years, and search grew more slowly than in Q1, according to the IPA.
From the announcement: “The Q2 Bellwether survey, coupled with PMI data, now suggest that the initial strong rebound in economic activity is waning and that the UK economy is now entering a phase of slower growth.”
BDO head Andy Viner: “Optimism and confidence appear to be waning.” IPA president Rory Sutherland: “Though this indicates a less optimistic picture than previously thought for
this year, marketing spend is still set to increase.