New Figures Reveal Big Spenders In Marketing

BSkyB’s advertising spending has increased by more than 30% year on year to as much as £160m in 2007, new figures have revealed.
The significant spend hike can be attributed to BSkyB’s expensive feud with Virgin Media and the company’s move into telephone and broadband.
Last year BSkyB spent £115m on TV, press, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising, a 60% year-on-year increase, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Both BskyB and Virgin Media have spent more than £20m online and tens of millions more on direct marketing.
Virgin Media’s total advertising spend is thought to be just over £70m for 2007, up from a total of about £50m in 2006, when the company was then NTL: Telewest.
BSkyB’s marketing budget boost saw a doubling of TV ad spending from £14m in 2006 year on year.
Sky’s broadband customer base rose from 193,000 to 1.2 million last year, while telephone customers jumped from 220,000 to 915,000.
BT’s advertising spend on traditional media rose marginally from £64.6m to £69.2m from 2006 to 2007.
ITV cut its spending by 11.64% from £16.6m to £14.7m; and Channel 4’s spend decreased by 36% from £19.7m to £12.6m.
Nielsen Media Research completes the annual compilation of online and direct marketing spending later this month.
(DS)