Advertising spend roars back

So says City AM today, Friday, reporting on the Advertising Association's latest figures.

Paid-for display advertising investment topped £ 17.2bn by the end of 2012, a 2.3% rise on the 2011 figure.

Now it's expected to overtake 2007's record high of £ 17.4bn this year!

On the front foot

Credos, the AA's Front Foot's think-tank launched on Thursday night to great aplomb, with the great and the good in attendance at Unilever HQ!

It was good to see DCMS and BIS minister for the creative industries Ed Vaizey talking the talk about advertising; economically significant, leading, highly creative, globally competitive, strong in self-regulation. He preached a non-interventionist approach and applauded the industry for its savvy, intellectual calibre and entrepreneurship.

Ironic that on the same day Marketing magazine's front page predicted that the ad business (particularly media owners) would be deprived of £ 750 million of Government expenditure on marcoms.