Targeted media to grow 8.1% this year
April 12, 2012, 12:01 pm EDT
New York—The targeted media category, which includes b2b media, branded entertainment, direct marketing, outsourced custom content and pure-play consumer Internet & mobile services, is expected to grow 8.1% this year compared with last year, according to the “VSS Forecast Mid-term Update.” Veronis Suhler Stevenson, which publishes the forecast, said the b2b media portion of the category is expected to grow 5.5% this year.
Total U.S. communications industry spending is expected to reach $1.185 trillion this year, a gain of 5.6% over last year. That growth rate will outperform GDP growth this year, which is projected to be 4.4%.
“While the "VSS Forecast Mid-term Update' clearly shows the strong growth momentum of digital media in such segments as pure-play consumer Internet and mobile services, and branded entertainment, it also highlights the impact of a strengthening economy,” said John Suhler, president of VSS, in a statement. “What's resulted is an increase in spending within the U.S. communications industry as both consumers and businesses begin to expand their use of a variety of communications platforms and tools, such as mobile devices and tablets. Bottom line: This is the best news for the industry in several years.”