Global Ad Spend Grew 4.3% in Q3 2012

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Global advertising spending jumped 4.3 percent in Q3 of last year, according to Nielsen's latest Global AdView Pulse report.

Nielsen's report found that advertising spending in the Middle East and Africa had the highest year-over-year growth. North America, meanwhile, was the only area that saw a decline in ad spending from this time last year.

"Growth in global ad spend accelerated in Q3. The Olympics, a major media event in all parts of the world, and the U.S. presidential election helped drive investment up," said Nielsen Global Head of Advertiser Solutions Randall Beard.

"We'll be watching carefully to see if the growth was sustained in Q4 and into 2013, or if there's a dip in comparison to this year."

According to Nielsen's report, $139 billion was spent on global advertising last quarter. Overall, the second half of 2012 saw global ad spending jump 2.7 percent when compared to the first half of the same year.

The Middle East and Africa was found to have the highest amount of ad spend growth year-over-year. According to Nielsen's report, the region saw 18.9 percent growth from the same quarter in 2011.

Latin America also saw strong gains in ad spending last quarter. The region was reported to show a 6.4 percent growth in ad spending year-over-year.

According to the study, the only region to see a slight slump in ad spending for the quarter was North America. The region was found to have seen a 3.4 percent reduction in ad spending from Q3 2011 to Q3 2012.

Despite the slump, certain industries did see specific gains in North America. The automotive industry, along with the industry and services sector, saw double digit gains in ad spending for the quarter.

According to Nielsen, political ads from the U.S. presidential election were the primary reason for ad spend growth in the industry and services sector.

Nielsen's study examines ad spending in the TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, outdoor, cinema, and Internet display industries to come up with its results.