Report: Consumer Internet, mobile services drive targeted media spending

The latest forecast from Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), issued Sept. 28, projects that targeted media will be the fastest-growing media sector in terms of total spending in 2011, due primarily to an uptick in consumer Internet, mobile services and branded entertainment.

The VSS forecast takes into account four revenue streams: advertising, marketing services, consumer end-user and institutional end-user.

The targeted media sector, which also encompasses direct marketing (including direct mail), outsourced custom publishing and b-to-b media, will grow 7.1% to $199.66 billion this year and 7.9% in the 2010-2015 period, according to the media-focused investment banking firm and forecaster.

Targeted media outpaces the projected 2011 growth of segments including business/professional information and services (6.5%); entertainment and leisure media (5.6%); traditional marketing, including consumer promotion and public relations (3.6%); and traditional consumer advertising media, including broadcast TV, newspaper and consumer magazine publishing and out-of-home (1.9%).

Overall, communications industry spending is on track to grow 4.1% in 2011 to $1.12 trillion and at a 5.5% compound annual growth rate 2010-2015, outpacing nominal GDP growth by 90 basis points, according to VSS.