Event marketing budgets, which includes experiential and brand experience activity, have grown for the 13th successive quarter, according to the latest Institute of Practitioners in Advertising’s (IPA) Bellwether report for January to March 2017.
Spend on live marketing was up 4.9% on the fourth quarter of 2016, showing that brands are continuing to invest in engaging with consumers in the real world. Although the figure is down from the 12.3% budget growth, it continues a positive trends that began back in 2014.
Looking forward, the signs for 2017 and 2018 are good, with the Bellwether reports stating that the industry should expect upward revisions for budgets throughout the coming financial year, with final data showing that a net balance of +10.6% is predicted for 2017 and 2018.
Total spend across marketing disciplines was up 11.8% overall. The strongest increases were in internet and main media advertising, with the former recording its highest growth in just under four years at 16.9%, and the latter jumping up to 10.7% from +5.1% in the final quarter of 2016.