Spanish-language broadcasting buoys a weak TV ad market. A new survey of U.S. television advertising in 2014 shows a modest gains, most of it fueled by Spanish-language TV. According to research by ad-tracking firm Kantar Media, Spanish-language TV registered a 23.7 percent gain in spot TV advertising, which Kantar attributed in large part to World Cup coverage. Cable networks saw a 7.9 percent gain in the third quarter, compared with 0.2 percent for national network buys. For January through September, overall TV spending was up 7.1 percent year over year, outstripping Internet (5.7 percent), magazines (-4.3 percent), newspapers (-9.2 percent) and radio (-3.8 percent).
Digital advertising on the move in China. TV may still be on top in the U.S., but the platforms have rapidly switched places in China. According to the New York Times, companies doing business in China are expected to spend more money on digital advertising than on television campaign. That’s a dramatic reversal from a mere three years ago, when nearly half the advertising dollars went to television and just 14 percent went to digital, according to ad agency ZenithOptimedia.
NFL puts its clips on Facebook. Facebook last week scored more points in its effort to boost video revenue when the NFL began feeding it short video clips. According to the Wall Street Journal, the sequences may include game highlights as well as NFL news and fantasy football advice, according to people familiar with the plans. Each clip will precede an ad from Verizon Wireless, which will pay to promote them within NFL fans’ Facebook newsfeeds.
NBA drops "Sorority Sisters." The National Basketball Association has become the latest brand to withdraw its advertising from "Sorority Sisters," a new VH1 program that has drawn harsh criticism for its portrayal of historically black sororities. The NBA, which announced its decision with a terse tweet, joins Honda, Crayola, Hallmark and Carmex in pulling its advertising.
Washington restricts pot advertising. Residents of Washington state may be able to purchase marijuana legally, but that doesn’t mean regulators are loosening up the rules on how it’s advertised. The state’s Liquor Control Board this month rolled out ad guidelines that limit marijuana marketing and promotion. For starters, no marijuana advertising or labeling on marijuana or marijuana-infused products may claim that marijuana has any curative or therapeutic effects. Marijuana ads are banned from public property and transit vehicles, and merchants are forbidden from using giveaways, coupons, or branded merchandise to promote their products.