US stays atop Global Ad Market, but Others Rank Higher per Capita

  The US may be the world’s largest ad market, but advertisers still spend more to reach consumers in other markets, particularly those in Australia and Europe, according to eMarketer’s latest Global Media Intelligence Report, produced in collaboration with Starcom MediaVest Group.

Total media ad spending per person in the US will reach $404, making the country No. 4 after Australia, Norway and the UK. In the narrower category of digital ad spending per internet user, only Norway will beat out the US this year, at $209 vs. $201.

The US, and, by extension, North America, is still the largest ad market in the world in terms of sheer spending. This year, eMarketer estimates, total media ad spending in the US and Canada together will reach $184.73 billion, for a 35.7% share of the total, compared to Asia-Pacific’s second-place 27.7%.

The dominance of North America extends to digital ad spending: Just under 39% of all digital ad spending this year will come from the region, compared to 28.7% from Asia-Pacific and just over 24% from Western Europe. North America’s share will drop slightly as emerging markets grow digital ad spending more quickly, but the US and Canada will hold tight to a 37.9% share of the total by 2017.

Mobile ad spending, similarly, is growing more quickly in emerging markets but remains dominated in terms of absolute dollars by North America. North American advertisers will lay out $7.72 billion on mobile ads this year, vs. $4.14 billion in expected spending in Asia-Pacific. That will give North America nearly a 50% share of the world’s mobile ad market, which eMarketer anticipates it will hold throughout the forecast period.

Other key figures on North America-based media usage and spending from the report include:

•     Internet users: 272 million in 2013, or 77% of the population, compared to 69% in 2008.
•     Mobile phone users: 270 million this year—about 77% of the population—compared to 243 million in 2009.
•     Smartphone users: 152 million in 2013, or more than 56% of mobile phone users, compared to 18.5% in 2009.
•     Social network users: 181.2 million in 2013, up from 97.3 million in 2008.
•     Total ad spending: $184.73 billion in 2013, compared to $188.34 billion in 2008.
•     Digital ad spending: $45.44 billion, or 24.6% of total ad spending, in 2013, compared to 13.4% in 2008.
•     Mobile ad spending: $7.72 billion, or 18.8% of digital ad spending, in 2013, compared to 0.5% in 2008.

Courtesy of eMarketer