Martin Sorrell, CEO of the WPP ad agency group, makes these predictions in a Daily Telegraph report:
- The 2004 Olympic Games is on target to boost global spending on advertising by about $1.5 billion (€1.2 billion) this year.
- Growth of 3%-4% for the market this year – helped by the Games, Euro 2004 and the US presidential elections – and 2%-3% for 2005.
- Underlying improvement in 2005 as continued spending by the public sector, oil and energy, retail, and pharmaceutical companies is buttressed by IT and financial services, which have come back.
- Words of caution: “”We are out of the bath, but watch out for the showers.” One cloud gathering is the US economy after the presidential election.