National newspaper adverts ‘are staging a recovery’

National newspaper advertising will grow for the first time in three years, top media-buying agency ZenithOptimedia forecast today.

Zenith said national press advertising is up 9.5% in the first five months of this year.

The agency also upgraded its global forecasts for the third time as western economies rebounded faster than expected.

The global advertising market should increase 3.5%, up from its 2.2% forecast in April, to
$448 billion (£293 billion).

Advertising is still down on 2008 levels after a 10.3% plunge during last year's recession. "Most of the upgrade is in North America and in western Europe," said Zenith, "but these regions are still growing much more slowly than most developing markets."

Western markets will grow by 2.4% in 2011 but developing markets like the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China are set to jump 9.1%.