Overall Asia adspend to cool slightly, but not red-hot digital, mobile

“A fully convergent and digital advertising landscape is rapidly becoming a reality, with a predicted 20.1 per cent growth in digital advertising spend this year in Asia Pacific—the most of any region globally," said Nick Waters, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific. "Asian markets are leading the adoption of internet-related platforms and technologies, and this uptake will drive a boom in mobile commerce in the region this year."

Online video also shows strong growth, he added.

On a country level, Waters said the "steady" 7.9 per cent growth expected in China will still be dominated by TV, although digital is seeing double-digit growth. He also pointed to positive prospects in India and "cautious optimism" in Japan, although Carat cited reduced forecasts in Japan, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam, as the reason for reduced forecast for overall APAC growth. 

Other Asia-related highlights of the forecast include:

• TV's share of spend in 2015 will be 55.8 per cent, but signs point to a slow decrease, and TV's share for 2016 is pegged at 53.7 per cent. 
• Digital media spending, which makes up the second largest portion of advertising spend in China at 20.5 per cent this year, is driving growth in the total market by 29.8 per cent in 2015. 
• Search spends are growing at 23.8 per cent, mobile 55 per cent, display (including online video) at 18.7 per cent. 

On a global level, Carat said that:

• Digital spend will reach 25 per cent of total spend in 2016, powered by a dramatic rise in mobile spending and online video.
• 2015 advertising spend across all media will increase by US$23.8 billion to reach US$540 billion, accounting for a +4.6% year-on-year increase.
• 2016 overall advertising spend will rise 5.0 per cent year-on-year.

In terms of media, Carat said that:

• Digital is the star performer in terms of growth, achieving higher than predicted levels in 2014 of 17.4 per cent and accounting for 21.7 per cent of market share
• TV will continue to command the majority of market share for the foreseeable future, reaching 42.7 per cent in 2014, and is predicted to grow by more than 3 per cent year-on-year in 2015 and 2016.
• 2015 global mobile spend will increase 50 per cent, and online video will be up 21.6 per cent
• Decline in print spending will continue, with out-of-home spending growth outpacing magazine spending for the first time in 2015.