No tonic for advertising sector

A survey by ACNielsen on advertising expenditure in the first nine months of 2001 showed an overall 18 per cent increase in spending on television and newspapers and magazines. However, agencies active in the China market said that the survey did not include discounts and that if these were included, spending would be flat in 2001, or even down by 5-10 per cent. The survey showed that spending on the advertising of vitamins and tonics, which accounts for around 12 per cent of the total monitored spend, had fallen by almost 9 per cent year-on-year, while spending on residential property had almost doubled. Other significant gainers included shampoo and conditioners and cold treatments.