March’s ad spend takes a hit as business goes into an election pause

Ad spend has experienced its sixth consecutive month of low demand, with March back 4.7% from last year to $583.6m, according to Standard Media Index’s (SMI) latest numbers.

The SMI recorded poor results in food, produce and dairy (back 23%), retail (back 12%), and automotive (back 7.7%). Ad spend from political parties, industry associations and unions, however, doubled during March to $12m.