Beer Brands Increased Advertising in Q3 2012

While overall ad pages for alcoholic beverages declined by 7.6% in the third quarter of 2012, beer brands increased ad pages by 17.3% to 154.5 pages, as measured among 197 MPA magazines.

Looking through October, beer brand ad pages are up 15% to 392 total pages through the first ten months of 2012 versus the same period in 2011. Beer ad pages January-October were at the highest since 2009, when beer brands placed 444 pages.

While just 5 of the top 10 advertisers increased ad pages through October, large campaigns by Bud Light and Michelob were enough to drive the category up.

Bud Light was the top beer advertiser January-October, placing 97 pages in 17 different magazines, mostly promotingBud Light Platinum.

Michelob was the second most active advertiser with 92 pages in 21 different magazines, promoting Michelob Ultraand Michelob Ultra Light Cider.

Time Out New York achieved top market share of beer ads with 55.5 pages, including 17.25 pages from Stella Artoisand 13 pages from Amstel Light.

Beer brands also have a strong advertising presence on MPA Web sites, with 33 brands advertising online in Q3 2012. The top advertisers are similar between MPA magazines and Web sites, with Michelob and Bud Light as the top advertisers online.

Michelob led with 376 ad placements in Q3 2012. A single ad placement is a distinct piece of ad creative that appears in a specific location on a Web site during a calendar month.