Government ramps up ad spend by 50 per cent as election looms, new numbers suggest

May 16, 2013 1:32

The latest numbers on ad spend in the Australian market suggest spending on government advertising rose 50 per cent in April compared to the same time last year.

Spending on public information announcements and the like is always a political battleground, with opposition parties accusing the government of using public money to promote its own agenda. With the federal election due in September, the reported 50 per cent rise is likely to draw such accusations.

According to Standard Media Index numbers, the spend rose from $14.2m in April last year to $21.3m this April, an increase of 49.7 per cent. In the two years before that, spending had been steady at $14.6m in April 2010 and $15.3m in April 2011.

In the four months of the calendar year to date covered by the report, government spend is virtually flat compared to 2012, down 0.9 per cent, suggesting that the increase in government ad spend has come in recent weeks.

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Nic Christensen

Nic Christensen worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2016, in roles including deputy editor and media & technology editor. He is former media writer for The Australian and has also worked as a reporter for The Daily Telegraph and senior producer for Radio 2GB.

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