The digital, print and trade show sectors of B2B media all witnessed increases in Q3 2011 compared with the year-earlier period, according to Business Information Network data from American Business Media.
The numbers point out that digital grew 22% in the third quarter, to $1.6 billion. Print witnessed a growth of 4.6%, to $5.7 billion, and trade shows jumped higher by 1.1%, to $7.7 billion.
Mergers and Acquisitions See Uptick
The mergers and acquisition side of things has also seen a lot of activity over the last 12 months.
Overall, M&A deal value in the media, information, marketing services and technology sectors grew 9% to $47.0 billion in 2011, according to investment bank Jordan, Edmiston Group (JEG). The number of deals in these sectors increased 2% to 896.
Marketing and interactive services turned out to be the most active category surveyed by JEG, with 291 deals (an increase of 17% over 2010) and $15.1 billion in deal value (increase of 33%).
“Overall, the interactive markets, including B2B and B2C online media and technology, and mobile media and technology, as well as marketing and interactive services, accounted for 71% of M&A deal activity for the year and 65% of the value,” JEG said in a statement.
The B2B online media and technology category witnessed an increase of 3% in the number of deals, to 63, and a 132% gain in deal value, to $6.0 billion. Among the biggest transactions was Oracle Corp.’s $1.1 billion acquisition of Endeca Technologies, which markets software to assist marketers’ better e-commerce efficiency.
Where is Digital Advertising Spending Headed in 2012?
For 2012, eMarketer is predicting that digital advertising spending will increase 18 percent to $36.8 billion, a figure that does not include spending on marketers’ own Web sites, something which Outsell Inc. projects at more than $60 billion on a yearly basis.
While the nation’s economy still seems to be sputtering, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the B2B marketing industry will be watching from the sidelines when it comes to spending habits.
As a B2B marketer, what are your budgeting plans for this year?
Are you expecting to:
1. Spend more on advertising?
2. Spend less on advertising?
3. Spend about the same amount spent in 2011?
Most importantly, are you optimistic that 2012 will be a good year for you in your B2B marketing endeavors?
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