On the other hand consumer behaviour, regarding digital media consumption in particular, generally geared towards either quicker perusal on the go or more direct access to content, also affects attention to advertising. As far as traditional and long-standing types of media are concerned, many rely on selling advertising time or space to survive, which is especially true for print media in times of falling paid circulation and subscription numbers.
In recent years the highest levels of advertising spending in the media were visible online and on television, though a decade ago this was true for newspapers. Based on the gross advertising market share of individual media in Germany, television is in the lead.
Plenty of industries still rely on above-the-line advertising, or so-called traditional, easily recognizable ads in classic media, as well as outdoor advertising. The industries with the highest ad spend in this area are food retail, online services and cars. A look at German job openings for advertising reveals that specialists directly in this field, as well as marketing, are in demand, in addition to interns and graphic designers.
Television remains one of the most used media in Germany, so it stands to reason that a large portion of advertising efforts and investments are concentrated there. Monthly gross TV ad spending has fluctuated in the last year, though there has been an increase thus far in 2020. Almost 5.4 million television commercials were aired in Germany in 2019. These commercials took up over 2.5 million minutes of air time that same year.
Forecasts predict a steady increase of advertising revenue in Germany, with figures expected to reach 33.6 billion euros in 2021. Online ad revenue in particular looks to be facing a rosy future, with rapid growth already recorded in recent years.
