Auto sector led print advertising in 2024; Honda Activa H Smart is top brand

Ad space per Publication in print witnessed a substantial 58% surge in 2024 compared to 2020, with a marginal 1% increase over the previous year, while ad space per publication increased by 57% in 2023 over 2020. While comparing 2024 with 2023, growth of 1% in ad space/per publication was reflected. In Quarterly Trends, Q4 of 2024 witnessed growth of 9% compared to Q1 of 2024.

The Auto sector rose two spots to lead Print advertising in 2024 with 15% share, followed by Services sector which slid one spot to second position. During 2024, the top 2 sectors – Personal Accessories and Durables – retained their respective positions compared to 2023. Also, the Top 10 Sectors collectively added 84% share of the ad space on Print medium.

Cars was the leading category with 8% share of the ad space, followed by Two Wheelers with 6% share in 2024. Out of the Top 10 categories, three of them belonged to the Education Sector and two each from Auto, Services and Retails sector during 2024. Together, the Top 10 Categories had a collective share of 44%.

Maruti Suzuki India ascended to the 1st position in 2024 compared to 2023 on Print medium. Both Samsung India Electronics, TVS Motor Company and Tata Motors entered the top advertisers’ list and secured 6th, 8th and 9th positions, respectively, during 2024 over 2023. The Top 10 Advertisers contributed 14% share of the Ad Space in Print.

The Top 10 Brands contributed 5% share of the Print Ad Space in 2024. Honda Activa H Smart claimed the top brand position in print, with over 181K brands actively advertising in 2024. In 2024, four brands in the Top 10 list were from the Auto sector. Five new entrants emerged in the top brand list for 2024, marking a notable shift from 2023.

Over 265+ Categories registered positive growth. Two Wheelers among the categories saw highest increase in Ad secondages with growth of 29%, followed by Cars with 13% growth during 2024 compared to 2023. In terms of growth %, Ecom-Wallets category witnessed highest growth % among the Top 10, that is, 2.6 times growth.

Over 73 K+ advertisers and 97 K+ brands exclusively advertised during 2024 in Print compared to 2023. Reliance BP Mobility and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra were the top exclusive advertiser and brand, respectively, in 2024 compared to 2023.

Ad innovations in Print

Figured Outline was the leading Innovative Ad Layout during 2024, followed by French Window. In addition to the Top 5 Innovations, there were 27 more Ad Innovations with a total share of 0.23%. The Top 5 Innovative Ad Layouts together added 0.6% share of the ad spaces during 2024.

Jacket-Full Page was the most preferred Ad Position by advertisers on Print during Y 2024. Over 8,400+ brands advertised as Jacket-Full Page (Newspaper & Magazine) during 2024 among which Allen Career Institute was the top brand.

Top Ad Positions in 2024

Sales Promotion ads accounted for 32% of the total ad space in Print during 2024. Among Sales Promotions, Multiple Promotion was on top with 48% share of ad space, followed by Discount Promotion. The Top 2 promotions solely covered 86% share of ad space during year 2024.

Deepavali remained the most significant festival for print advertising, contributing 28% of the total ad space in 2024, followed by Navratri/ Durga Puja and Christmas/ New Year with 21% & 15% share, respectively.