Data Room

Advertising Expenditures in Japan

Dentsu’s annual report on advertising expenditures in Japan is an estimate of advertising spending in Japan during the calendar year (January to December), representing the advertising media fees and production costs for the traditional media (newspapers, magazines, radio and television), along with those for the satellite media-related, Internet, and promotional media categories. It is prepared in cooperation with media companies and production companies. Advertising expenditures in the traditional media are also broken down into estimates for 21 industry categories. Dentsu had used the same methods and category scope in its estimate of expenditures from 1947 through 1986, but in 1987 the scope of the report was expanded beyond the four traditional media, and figures were revised retroactively to 1985. The scope of estimates was revised again in the 2007 report, with figures revised retroactively to 2005.

Overview of Advertising Expenditures in Japan for 2012

Spending rose for the first time in five years

  • Total advertising expenditures in calendar year 2012 came to 5,891.3 billion yen, an increase of 3.2% compared with the previous year.
  • Ad placements recovered strongly during the second half of 2011 on reconstruction-related demand after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and this trend carried over through the first half of 2012.
  • Advertising expenditures in the traditional media grew 2.9%. Spending rose not only in Television (up 3.0%), but also in Newspapers and Magazines. Promotional Media and Satellite Media-Related spending both posted growth, and Internet advertising again showed solid gains.
  • Spending increased in 16 of the 21 industry categories, including Automobiles/Related Products, Information/Communications and Beverages/Cigarettes.

Advertising Expenditure Reports

2012 Advertising Expenditure Component Ratios by Medium