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Good times ahead for TV ad spending in US, says study
NEW YORK: The total advertising spend in the US has grown 6.8 per cent in the first half of 2003, with some of the strongest gains coming from cable television, nationally syndicated broadcasting and Spanish-language television, according to the ad tracking firm TNS Media Intelligence/CMR.
Media reports quoting the study, released last Friday, say that all forms of broadcasting have increased 4.7 per cent to $31.3 billion in the past six months. Print advertising went up 8.6 per cent to $25.9 billion. Internet and outdoor advertising rose 15.3 per cent and 5.3 per cent respectively. The total ad expenditures for the first half of the year were $61.7 billion.
“These first-half results are further evidence that the ad recovery is well under way and that 2003 will be a healthy year for the advertising marketplace,” CMR president and chief executive Steven Fredericks said of the results.
Cable TV had the largest gain, up 16.7 per cent to $5.7 billion. National syndication rose 15.8 per cent to $1.6 billion, while Spanish-language network TV was up 15.4 per cent to $1.1 billion. Only one category had negative growth – network TV fell 0.4 per cent to $10.3 billion. Flat to moderate growth was experienced by spot TV, local radio and network radio.
However, one analyst stated that though encouraging, the numbers were not particularly helpful to investors in terms of gauging trends in media stocks. “It’s all backwards-looking data that’s already priced into the stocks,” Sanders Morris Harris analyst David Miller has been quoted as saying. He explained, “The markets always look forward, so right now valuations on media stocks, whether it’s radio or any other advertising-based business, is reflecting expectations in the bottom half of the year.” Still, the report reveals some spending trends.
The top spenders in the first half of 2003 were automotive, packaged goods and entertainment advertisers. General Motors led the spending with a 10.5 per cent increase to $1.3 billion. Two media conglomerates are also among the top 10 spenders. AOL Time Warner spent $965.7 million, 4.8 per cent more than it did last year, while the Walt Disney Co raised its ad spending 19.4 per cent to $632.5 million, the CMR report says.
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Bharat Vedica launches ‘From Beehives to Bottle’ campaign
Honey brand uses honeycomb-inspired hexagon bottle and reels to celebrate nature’s craft.
MUMBAI: Bharat Vedica just bottled nature’s buzz because when bees build the perfect shape, the smartest thing a brand can do is copy the homework. Bharat Vedica, the wellness-focused organic brand under A Patel Venture, has rolled out a digital-first campaign titled ‘From Beehives to Bottle’ that traces honey’s journey from blossom to breakfast table. The storytelling series of Instagram reels follows bees collecting nectar, the transformation inside the hive, and the final bottling turning a quiet natural process into engaging short-form content.
At the centre of the narrative is the brand’s new hexagon-shaped honey bottle, directly inspired by the honeycomb’s geometry widely regarded as one of nature’s most efficient designs. The shape serves as both packaging innovation and visual metaphor for precision, balance and harmony in every drop.
Nutritionist Kiran Kukreja (Nutty Over Nutrition) appears in the campaign content, explaining raw honey’s everyday benefits and its role in modern wellness routines.
The reels have driven strong performance on Instagram, with the brand recording a high double-digit month-on-month increase in follower acquisition and impressions reaching multiples of the existing base significantly boosting top-of-funnel visibility and discovery among premium consumers.
Bharat Vedica MD Arvind Patel said, “Bees build honeycombs with remarkable precision, creating a structure that represents efficiency, balance, and harmony. The hexagon bottle draws inspiration from that natural design, translating the beauty of the hive into something people can experience in their everyday kitchens.”
The refreshed raw honey range includes Ajwain Flower Honey, Rose Petal Honey, Forest Honey and Saffron (Kesar) Honey, available in 250 g and 500 g sizes. It is currently sold on the brand’s website and Amazon, with wider retail availability planned soon.
In a wellness world full of loud promises, Bharat Vedica quietly lets the bees do the talking proving that sometimes the sweetest story isn’t invented in a boardroom, it’s already humming away in a hive.
