MAM
DoubleClick’s cross media ad spending report indicates drop
NEW YORK: DoubleClick, a leading provider of marketing tools for advertisers, direct marketers and web publishers, has announced the release of its Cross Media Ad Spending report commissioned in conjunction with Nielsen//NetRatings. The study was designed to gain a complete picture of the relative growth of ad spending by media and the key industry segments in the US over the last five years.
The study supports the drop that all media has seen in ad spending with the recession. More specifically, the data found that certain categories of advertising, magazines and online advertising have been particularly hard hit.
The following are some findings from the study:
The television ad spend has recovered quicker than any other media. With more than half of ad expenditures, 55 per cent in 2001, spot and network television together maintain the primary share of advertising spending. However, its growth has flattened out over the past few years. In some categories it has gained share, particularly from magazines, because advertisers have sought efficient mass audience reach in a recession environment. In fact, most of the advertising growth over the last year has come from local TV news with an increase of over 9 per cent, Hispanic TV with nearly 7 per cent, and Network TV with nearly 6 per cent.
Furthermore, the data shows that newspapers are second to television in terms of ad spending in the media mix but they have seen ad spending decline since mid 2000. The current decline has primarily affected the local newspapers, which have seen some of the biggest swings in ad spending over the last five years. They experienced the highs of the tight job market, increased classified ad spending and are now going through the low.
Online ad dollars have followed in categories transformed by the Internet .The adoption of the online medium has caused some of the most dramatic media consumption and purchasing shifts over the past few years and ad dollars have followed in categories where the purchase process has been transformed by the unique capabilities of the Internet. The publishing and media sector uses the Internet to attract new users to their sites. The sector devoted 15.5 per cent of their total first quarter 2002 spend of $479 million to online advertising.
The results of the study claim that certain key categories are actually spending much more significant portions of their advertising budgets online. The Internet has surpassed other traditional media such as radio, outdoor and is gaining this share from categories where online has become a material purchase or information channel such as retail, travel and employment services.
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India vs South Africa Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
