NEW YORK—For the first time in eight years, WPP’s global media investment management company Group M is predicting a drop in world ad spend.

According to its study, “This Year, Next Year,” global advertising spending is expected to drop 0.2% to $458 billion in 2009. This will be the first decline in global ad spend since the 3% dip in 2001 after the dotcom bubble burst.

Group M’s study also predicts that U.S. ad spend will fall 3% to $157 billion.

Media services firm ZenithOptimedia has downgraded its ad spend prediction for 2009. Originally forecasting a 4% increase, it projects global advertising spending will reach $490 billion next year, down from $491 billion.
 
In the North American market, however, ZenithOptimedia projects an even greater drop. It expects to see a 5.7% decline with a 6.2% slump in the U.S. Contact: www.wpp.com; www.zenithoptimedia.com