Luxury Advertising Expenditure Forecasts 2018 Summary
Core Content
The 2018 edition of Luxury Advertising Expenditure Forecasts by Publicis Media provides insights into the global luxury advertising market, highlighting key trends, growth projections, and the increasing role of digital media. The report covers 23 markets and introduces a new category: luxury hospitality.
Main Points
Market Overview
- The luxury advertising market showed a recovery in 2016 with a 1.1% growth, exceeding expectations.
- Global luxury sales grew by 5% in 2017 to reach €262 billion, with luxury adspend expected to grow by 0.7% in 2017 and 2.4% in 2018, surpassing US$12 billion for the first time.
- By 2019, luxury adspend is projected to grow by 2.8%, with China and the USA accounting for 75% of the additional adspend in dollar terms.
Digital Advertising Dominance
- Digital advertising is the sole driver of luxury growth, with an average annual growth rate of 11.7% from 2017 to 2019.
- Print advertising is expected to shrink by 3.9% annually, while television growth is minimal at 0.3%.
- In 2018, digital adspend will overtake television to become the largest advertising medium for digital brands.
Regional Highlights
- North America, Western Europe, and APAC are the largest contributors to luxury adspend growth in dollar terms.
- China remains the most digital market, with digital adspend expected to reach 68% of total adspend by 2019.
- Luxury hospitality is the most digital sub-sector, with 46% of adspend in 2017 and an expected rise to 53% by 2019.
Media Spend Breakdown
- In 2017, digital accounted for 29.9% of total luxury adspend, growing to 35.4% by 2019.
- Print media remains dominant in high luxury, with 57% of adspend in 2017 and a projected 55% share in 2019.
- Television is the largest medium for broad luxury, but its share is expected to decrease from 41% to 38% by 2019, as digital advertising gains traction.
Digital Channel Split
- The report categorises digital advertising into five types: display, search, video, social, and all other digital.
- E-commerce advertising is rising rapidly, expected to reach over a fifth of global luxury digital expenditure by 2019.
- In China, e-commerce advertising is expected to account for 14% of total adspend by 2019.
Market-Specific Insights
- China is the largest market for luxury brands, with adspend increasing by 5.5% in 2018.
- France is recovering from 2016 challenges, with a 3% sales increase predicted for 2018.
- Millennials are becoming the main consumers of luxury goods, preferring experience over possession and being more open to digital native brands.
- Luxury brands are becoming more accessible to the Chinese middle class, offering entry-level products and expanding e-commerce activity, including participation in Double 11, the largest e-commerce festival in China.
Key Information
- Digital adspend growth is expected to outpace traditional media channels.
- China is leading in digital adspend, with a projected 68% share by 2019.
- Luxury hospitality is a new sub-sector in the report, showing strong digital adoption.
- High luxury includes fashion & accessories and watches & jewellery, while broad luxury includes automobiles, fragrances & beauty, and hospitality.
- Exchange rates for 2016 were used to convert all figures to US dollars.
- Data limitations exist in some markets, with certain digital channels not available in countries like Australia, Brazil, and Japan.
Summary of Key Growth Projections
| Year |
Total Luxury Adspend (US$M) |
Digital Adspend (US$M) |
| 2017 |
5,240 |
1,500 |
| 2018 |
5,364 |
1,601 |
| 2019 |
5,485 |
1,694 |
Summary of Digital Adspend by Sub-sector (2017-2019)
| Sub-sector |
2017 (%) |
2018 (%) |
2019 (%) |
| Automobiles |
37 |
40 |
41 |
| Fashion & Accessories |
12 |
13 |
15 |
| Fragrances & Beauty |
22 |
27 |
32 |
| Hospitality |
46 |
50 |
53 |
| Watches & Jewellery |
26 |
28 |
31 |
Summary of Top 5 Most Digital Countries (2017 and 2019)
| Rank |
2017 (%) |
2019 (%) |
| 1 |
China |
China |
| 2 |
Netherlands |
Netherlands |
| 3 |
Germany |
Germany |
| 4 |
United Kingdom |
United Kingdom |
| 5 |
Hong Kong |
Hong Kong |
Summary of Advertising Spend by Medium (2017 and 2019)
| Medium |
2017 (%) |
2019 (%) |
| Print |
29.9 |
35.4 |
| TV |
57 |
55 |
| Radio |
3 |
3 |
| OOH |
7 |
7 |
| Cinema |
1 |
1 |
| Digital |
19 |
23 |
Notes on Data Availability
- No display, search, or video data available for Peru and Taiwan.
- Social media data is available only for Colombia, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, South Korea, UK, and USA.
- All other digital data is available for China, Colombia, Italy, Malaysia, MENA, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and UK.
- No digital data available for Japan and South Africa.
Conclusion
The report underscores the digital transformation in the luxury advertising industry, with China and digital channels leading the growth. Luxury brands are increasingly focusing on digital advertising to reach a broader audience, especially millennials, and are adapting their strategies to become more accessible and experiential. The introduction of luxury hospitality highlights the growing importance of this segment within the luxury market.