The Government of Ontario continued to pull back on its radio ads in the Toronto market. Although it was still the top buyer on the Media Monitors charts for the week ended June 21 with 1,025 spots (only 20 spots more than the Nissan Dealers Association), its buy has decelerated over the last several weeks.
However, other non-government categories have gotten closer to pre-COVID buying levels. For the first time in months, the top-buying category in the market was not government and unions or the public service category. Although both the provincial and federal government (third place, with 889 ads) continue to purchase large amounts, their buys have gradually reduced to make room for other categories. Auto dealers like Nissan and fifth-place finisher Honda Dealers Association (802 ads) have been on the rise, as have finance brands like Scotiabank (in fourth place with 881 ads).
The finance category took the top spot for total categories, with 2,457 total ads, representing a more-than-50% increase in total spending. Another big positive shift came from the auto dealer association category, which came in second place with 2,449 ads, a nearly 65% increase over the previous week.
Other big increases for categories came from local auto dealers and food and drink retailers, while business and consumer services and diagnostic and medical services saw modest increases.
The top five non-government advertising categories purchased a total of 9,250 ads, putting them at 90% of their pre-COVID buying levels.
While the Montreal market’s acceleration has been slightly slower and more deliberate than Toronto’s, radio continues to show signs of an uptick.
The provincial government’s buy remains on top – and steady in terms of quantity – with 840 total ads. Second-place finisher Bell Canada saw a major increase in ads at 471 (up from 276). Bell Internet and TV moved down to third from second, but still kept up its buy (341 ads, up slightly from 325).
New advertiser Mazda took fourth with 280 ads, while Chevrolet rounded out the top-five. Overall, the top five advertisers in Montreal purchased 2,210 ads, an 8% lift over the previous week.
Meanwhile, some categories in Montreal also surged in the right direction. Government and unions stayed at the top with 1,245 ads (a slight boost over last week), while auto dealer associations nearly quadrupled to 916 ads. Other big boosts were seen in business and consumer services and wireless and internet services, while finance also saw a modest lift.
