Was it a bit of a “sleepy” week for radio advertisers in Toronto? Perhaps – many of the top buying categories from last week pulled back significantly this week, even as some categories showed slight growth.
Last week, the top seven brands in the city purchased more than 1,000 ads for the week. This week, only one brand did so.
Nevertheless, Sleep Country Canada certainly wasn’t one of those advertisers taking a rest. The bedding retailer made a significant increase in its buy, taking its order for the week to 1,032 total ads. Still, a general decrease in activity across various auto categories was felt throughout the city’s radio ecosystem, as buyers like the Toyota Dealer Association, Honda Dealer Association and others pulled back their radio buying.
The Toyota Dealer Association, meanwhile, came in second with 924 ads, a significant downgrade from its 1,590 last week. Loblaws followed, and though it rose several spots, its own buy decreased by just over 200. HSB and 1-800-GOT-JUNK rounded out the top-five.
The top-spending category was finance, although its ad volume decreased from last week, with 3,264 ads (down from 3,690). Auto dealer associations in second were way lower than the previous week; 2,973 down from 4,864. Insurance providers also saw a modest decrease, while food and beverage retailers and domestic factory autos saw ads from last week cut in half. However, there were some growing categories: business and consumer services and QSRs saw modest lifts, while lotteries nearly doubled to 1,473. Television and cable TV, as well as bedding manufacturers, also saw lifts.
In Montreal, a big comeback from the provincial government drove an overall lift, but other categories saw noteworthy rises as well. CTV rose to be the second-biggest individual buyer, more-than-doubling its ad order to 411. Consolidated Credit purchased 316 ads after a week off, Dormez-Vous held strong in fourth with 293 ads and Lebeau made a big climb to fifth with 241 ads.
The broader government and unions category obviously saw a big boost from the provincial government, nearly doubling to 1,161 ads. But finance also saw a modest boost to 773, more than 100 ads over last week. Other increases were seen in television and cable TV, insurance providers and home furnishings, while consumer electronics saw an especially big boost at more than double its previous ad order. However, modest decreases were seen across business and consumer services, wireless internet services, bedding and QSR.
