Surge in Q4 buoys U.S. magazine ad sales

Magazines in the U.S. saw a surge in ad pages in the 4th quarter of 2010, ending down only about 1% for the year, according to the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB) data, reported by Folio:. Automotive ad pages jumped 16.9 percent, with General Motors Corp. leading, spending $385.4 million in 2010, up 56 percent from 2009.

Ad page performance, 12 categories, 2010 versus 2009

• Toiletries and Cosmetics: +11.6%
• Food & Food Products: -3.5%
• Drugs & Remedies: -2.5 percent
• Apparel & Accessories: 0%
• Retail: +1.5%
• Media & Advertising: -3.0%
• Automotive: +16.9%
• Home Furnishings & Supplies: +0.7%
• Direct Response Companies: -9.3%
• Financial, Insurance and Real Estate: +9.3%
• Technology: +2.4%
• Public Transportation, Hotels & Resorts: -9.5%

Source: Publishers Information Bureau