Art & Commerce

‘Twas the Season Competitive Media Reporting compiled ad-spending data for 1997, and no surprise, the year turned out well. Outlays across 11 major media were up almost 10 percent from 1996’s record. The money flow during the year was odd, however. Traditionally, the holiday-fueled fourth quarter is the year’s plumpest, but last year, the second quarter took top-dollar honors. Almost every large advertising category spent a greater share of its ad budget in the second period of 1997 than it did in the same period of 1996.