Despite Economic Woes, U.S. Ad Spend Will Grow, According to Zenith Optimedia Forecasts

NEW YORK In its latest quarterly update of global major media advertising spending, Zenith Optimedia cited the “absence of recovery” in the global economy, but found U.S. advertisers virtually unfazed by high unemployment and the outbreak of war.

The media holding company is raising its previous projection made in Dec. 2002 that U.S. ad spending will increase by 1.9 percent to instead rise 2.2 percent to $146 billion from last year’s $143 billion. Globally, media expenditures will increase mildly by 1.5