Spending Forecast Rosy, but Midwest May Lag

U.S. ad spending for 2003 will rise 6 percent from 2002 to $242 billion and will increase by a similar amount each year through 2006, revealed a forecast by research firm Global Insight. Spending in Atlanta, Orange County, Calif., and Tampa, Fla., are expected to grow the most.

The rosy outlook, the first foray into adspend prediction by Lexington, Mass.-based GI, is shared by Bob Coen, Universal McCann svp, director of forecasting, who estimated in July that ad spending for 2003 would be up 5.5