A two-speed recovery from the COVID advertising downturn is underway in the local ad market, with advertisers showing clear preferences for media less impacted by the pandemic, according to the latest Standard Media Index (SMI) report.

Across technology, media and telecommunications, innovation is being driven by the global pandemic’s economic and societal impacts, resulting in intensifying growth in video, virtual (VR), and cloud technologies, according to the latest Deloitte Australia Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report.

Digital media advertising has narrowly taken the largest share of ad spend for the first time, according to the latest Standard Media Index (SMI) results.

The delays to the AFL and NRL finals in September, driven by Coronavirus lockdowns, have resulted in an abnormal decline in Australian media Agency ad spend in the month, according to the latest Standard Media Index (SMI) numbers. It has also boosted early October advertising demand with bookings already the strongest since COVID began.

National ad spend is showing signs of recovering, with lower declines in June and July and August numbers already showing stronger spending than previous months, according to the latest Standard Media Index data from July.

Advertisers will spend more on social media platforms than on print for the first time this year, according to the latest Zenith Advertising Expenditure Forecasts.