Federal digital advertising tops television for first time

TORONTO • The federal government’s advertising agency spent more than half of its budget online last year, marking the first time the internet has surpassed television as Ottawa’s advertising medium of choice.

Digital media accounted for nearly 55 per cent — $16.8 million — of the $30.6 million the federal government’s agency of record spent on advertising for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada’s annual report on advertising.

That’s up 62 per cent from $10.3 million from the previous fiscal year, when digital accounted for just 34 per cent of advertising spending. TV ad spending, meanwhile, slid to $6.3 million or 20.3 per cent of total expenditures, down from $15.3 million and 50 per cent of spending last year, says the report released in late January.

Traditional platforms including radio, daily and national newspapers and magazines saw some additional spending, although each category accounted for less than 10 per cent of total advertising expenditures. Ottawa spent about $2.6 million on radio, $2.4 million on newspapers, $1 million on cinema and out-of-home ads and $500,000 on magazines.