Journal ad revenue in the first half of 2017 was down nearly 17% against the year-ago period, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Two possible reasons: First, established brands with money to spend will continue to spread it across channels, but smaller ones’ dollars have shifted to other media. And second, a younger generation of planners aren’t as sold on print as their predecessors. Perhaps the most pressing question is whether this is a blip on the radar or the beginning of the end.

Below you’ll find the top 5 journals ranked by revenue, the top 25 advertised brands, and the top 25 advertised categories.

Top 5 medical/surgical journals, ranked by ad revenue first half 2017

2016

$10.5m
 18.5%

2016

$8.3m
 27.9%

2016

$5.8m
 3.3%

2015

$5.8m
 24.3%

2015

$5.2m
 38.1%


Journal ad revenue, first half 2013-2017


Top 25 advertised brands, first half 2017

Rank 2017 Rank 2016 Rank 2015 Brand Company Ad spending (000s) in H1 2017 Ad spending (000s) in H1 2016 Ad spending (000s) in H1 2015 % change vs. year-ago period – 2017 vs. 2016 % change vs. year-ago period – 2016 vs. 2015
1 55 410 Breo Ellipta inhaler GlaxoSmithKline $9,732 $784 $52 1140.9% 1412.3%
2 4 2 Trulicity Eli Lilly $4,592 $3,667 $5,543 25.2% -33.8%
3 47 7 Jardiance tablets Boehringer Ingelheim $3,364 $857 $2,441 292.6% -64.9%
4 5 1 Invokana Janssen $3,058 $3,272 $5,780 -6.5% -43.4%
5 310 Tecentriq injection Genentech $2,883 $111 2507.4% N/A
6 16 14 Humira AbbVie $2,856 $1,912 $1,794 49.4% 6.6%
7 Soliqua injection Sanofi $2,579 N/A N/A
8 13 9 Lyrica capsules Pfizer $2,449 $2,167 $2,371 13.0% -8.6%
9 Tivicay/Triumeq tablets GlaxoSmithKline/ViiV Healthcare $2,342 N/A N/A
10 Harvoni Gilead Sciences $2,035 $1,812 N/A N/A
11 26 353 Cosentyx Novartis $1,996 $1,418 $75 40.8% 1782.9%
12 Epclusa/Harvoni Gilead Sciences $1,887 N/A N/A
13 3 3 Xarelto tables Janssen $1,814 $3,807 $4,822 -52.4% -21.0%
14 6 16 Latuda Sunovion $1,769 $3,219 $1,779 -45.1% 80.9%
15 19 37 Imbruvica Pharmacyclics/Janssen $1,766 $1,759 $950 0.4% 85.2%
16 12 8 Keytruda for injection Merck $1,565 $2,214 $2,423 -29.3% -8.6%
17 Kisqali tablets Novartis $1,556 N/A N/A
18 15 17 Cyramza injection Eli Lilly $1,516 $2,018 $1,619 -24.9% 24.6%
19 Trulance Synergy Pharmaceuticals $1,493 N/A N/A
20 20 Entresto tablets Novartis $1,233 $1,722 -28.4% N/A
21 11 Repatha injection Amgen $1,222 $2,269 -46.1% N/A
22 32 25 Aubagio tablets Sanofi/Genzyme $1,169 $1,274 $1,229 -8.2% 3.6%
23 35 95 Ibrance capsules Pfizer $1,091 $1,152 $448 -5.3% 157.0%
24 49 48 Otezla tablets Celgene $1,090 $841 $789 29.6% 6.6%
25 34 Xeljanz XR Pfizer $1,035 $1,178 -12.1% N/A
TOTAL PHARMACEUTICALS $267,832 $321,311 $304,159 -16.6% 5.6%

Source: Kantar Media


Top 25 advertised categories, first half 2017

Rank 2017 Rank 2016 Rank 2015 Category Ad spending (000s) in H1 2017 Ad spending (000s) in H1 2016 Ad spending (000s) in H1 2015 % change vs. year-ago period – 2017 vs. 2016 % change vs. year-ago period – 2016 vs. 2015
1 1 1 antineoplastic agents $33,364 $34,324 $32,644 -2.8% 5.1%
2 14 21 steroids, inhaled bronch $10,745 $3,250 $1,382 230.7% 135.1%
3 3 5 antivirals $9,430 $10,770 $9,383 -12.4% 14.8%
4 2 4 diabetes/insulin $8,868 $13,112 $9,642 -32.4% 36.0%
5 5 3 diabetes/oral $6,509 $8,714 $10,817 -25.3% -19.4%
6 11 8 biological response modifier $4,940 $4,036 $4,775 22.4% -15.5%
7 12 10 seizure disorders $4,708 $3,999 $4,116 17.7% -2.8%
8 7 11 monoclonal antibodies $4,450 $6,103 $2,858 -27.1% 113.5%
9 10 13 dermatological $4,184 $4,040 $2,689 3.6% 50.2%
10 9 9 interferon $4,006 $4,635 $4,395 -13.6% 5.5%
11 6 7 antipsychotics $3,587 $8,359 $4,828 -57.1% 73.2%
12 20 16 immunologic agent $2,930 $2,045 $1,883 43.3% 8.6%
13 4 2 anticoagulants/oral $2,860 $9,150 $12,508 -68.7% -26.8%
14 15 14 nonspecific promotional $2,279 $3,109 $2,360 -26.7% 31.7%
15 25 25 influenza vaccine $2,020 $1,417 $1,250 42.6% 13.4%
16 200 115 fecal softeners w/o stimulants $1,493 $10 $163 15617.5% -94.2%
17 24 31 corticoids plain $1,414 $1,462 $963 -3.2% 51.8%
18 28 35 anti-platelet $1,339 $1,338 $763 0.1% 75.2%
19 22 17 inhaled steroid, nasal $1,284 $1,746 $1,781 -26.5% -2.0%
20 21 24 HIV-reverse transcriptase inhibitor $1,275 $1,762 $1,323 -27.7% 33.2%
21 23 ace inhibitors $1,267 $1,722 -26.5% N/A
22 31 26 ethical drugs misc. $1,176 $1,053 $1,244 11.7% -15.3%
23 55 165 antinauseants $1,135 $491 $45 131.3% 997.2%
24 33 27 ophthalmic preparations $961 $930 $1,084 3.3% -14.2%
25 63 66 ophthalmic preps/other $881 $419 $426 110.1% -1.6%

Source: Kantar Media