One significant change in 4th annual AICP survey shows more non-traditional advertising is up 70%

AICP’s fourth annual Survey of the Commercial Production Industry shows that nearly 70% of member companies produced non-traditional advertising outside of the traditional television commercial during the study year of 2005.

Not surprising was that Southern California remains the most popular location, and Canada is still the top-ranked foreign location.

Los Angeles-based Goodwin Simon Victoria Research conducted the survey to measure how and where spot dollars are spent and what the major issues are to members.

The survey was conducted among AICP members online in September and October, 2005 and accurately reflects the distribution of AICP members by revenue and geography.

Some of the key findings:

2005 sees slight increase in overseas filming activity: 77% of all reported shoot days took place domestically, with 23% abroad.

This represents an increase from the 18% of shoot days that were abroad in 2004, but is similar to the proportions found in 2002 and 2003.

Southern California remains the most popular location for commercial shoots: 42% of all shoot days took place in Southern California, about the same as in 2004 and a slightly higher figure than the 38% reported in 2002.

Domestic shoot days only: 55% took place in Southern California in 2005, compared to 54% in 2004 and 46% in 2003. New York is a distant second with 12% of all shoot days, compared to 15% in 2004.

Canada remains the largest overseas production center capturing 45% of all foreign shoot days.

Central and South American locations, however, show the largest growth since 2002, with a rise from 12% of foreign shoot days in 2002 to 28% in 2005.

This growth has come mostly at the expense of Europe and the U.K., which has seen a decline from 24% of foreign shooting in 2002 to 12% in 2006.

Significant filming activity occurs outside of traditional production centers: About 20% of all shoot days and 26% of domestic shoot days took place away from the major production centers of New York, Florida, and Southern California.

Commercial producers are deeply involved in creating non-traditional advertising: Nearly seven in ten (69%) members produced “non-traditional advertising project outside of the traditional television commercial” in 2005.

By far the most common format for such projects was an internet or broadband viral, followed by original content (branded entertainment).