Ad spending for the alcoholic beverages categories of beer, wine and spirits was up 8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 but was down slightly over the course of the entire year. Major increases of 20 plus percent were seen in ad spending in the regular beer and bourbon whiskey categories. Surprisingly, spending in the total beer segment (regular and light beer) accounts for just under 75 percent of total ad spending in the alcoholic beverage segment. Television remained the preferred media channel, representing 85 percent of the total spend for alcoholic beverage companies, although that percentage does not include digital ad spend, which has been growing significantly in recent years.
Source: Citi, March 2018