Nielsen Data Shows Financial Sector Ad Spend Rise In NZ Amid Shifting Consumer Sentiment And Growing Economic Pressures

Auckland, 20 March, 2025 - Nielsen Ad Intel’s latest data shows advertising expenditure across New Zealand’s Investment, Finance, and Banking sector jumped by 4.1% year-on-year, topping $295.3 million between February 2024 and January 2025.

Top Investment, Finance and Banking ad categories
Banks remained the sector’s largest advertisers, investing $179.5 million - an increase of 2.9%, YoY. However, finance and investment companies showed the most significant growth, up 18% to $91.6 million, followed by credit cards ($20.3 million), miscellaneous financial services ($3 million), and building societies ($365,000).

Top Investment, Finance and Banking sector advertisers
Leading advertisers over the past year included ANZ, Bank of New Zealand, ASB Bank, Kiwibank, and Westpac, with Latitude Financial Services notably leaping from 32nd place to 6th.

Additionally, Nielsen Consumer Media Insights (CMI) found that despite steady satisfaction with financial providers (73% of New Zealanders remain satisfied or very satisfied with their primary bank) consumer financial pressures continue to mount. The percentage of people reporting they have “no spare money and are going backwards” rose from 10.7% to 12.7%, highlighting growing cost-of-living concerns.

Additionally, more New Zealanders are taking proactive financial measures, with nearly half (47.4%) planning to reduce expenses and more than one-third (36%) planning to increase their savings over the next three months.

Nielsen Ad Intel's Pacific Commercial Lead, Rose Lopreiato, said: “This data reflects how financial institutions are responding to an increasingly pressured consumer landscape. Understanding the complex New Zealand advertising market is crucial for financial brands aiming to effectively connect with a wide range of consumers, from those building and managing wealth, to those facing financial pressures, and the many millions in between.”

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