Yesterday we took a look at the RAR Brand Spend Benchmark Report's findings from Scotland and the South West. Today we publish a snapshot of its findings for the North West.

The Recommended Agency Register's Brand Spend Benchmark Report looks at the spending habits of the biggest clients in Scotland, the North West, Yorkshire, the Midlands and the South West and, using the most recent full year (2009) Nielsen data figures supplied by Brad Insight, sets about analysing who was spending what and on what media.

Over the space of the week we will be providing a snapshot of the key findings from each of these key regions, with an overview today of the findings for the South West.

Of all advertisers based in the North West it is those in the retail sector, both retail stores and mail order retail, who invested most in marketing last year. Accounting for 46% of North West-based clients’ marketing spend between them, 24% of marketing spend coming out of the North West was from retail stores clients and 22% from mail order retail clients, with clients such as JD Williams Group, The Co-operative Group and DSG International the big spenders in these sectors.

The food sector and then the finance sector were the next biggest spending sectors for North West clients, accounting for 16% and 11% respectively, with publishing counting for 4%, and home improvement and travel each for 3%.

The remaining 17% of spend that came from North West-based clients was from sectors individually accounting for less than 3% of the region’s total marketing spend. These included agricultural/gardening & petcare, automotive, business & industrial, charities, clothing, cosmetics & toiletries, drink, education & vocational, entertainment & leisure activities, gaming, government/social/political, home appliances, household furnishings, household supplies, leisure products, luxury goods, medical, office & home computing, pharmaceutical, property, retail services, sport and telecommunications.

The North West’s top 10 spending brands were:

KELLOGG COMPANY OF GREAT BRITAIN LTD
Sector: Food
Marketing spend 2009: £80,226,997
Radio: £1,655,935
TV: £59,606,616
Press: £8,973,482
Outdoor: £5,267,470
Cinema: £4,598,487
Internet: £125,007
Direct Mail: £0
Agencies worked with: Carat Ltd, CheethamBell JWT Ltd, Clark McKay & Walpole Ltd, iris Worldwide Ltd, Leo Burnett Ltd, Radioville Ltd, Rodgers & Rodgers Ltd

JD WILLIAMS GROUP LTD
Sector: Mail order retail
Marketing spend 2009: £48,595,897
Radio: £0
TV: £5,021,723
Press: £17,694,188
Outdoor: £0
Cinema: £0
Internet: £201
Direct Mail: £25,879,785
Agencies worked with: Copeland & Charrington Ltd, MediaVest (Manchester) Ltd, Principles Communications Ltd, RSCR Direct Marketing Ltd, The Black Hole Creative Company Ltd

THE CO-OPERATIVE GROUP
Sector: Retail stores
Marketing spend 2009: £47,498,634
Radio: £1,137,587
TV: £38,227,924
Press: £6,368,620
Outdoor: £40,906
Cinema: £0
Internet: £93,194
Direct Mail: £1,630,403
Agencies worked with: Amaze Plc, Brilliant Media Group Ltd, GHMC, GyroHSR, Like a River Brand Agency, MediaCom North Ltd, Momentum Ltd, PHD Rocket, Rapp Ltd, Rapp Media Ltd, TBWA\Manchester Ltd, VCCP Ltd

DSG INTERNATIONAL PLC
Sector: Retail stores
Marketing spend 2009: £45,470,251
Radio: £22,978
TV: £29,968,777
Press: £12,240,059
Outdoor: £1,140,030
Cinema: £741,617
Internet: £655,078
Direct Mail: £701,712
Agencies worked with: Golley Slater Digital Ltd, Golley Slater Group Ltd, M&C Saatchi, M&C Saatchi Plc, R.O. Eye Ltd, Steak Ltd, Walker Media Ltd

SHOP DIRECT HOME SHOPPING LTD
Sector: Mail order retail
Marketing spend 2009: £26,383,685
Radio: £34,444
TV: £8,147,467
Press: £6,904,792
Outdoor: £657,865
Cinema: £171,011
Internet: £734,991
Direct Mail: £9,733,115
Agencies worked with: Carat Ltd, Clark McKay & Walpole Ltd, JDA Group Ltd, Leo Burnett Ltd, MediaCom North Ltd, The Black Hole Creative Company Ltd, VCCP Ltd, Vizeum UK Ltd

RSA GROUP
Sector: Finance
Marketing spend 2009: £23,525,297
Radio: £1,181,763
TV: £10,137,260
Press: £35,020
Outdoor: £23,780
Cinema: £0
Internet: £344,725
Direct Mail: £11,802,749
Agencies worked with: brand-links, Red Tag Ltd, Starcom MediaVest Group UK, Stephens Francis Whitson

BEACONSFIELD FOOTWEAR LTD
Sector: Mail order retail
Marketing spend 2009: £19,152,874
Radio: £0
TV: £89,149
Press: £134,970
Outdoor: £0
Cinema: £0
Internet: £0
Direct Mail: £18,928,755
Agencies worked with: MediaVest (Manchester) Ltd, One Marketing Communications Ltd, R.O. Eye Ltd

THE BOOK PEOPLE LTD
Sector: Mail order retail
Marketing spend 2009: £14,733,374
Radio: £0
TV: £0
Press: £153,432
Outdoor: £0
Cinema: £0
Internet: £0
Direct Mail: £14,579,942
Agencies worked with: n/a

SCA HYGIENE PRODUCTS UK LTD
Sector: Household supplies
Marketing spend 2009: £12,307,070
Radio: £14,696
TV: £9,474,098
Press: £1,320,854
Outdoor: £502,025
Cinema: £436,565
Internet: £223,798
Direct Mail: £335,034
Agencies worked with: Carat Ltd, Chemistry Communications Group Plc, DLKW Lowe, Fallon London Ltd, Haygarth Group Ltd, MediaCom Holdings Ltd, Publicis Ltd

ITV PLC
Sector: Publishing & media
Marketing spend 2009: £12,166,690
Radio: £877,831
TV: £535,511
Press: £3,827,662
Outdoor: £3,427,617
Cinema: £3,359,660
Internet: £138,409
Direct Mail: £0
Agencies worked with: BD Network Ltd, Dare Digital Ltd, Engage XM Ltd, Lambie-Nairn & Company Ltd, MindShare Media UK Ltd, Target Media Ltd

The full RAR Brand Spend Benchmark Report is available to purchase for £295. The full report reviews the spending power of the key brands based in the UK regions and you can read more about the report here.