The world’s top 100 marketers spent US$97.8 billion in global media in 2006, a slim 1.1% up on the previous year and a pronounced slowdown after a 5.1% increase in 2005 and a 12.1% jump in 2004. The Top 100 shelled out $46.02 billion, or 47.1% of the global total, in the US, versus 31.8% in Europe and 15.3% in Asia Pacific. That’s according to Advertising Age, which reported Procter & Gamble Co. continued its six-year streak at No. 1, outlaying $8.52 billion, up 4.1%. P&G was the dominant advertiser in China ($977 million) and Hong Kong ($50 million), while Unilever led the field in India ($221 million), Indonesia ($182 million) and the Philippines ($41 million). Toyota was tops in Japan ($1.02 billion), Maxis Communication was No. 1 in Malaysia ($43 million) and Telstra dominated Australia ($79 million).