A recent report has indicated that spending on online advertising has overtaken that of television advertising for the first time.
Online spend grew by 4.6% in the first half of 2009 reaching £1.752 billion whilst in the same period TV spend shrank by 16.1% to £1.639bn.
Advertising generally has fallen by 16% during the period according to a study by Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Whilst there is still much debate about this and challenges to the figures and the way comparisons have been drawn there is no doubt that online advertising is growing and that as a result the way brands advertise in the future will change as well. Influencing customer behaviour is now key in ensuring that market penetration and market share are increased and the online revolution needs to be an integral part of all strategies. See my earlier blog on technology and marketing.
To read more on the research and hear opinions from others within the advertising industry go to the article on the BBC web site which has more in depth coverage.
Many of you will recognise the Cadbury gorilla shown above and lots of you will have seen it on the Television where it first appeared but since then it has appeared on You Tube and whilst not necessarily intended by Cadbury’s and their agency it has been viewed and talked about more because of it’s online presence rather than it’s showing on television. On the internet it is available on demand which is the shift that brands will need to understand if they are to derive the most benefit possible from their advertising going forward. We have lived in a world where advertisers have been pushing offers at us but going forward in this digital age consumers will be able to be more selective and the strongest and most effect advertisements will be those that engage with us to the extent that we are looking to view them. Online advertising may have exceeded television advertising for the first time but much of this has is still based on the principle of putting offers in front of readers, the real power however is to harness the pull factor.
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