Online ad spend trumps TV

By: Olly Wehring - 30 September 2009 15:08

For the first time, advertisers are spending more money online than on television in the UK, say the number crunchers.

Online ad spend reached a record GBP1.75bn (US$2.8bn) in the first six months of 2009, a rise of 4.6% year-on-year, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), with the aid of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

TV advertising spend, meanwhile, fell 17% to GBP1.6bn in the same period, making it the first time that internet ad spend has overtaken that of television.

Online's share of advertising spend in the UK stood at 23.5% for the first half of 2009, compared to 22% for television.

The interweb's rise to prominence in 2009 has doubtless been aided by a collapse in television advertising rates (you'll note that TV ad spend decline is significantly higher than the rise in online ad spend).

And, the IAB says that total UK advertising spend fell 16.6% in the first six months of this year, as the country battled against recession.

However, this day has surely been coming for some time.

In a nutshell, the internet provides a more targeted, more measurable method of advertising, not to mention the possibilities for interactive campaigns.

For the Full IAB report, click here.

Chris M, deputy ed.