Internet Drawing Advertisers from TV & Print

The United States is not the only country pulling away from traditional advertising to new mediums. The countries in Europe are also fast moving to the Internet as the preferred ad medium.

by Kristina Knight

According to a new report from eMarketer, online advertising will grow to $7.5 billion in Western Europe by the end of 2007. That is a 6% increase over 2006 numbers and just over 7% of the entire ad spend in those countries. The increasing online spending will hamper the efforts of radio and print advertising, and will allow only a small growth for television advertisers.

Why the move online?

According to the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA), the move is simple economics. "The lower spenders are driven primarily by increased use of the Internet, while the higher spending online advertisers place greater importance on the medium’s reach and share of voice," was written in a report. The report also mentions higher spending online as marketers are more likely to see the medium as a necessity to their overall strategy.

Advertisers surveyed in the EIAA report expect online advertising to jump 67% by the end of 2008, the bulk of that will likely be in the U.K.

Eastern European advertisers are also taking note of the results from increase in online spending, and are following suit. Online marketing efforts are expected to grow about 28% in 2007 to about $292 million. The spend is expected to reach $482 million by 2010. Poland and Russia are expected to lead the way for Eastern European countries.