Reach globally via UK media hubs

Advertisers wanting to engage a global audience may want to consider advertising with UK media hubs. That is the indication from a recent comScore survey which reveals that the majority of traffic to UK media websites are from outside the United Kingdom.

by Kristina Knight

According to April 2007 traffic results from comScore, the BBC drew 61% of it's audience from a global base, BSkyB drew 25% and ITV sites drew 22% of their traffic from around the globe. Most interesting is that roughly 85% of visitors to The Financial Times sites were from outside the UK.

"The Internet will always be a global medium. . .Agencies need to be aware of this and realize that when they buy on UK sites they may also get an international audience,” said Dan Calladine, research director of Isobar.

For online marketers, this is a clear indication that they need not rely on "local" traffic for revenue. With more users around the globe on a daily basis, residents in Africa and Japan may be reading the same content at the same time, making it easy for a marketer to attract a broader consumer base.

“The Internet allows consumers to view relevant content at any site from anywhere in the world. It is therefore critical for publishers and advertisers to understand their global franchise – not just their U.K. audience,” commented Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe.

Rather than focusing on the user from down the street, then, advertisers with these major information hubs should cater to an international reading base. Both large and small brands can take advantage of this trend by behaviorally targeting users who frequent the site often and by geographically targeting ads based on the country of origin.