The latest report released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) show that Internet advertising revenues increased in the third quarter compared to the second quarter, a “hopeful” sign.
Ad revenues reached $5.5 billion in the third quarter of 2009, according to IAB, a quarter-over-quarter increase of 1.7 percent. This was still a 5.4 percent drop from the same period in 2008.
“While all segments of the media industry have experienced declines, online advertising remains resilient and is once again showing signs of growth,” said David Silverman, a partner at PwC.
“The advertising sector overall has been hard hit by the economy, but digital media has been a bright spot within the larger economic downturn as it is capturing an ever-increasing piece of marketers’ advertising spend,” said Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of IAB.
Fourth quarters typically bring a surge in ad spending, though 2009 as a whole is expected to see a decline in total spending of 2.9 percent, according to eMarketer. The general expectation is that a recovery should begin during the fourth quarter and into 2010.
The first quarter of 2009 saw $5.5 billion in revenues while the second quarter saw $5.4 billion, according to IAB.
Imram Khan surveyed 20 media buyers last month and found that 45 percent expected ad spending during the second half of 2009 to be 5 percent to 9 percent higher than first-half spending.
The Newspaper Association of America recently reported that its third-quarter revenue fell to $623 million from the same quarter last year, a 16.9 percent drop.
Sources:
http://www.iab.net/about_the_iab/recent_press_releases/press_release_archive/press_release/pr-112409
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=118068
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004048289
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-iab-online-ad-spend-slipped-5.4-percent-in-q3-small-signs-of-recovery-e/
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