After two years of decline, US online advertising will experience positive growth in 2003, says a study from eMarketer. However, analysts are warning that the recovery will be slow and protracted.
“The last two years were a disaster for online advertising,” said David Hallerman, senior analyst at eMarketer. “The fact that 2003 is going to be a growth year, even a small one, is good news.”
It would appear that the arrival of new formats has stimulated the online sector and adspend on rich media and keyword searches has increased this year. Classified ad revenues have also grown steadily despite the general downturn.
By 2005, online ad expenditure will have increased to $8.10 billion and although this is still less than the $8.23 billion spent by marketers in 2000, the market will be more mature and less susceptible to external pressures.
US Online Adspend Forecasts | ||
Year | Spend ($ bn) | Growth (%) |
2002 | 6.38 | – |
2003 | 6.70 | 5.00 |
2004 | 7.20 | 7.50 |
2005 | 8.10 | 12.50 |
Source: eMarketer, December 2002 |