Number of online display ads rises 11%

The number UK advertisers running online display campaigns has risen, as companies capitalise on lower ad prices during the recession. The research, from Nielsen Online, indicates that the number of online display ad campaigns grew 11% in the second quarter compared to the same 2008 period. Nielsen put the number of display campaigns at 22,794, up from 20,360 the second quarter of 2008.

Similarly, the number of online banner ads rose 16% during the quarter, while the number of advertisers trying out the medium rose 10% to 9,335. The biggest increases came from the gaming category (39%) and general ecommerce (25%).
Despite the overall increase, certain sectors suffered during the credit crunch. The automotive category saw a 25% decrease in display campaigns, while gambling ad campaigns dropped 16%, Nielsen found.
The number of online display ad campaigns has grown by 44% since 2006, while the number of advertisers running display campaigns has increased by 39%, Nielsen found.
Alex Burmaster, communications director for the UK and EMEA at Nielsen, attrited the growth to cheaper ad rates and the desire from brands to get more accountability from their campaigns.
“These two factors can be quite tempting to advertisers who haven’t tried online before and think that this is actually a good time to experiment with it. With online you can still do quite a bit even if you don’t have a huge budget – particularly if you buy advertising on a cost per acquisition basis,” Burmaster said.
He added: “The fact the TV audience hasn’t grown hugely in the past three years but online has is why the numbers of both campaigns and advertisers have increased so much,” he said.
Source: Nielsen Online