Internet Ad Spend: By the Numbers

Q3 ad spend reports and forecasts are fresh in our minds from TNS, ZenithOptimedia, GroupM, and the IAB. Figures are still coming in including a cross-media ad spend from Nielsen Monitor-Plus and a lengthy worldwide report from GroupM.

Nielsen Monitor-Plus states a 49.2 percent increase in online advertising for the first three quarters of 2006 compared to the same period last year. That data comes from the firm’s sister company Nielsen//NetRatings. Growth is a bit over some other recent reports linked above. It helped the overall ad spend rate, which as a whole grew 5.1 percent over last year’s spending.

GroupM provided an extensive report: “This Year Next Year: Worldwide media and marketing forecasts.” It details advertising by media, by country, by media in each country. It places online growth in the U.S. for 2006 at 21 percent, and 14 percent in 2007. In the same period, the U.K. is expecting increases of 39.1 percent in 2006 and 36.2 percent for 2007 in the online ad spend. In terms of U.S. dollars, online spending is forecast at $10.1 billion this year, and $11.5 billion next year. U.K. spending will likely reach $3.0 billion by year’s end and $4.2 billion in 2007. Worldwide, online spending on advertising is forecast to account for $22.5 billion in 2006 and $27.8 billion in 2007. Worldwide, that’s a 5.7 percent of the ad spend this year and 6.7 percent of the entire ad spend next year.