Online advertising rebounded in 2003, according to a joint report from Nielsen/NetRatings and DoubleClick.
Advertising on the Web rose 49% between the first quarter and the fourth quarter of 2003. Internet ad spending grew 20% year over year to $7.2 billion.
Online outpaced other types of advertising, too. Between the first quarter of 2002 and the first quarter of 2003, online spending grew 11%, while spot TV advertising grew only 3% and outdoor advertising grew just 5%. Network TV advertising decreased 12%.
Online ad growth slowed by the third quarter of 2003, going down to a growth rate of 6% over the third quarter of 2002. But it still outpaced TV growth, which was 3.5%.
Traditional advertisers, such as automotive makers, had high growth based on ad impressions, said the study. Automakers increased spending 75% year over year. Telecommunications grew 31%.
Online now accounts for nearly 50% of business proposition and employment recruiting ad spending. Some 15% of travel ad spending is online.
When it comes to specific ads, rich media grew to nearly 40% of all ads served by the fourth quarter.
Search grew, too. Of those who visited Web sites to learn about products in the last six months, 58% looking for consumer electronics used a search engine. Some 53% looking for prescription drugs did, also. For credit cards and banking, though, only 20% used a search engine.
The controversial pop ups and pop unders did not grow dramatically in 2003, and they account for 2% of ads served in DoubleClick
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