Online > Print in 2010

Spending on online advertising and marketing will surpass print for the first time in 2010, according to Outsell Inc.

The company expects online and digital efforts, which include webinars and search engine keywords, to receive $119.6 billion in spending this year. Meanwhile, $111.5 billion will be dedicated to print, which includes magazine and newspaper ads.

Outsell expects overall ad spending in the U.S. to creep up 1.2 percent to $368 billion in 2010. Online ad spending should increase 9.6 percent this year.

The company forecasts that advertisers will spend 32.5 percent of their budgets on digital ads and 30.3 percent on print ads.

“Advertisers are directing dollars toward the channels which generate the most qualified leads and most effective branding,” said Chuck Richard, vice president and lead analyst at Outsell. “As they emerge from the recession, they need more accountability, and they’re spreading their spending over a widening set of options.”

Though online spending will leapfrog print, magazine advertising is forecasted to rise 1.9 percent to $9.4 billion this year.

In its “Marketing and Ad Spending Study 2010: Total US and B2B Advertising” report, Outsell also found that advertisers’ own Web sites were where the highest B2B ROI happened, followed by conferences, exhibitions and trade shows, direct mail, search engine keywords and e-marketing/e-newsletters.

According to the study, which surveyed 1,008 U.S. advertisers in December, 78 percent of B2B advertisers use at least three major marketing methods.

Also, Facebook was rated by 51 percent of B2B marketers as extremely or somewhat effective, followed by LinkedIn with 45 percent, Twitter with 35 percent and MySpace with 25 percent.

And what of the iPad, Wired.com asks. Does it count as a print or digital medium?

Richard said that the iPad will be classified as “digital” for the company’s next study.

Sources:

http://www.outsellinc.com/press/press_releases/ad_study_2010

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/03/is-2010-the-year-digital-will-eclipse-print-ad-spending/