Online Advertising - Growth and Development

In the early days, when static content was used over the internet, any hyperlink from one site to another could be considered as an advertisement for the other site. Formally, Internet advertising began in 1994, when the first commercially available web browser, Netscape Navigator 1.0, was realeased an the first ever banner advertisments were sold.(www.ciaadvertising.org)

Since then, the online advertising industry has faced many obstacles in securing a strong hold in todays marketplace.

As the Advertising Age reports: Internet advertising is not only back, it's booming - and much of the money is coming from traditional brand marketers. Online marketing executives and agency executives expressed a renewed sense of confidence that had been missing in the years since the bubble burst. The boost in advertising spending was led by a growing number of corporations explosive growth of advertising impressions.AT&T Wireless Services, for instance, increased 1262% he numberof online advertising impressions it purchased as part of its overall advertising since last year. Search engine technologies created the highest level of buzz, said Kevin Amos, director-product developmetn at search-engine marketing firm Impaqt.(Oser,2004)

Online advertisers are continuing to demand more powerful advertising models that better capture and sustain user attention,like the emergence of real digital audio/visual approaching the standard-setting slickness of television commercials.

Evolving web andvertising models build relationships that promote unique user involvement and personalisation, while at the same time accommodate the traditional advertising objectives of reach and frequency, in an effort to enhance brand recognition.

With online demographics becoming more diverse and targeting becoming more precise, advertiser spending on the Web clearly moved out of its experimental stage during the past year. U.S. online advertising spending is currently around $5 billion but expected to go over $20 billion by 2004.(www.ciaadvertising.com)

The web is no longer a Western centric. Increasingly, markets are opening up in other territories outside the "early adopter" countries. This makes it increasingly important to begin targeting advertising campaigns more accurately. Advertisements can be served in multiple languages using software that knows where the recieving computer is. (Adams,2004)

News sites are among those that have versions of their offerings in a number of languages. These can provide the advertiser with an easy way to reach a wide audience.(Adams,2004)

Back to Online Advertising - History

Reference List

• Adams, R.(2003) www.advertising, Broadway, NY.:The Illex Press Limited, ISBN 0823058611

• Oser,K(2004),'Internet advertising reaches $2.3 bil high',Advertising Age,May 31 2004.

• www.ciaadvertising.org

Skye Salleras 07:50, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)