Online advertising overtakes TV sales for first time

Online advertising has overtaken TV advertising for the first time, growing 4.6% to �1.75bn in the first half of 2009, according to a report.

The figures come from the online advertising expenditure study from the IAB – the trade body for digital marketing – in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers and the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC).

Eva Berg-Winters, online advertising expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers said: “A slowing economy has accelerated the migration to digital technology and hence the continuing shift from more traditional forms of advertising to online, which promises return on investment and measurability in a period of instability.”

E-mail campaigns, classified adverts, display ads and search marketing are all classed as online advertising.