Internet advertising 'advanced but simple'

16th January 2008

Internet advertising could surpass television marketing as early as 2009, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB).

The organisation has predicted that it would be "fantastic" if it was as early as that, but if not it will certainly occur the following year.

Jack Wallington, programs manager with the IAB, claimed that reach and targeting is made much simpler and more effective with online advertising as marketers can direct their ads to certain demographics.

He said that advanced technology and online ad networks have made it easy to market to specific consumers.

Mr Wallington also remarked that an increasing number of people are becoming regular internet users.

"This undoubtedly means there will be new considerations for marketers when making their plans," he added. "This places even more emphasis on understanding the audience you are trying to reach using analytics tools and research."

Nielsen Online recently revealed that over 55s made up 19 per cent of the UK internet population in October 2007, a relative increase of 22 per cent on the previous year.