Blue Chips Lead Online Advertising Growth

Internet audience specialist Nielsen//NetRatings has released its latest AdRelevance figures showing that traditional advertisers continued to carry the growth of online advertising through the first quarter of 2004.

According to Nielsen//NetRatings AdRelevance, the biggest increases in ad impressions online were achieved by AT&T Wireless Services, Schering Plough, MBNA Corporation, DaimlerChrysler and Safeway, Inc., each representing a different major sector [see the table for growth figures].

Charles Buchwalter, vice president of client analytics at Nielsen//NetRatings, says traditional advertisers with bigger budgets have been more willing to experiment with the Internet as part of their advertising mix in the 'soft economy' of the last few years. 'The Internet continues to be a dynamic and ever-changing medium, providing advertisers with broad offerings from advanced rich media formats to the simplicity of search-based text ads. In the past two years blue chips who took a chance at online advertising learned what worked for them, backing out of some areas and investing in others'.

Top Advertisers Within Key Industry Segments

Advertiser Industry Segment % Growth 2003-2004*
Advertiser	Industry Segment	% Growth 2003-2004*
AT&T Wireless Services	Telecommunications Equipment	1262%
Schering Plough Health	Pharmaceuticals	737%
MBNA Corporation	Financial Services Consumer Credit	471%
DaimlerChrysler	Automotive Manufacturers	461%
Safeway, Inc.	Retail Goods & Services Grocery	440%
Ameriquest Mortgage	Financial Services Consumer Loans	226%
Apollo Group	Public Services Education	163%
News Corporation	Entertainment Movies	133%
Cendant Corporation	Travel Vehicle Rental	62%
SBC Communications	Telecommunications ISP & Broadband	39%
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings AdRelevance * defined as the percentage change in ad impressions, year to end March '04 vs year to end March '03.

Internet usage has increased significantly according to three main indicators, as in the table below.

Online Usage Metrics Q1 2003 vs. Q1 2004 (U.S., Home and Work)
Average Usage	Q1 2003*	Q1 2004*	% Growth*
Web Page Views	1,275	1,603	26%
Average time spent online	48:33:17	53:46:51	11%
Sessions per person	50	53	6%
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings. * Note that Q1 data is based on the monthly average of January to March. Usage metrics are monthly averages and not quarterly metrics.

Web site: www.nielsen-netratings.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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