The financial services category led the way as overall Internet display advertising registered a 17.7% year-over-year increase to $5.52 billion for the first six months, TNS Media Intelligence
reported Tuesday.
With total ad expenditures of $72.59 billion for the period marking a decline of 0.3%, an unusually wide variation occurred across media types. Internet display
advertising jumped to 7.6% of total expenditures, up from 6.4% a year ago. Magazines were the only other category registering a gain, up 0.9% to 20% of ad spending at $14.55 billion.
For the
first time, Internet display advertising was the dominant media category in financial services with 21.6% of all measured advertising spending, said Jon Swallen, senior vice president of research for
TNS MI.
"It's a significant thing," Swallen said, adding that the current instability in the subprime mortgage markets will not necessarily translate into an end-of-year decline in Internet ad
spending for the category.
Leading the Internet ad spenders for January through June was LendingTree.com, which spent $120.999 million on display advertising. The next closest spender was
University of Phoenix Online at $79.4 million for the period.
In addition, Swallen said, the first half of the year saw a surge in display advertising spending among the top 50 advertisers that
account for one-third of all ad spending. Their Internet budgets increased by 58% year-over-year for the period, as compared to the 17.8% benchmark for all spending.
"With this surge, I do
think it's real," Swallen added. "I don't think it's a blip."
Still, few have cracked the top 25 Internet display spenders, which continue to be dominated by online-only and direct businesses.
Top 25 Internet Display Advertisers (First Half 2007)
| Brand | Jan. 2007 - June 2007 Dollars (000)
|
LendingTree.com
Online
| 120,999.0 |
University of Phoenix Online
| 79,400.4
|
Classmates.com Online
| 69,439.2
|
Netflix.com Store Online
| 69,137.7
|
Fidelity Brokerage Services Consumer Services
| 69,118.6
|
Lowermybills.com Online
| 65,540.2
|
| eTrade Financial Online | 53,724.1
|
Monster.com Employment Services Online
|
52,931.5
|
eBay.com Auctions Online
| 52,905.7
|
ScotTrade Stock Brokerage Consumer Services
| 50,256.0
|
TD Ameritrade Brokerage Online
| 48,103.7
|
Verizon Wireless Service
| 46,335.5
|
eTrade Financial
Consumer Services
| 32,002.2
|
| Countrywide Home Loans Consumer Services | 30,487.1
|
Privacy Matters Services
|
29,605.9
|
Cingular Wireless Service
| 28,183.2
|
Sprint Wireless Service
| 27,927.2
|
Verizon ISP
| 27,040.2
|
Vonage Internet Phone Service
| 25,428.6
|
StubHub Tickets Agency Online
| 24,674.0
|
ScotTrade Online
| 24,104.2
|
Capital One Consumer Services
| 23,039.1
|
Blockbuster.com Store Online
| 22,448.9
|
FXCM.Com Investment Broker Online
| 21,991.3
|
Dice.com Employment Services Online
| 21,538.3
|
Source: TNS Media Intelligence