Europe crosses its online tipping point

Abstract

Online advertising is changing the mix of media choices in campaigns across Europe. Since 2000 the web has become established as a mainstream consumer media channel in most European countries, and across the continent marketing budgets are now starting to follow the migration of the audience's eyeballs and people's focus. They are yet to reflect the full truths emerging in media consumption within the digital networked society, but they do reveal a clear picture of the scale of change that has started in where the advertising industry places its focus. The pace of digital development and the balance of digital in the mix continue to vary greatly between countries, and this paper records a snapshot of where the markets were in 2005. What emerges is a shift in marketing spend on a scale previously unseen, and the certainty that growth will continue at rates never witnessed among traditional channels. After more than a decade of speculation about a new digital marketing mix, Europe has crossed its tipping point.