New Opportunities for Internet Advertising for Those who keep up with Trends

Popular websites are increasingly being tapped into by marketers in order to improve awareness of certain brands, it has been found.

Social networking sites and price comparison facilities are just two of the main areas identified by IDC Retail Insights.

A new study from the group discovered that retailers use sites such as these in order to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals, while also targeting a wide demographic.

"Looking ahead, IDC Retail Insights sees an open social network built on a personalized widget portal, which will be available to each consumer individually, independent of each retailer," confirmed research director Ivano Ortis.

He stressed that marketers need to continue to study demand patterns in order to maximise the effectiveness of internet ads.

Web 2.0 technologies will therefore play an important role in the future, the group emphasised, and will be crucial across all elements of the retail sector.

Figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau indicate that UK online advertising expenditure grew 4.6 per cent to £1.75 billion in the first half of 2009, overtaking TV for the first time.

It claimed that internet advertising weathered the recession and grew to £1,752 million in the same period.

Source: IDC RI