Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Earlier this year, eMarketer analysts predicted that online ad spending would reach $31.3 billion. So far, the industry appears to be on track to meet that projection. And some sectors are posting more aggressive gains, compared to 2010, than others.

Welcome to the world of adolescence in online advertising. That’s the message from researchers at Collective. In the firm’s 5th annual Display Advertising Study, analysts point out that both marketers and agencies are adjusting their strategies with respect to display and social media as the online format evolves.

Advertisers who use traditional TV to get their message out to consumers can reach a large audience these days. But an increasing number of consumers are watching video content either online or via mobile devices. As these numbers climb, marketers will need to fine-tune their channel strategies to reach the right audience.

Mobile interactivity has finally hit critical mass. If people aren’t shopping with their mobile phones, they’re turning to tablets, with their larger screens, to consume content and make purchases as they go about their day. Advertisers are keenly interested in reaching consumers through all day long based on where they’re using these devices, but so far, mobile advertising accounts for a small piece of the advertising pie. Standardization will go a long way toward easing marketers’ concerns about the mobile channel.

The economy may be straining household budgets, but there is still a group of consumers determined to travel. While these travelers are becoming ‘resourceful’ in planning their trips, marketers can connect with them and tap their loyalty through several media channels. For the most part, the definition of value is not linked to price, a trend that is good news for travel operators.

As most media companies know, the real estate advertising industry is largely local. Earlier this year, Borrell Associates predicted that real estate agents would spend about $21.8 billion on advertising in 2011, an 8% increase over last year. Attendees at the Local Mobile Advertising Conference, hosted by Borrell Associates in Chicago this week, heard that 44% of a typical realtor’s ad budget is spent online. And now, the spending is going mobile, a trend that could pose a challenge for media companies that haven’t yet entered the mobile fray.