Vital Stats

Internet usage will outstrip TV by June 2010

Europeans' average internet media consumption will outstrip TV in just over a year's time. Microsoft forecasts that, by June 2010, average internet usage will total 14.2 hours per week, against 11.5 hours per week for TV. Media consumption for most other media will remain largely flat, except for movie-watching via DVDs.

UK ad spend to return to growth in 2010

This year, ad spend is predicted to fall in the UK further - in percentage terms at least - than any other major global economy bar Russia and Spain, but it may recover faster than other regions. According to WPP umbrella operation GroupM's latest global forecasts, UK ad spend will drop 11.2% year on year over 2009.

Rising Sun dips when UK online audience is polled

Sun Online grabbed the headlines last week when it became the most popular UK newspaper website for the first time. However, closer examination of the ABCe data shows that, based on UK audiences, Sun Online was only the third most popular UK newspaper website, with 8.3 million unique users.

Finance directors support more ad investment

Four out of five finance directors support the idea of investing more in marketing during the recession. According to a survey by insight firm KDB, respondents from big business were more supportive of the idea of boosting investment in marketing in the current economic climate than those from small firms.

Nielsen data reveals newspaper website usage

Telegraph has more UK web users than Guardian

Conventional wisdom, according to recent ABCe data, is that Guardian.co.uk is the most-visited UK newspaper website. According to Nielsen Online data for February, however, Telegraph.co.uk, with a 4.4 million unique audience, was the most-visited newspaper site ahead of Guardian.co.uk's 3.9 million unique audience.

Newspaper bulk copies come under ABC scrutiny

The Audit Bureau of Circulations revealed last week it was investigating the bulk sales component of national newspaper sales figures. Specifically, it says it is looking at the giving away of airline copies. Bulks are copies newspaper groups sell for a nominal fee to airlines, rail firms, hotels, fast-food restaurants and gyms, who give them away for free.

Newspaper websites have a good January

January was a good month for unique user growth for UK newspapers' websites, according to January ABCe data. All but one of the five publishers for which ABCe comparison data is published increased global unique users by at least half, year on year.

Promotions advertised online attract best response

TGI data shows that 45% of British adults (22 million people) responded to a promotion advertised in the media in the past 12 months. Promotions advertised online attract the highest level of response. The data shows eight million adults made a purchase after seeing an online promotion, six million made a purchase after seeing a promotion on TV and five million purchased following a newspaper promotion.

Online budgets set to shift from display to search

Online is expected to overtake TV as the largest UK ad medium in 2009 by spend. However, an Ernst & Young report, Media & Entertainment... by numbers, warns that to assume online will be totally immune to the recession "would be too optimistic". Citing GroupM forecasts, the report concludes online ad spend growth will slump to 3.7% this year, down from 22.1% in 2008 and 39.5% in 2007.

Quiet second half seals 2008 M&A downturn

There was a marked drop in both the volume and value of UK media merger and acquisition deals in 2008, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The number of completed deals was down 43% year on year in 2008. The combined value of UK media deals fell 85% to EUR4bn, compared with EUR26.6bn in 2007.