Online ad revenues hit new peak

We recently told you about how online advertising is killing the traditional media model. As it turns out, it’s breaking records along the way.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau today announced that internet ad revenues for the first quarter of 2012 totaled around US$8.4-billion. That represents a 15% increase–over the US$7.3-billion figure reported in the first quarter 2011.

According to David Silverman, a partner at PwC US, that increase is a “solid affirmation the internet is delivering on its promise to attract consumers and the advertising dollars that follow.”

“More online consumers than ever are taking to the internet to inform and navigate their daily lives—by desktop, tablet or smartphone,” said Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO, IAB. “Marketers and agencies are clearly–and wisely–investing dollars to reach digitally connected consumers.”

The IAB’s said Sherrill Mane reckons that the surge is, at least in part, down to the fact that we find online advertising incredibly engaging:

“Digital media captures consumers’ imaginations, and marketers increasingly turn to interactive advertising to successfully speak to their customers,”