As Samsung and Microsoft get set to deliver facial recognition software that identifies who is using a mobile device, researchers have revealed that digital advertising to mobile devices is surging.Last week we revealed how Microsoft has patented software that is capable of identifying the identity of a user and then serving an appropiate advertisment to a mobile device depending on their gender.
Now its been revealed that the proliferation of digital devices helped boost online advertising revenue in Australia by 19 percent to $713 million in the March quarter, with ad sales now tipped to top $3 billion in calendar 2012.
According to research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Australia advertisers are shifting more of their marketing budgets towards digital platforms as consumers look to online video, social media and “concurrent usage” (using two or more screens from TVs, PCs, smartphones and tablets).
The $712.9 million spent in Q1 was down $3.35 million, or 0.5 percent, on Q4 2011 – but up by $111.9 million, or 19 percent, on Q1 2011.
General online display advertising accounted for 21.6 percent of the action; classified advertising accounted for 22.9 percent; and search and directories ads accounted for the remaining 55.5 percent.
Email-based advertising dropped to $7 million from $9.6 million in Q4 2011, consistent with the decline in general display ads. Video based advertising saw a small increase – from $11 million to $11.6 million.
IAB predicts online advertising will make up about 22 per cent of total ad revenue by year’s end.
