Global Internet adspend, by type, 2012-2015

Different types of mobile advertising are evolving at different paces in different parts of the world, according to Gartner. Mobile search — including paid positioning on maps and various forms of augmented reality, all of which can be informed by location — will contribute to drive mobile ad spending across the forecast period.

Gartner projects that mobile display ad spending will grow and take over from mobile search. It will initially remain divided between in-app and mobile Web (in browser) placements — reflecting consumer usage — although after several years of in-app dominance, Web display spending will take over in-app display from 2015, according to Gartner. Publishers and broadcasters would do well to aggressively pursue the opportunities for developing multiple Web display and in-app advertising positions on their mobile platforms.

Paid search continues to dominate revenue-making online around the world. However, display advertising is poised to catch up. According to ZenithOptimedia, display advertising will fetch US$58.4 billion compared to $61.1 billion for search advertising in 2015. The gap is closing between the two advertising genres since 2012. Meanwhile, classified advertising online remains steady, but is just a fraction of the other two revenue makers.

The data set is a part of a collection of 500 revenue and usership trends in mobile, social, Internet, tablet, video and other digital categories, published in the 200-page Global Digital Media Trendbook 2013. GDMT, in its eight year, is to be published by World Newsmedia Network, a not-for-profit media research company, in September 2013. To subscribe to the PDF report and/or the tablet edition, go to www.wnmn.org, or contact mstone@wnmn.org.