Mobile continues to be a sweet spot for digital advertising according to a report issued by the Interactive Advertising Bureau on Thursday. For the first half of 2012, revenue in the category increased 95 percent to $1.2 billion, nearly eclipsing total mobile advertising revenue for the entire year of 2011, at $1.6 billion.
Digital advertising revenue across the board for the year through June totaled $17 billion, a 14 percent increase from $14.9 billion in 2011, the bureau reported.
Revenue for the second quarter increased 13.7 percent, from $7.67 billion in 2011 to $8.72 percent in 2012. Digital video revenues, including revenue from preroll, postroll or display ads with video, increased 18 percent to slightly more than $1 billion in the first half of 2012, from $900 million in the first half of 2011.
Revenue declined for rich media advertising, or display ads that show dancing cowboys and other moving figures, as did revenue from digital classified advertising.
Advertising categories with the most significant growth rates included pharmaceuticals and health care, which increased 81 percent to $1.1 billion; automotive, which increased 29 percent to $2.2 billion; financial services, which increased 16 percent to $2.2 billion; and entertainment, which increased 31 percent to $729 million.
“Movie dollars are going online,†Sherrill Mane, the senior vice president for research, analytics and measurement at the advertising bureau, said of the increase in the entertainment category, which includes advertising for film, music and video games.
Tanzina Vega writes about advertising and digital media. Follow @tanzinavega on Twit ter.
