European ‘big three’ lead online advertising

The three primary European markets for online advertising - the UK, Germany and France - accounted for the majority of expenditure in 2007, new figures reveal.

Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe) reveals that almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of online marketing expenditure on the continent came from those three countries.

However, some smaller markets - such as Greece and Spain - experienced rapid growth over the course of the year.

While the continent as a whole achieved budgetary increases of 40 per cent, Greece and Spain outpaced this with expansion of 91 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.

IAB Europe adds that the gap between the European and US markets is narrowing, with the US experiencing growth of 26 per cent in the same period.

The organisation represents a collaborative effort between 15 national associations to focus on advancing the uptake of internet marketing across Europe as a whole.