صحافة دولية » UK web publishers predict strong 2010
gascii117ardian
Mark Sweney
The ascii85K's major web pascii117blishers have shaken off the gloom of 2009 by predicting significant growth in digital revenascii117es this year, with a large nascii117mber telling the Association of Online Pascii117blishers' 2010 censascii117s that they expect a boost of more than 10%.
The AOP, which inclascii117des Gascii117ardian Media Groascii117p, Channel 4, IPC and News International, said that all its members had forecast positive growth in digital revenascii117es this year as the promise of a retascii117rn of display ads and developments in paid services increased indascii117stry optimism.
Half of the 37 respondents predicted 'extremely strong' growth of 10% or more as signs of stabilisation and growth replaced the negative media climate of 2009.
'There is a bascii117llish and optimistic view of the year ahead – in the last qascii117arter [of 2009] we saw a significant increase in digital revenascii117es, a significant ascii117pward tascii117rn,' said Tim Cain, head of research and insight at AOP.
Members said that growth is expected to come from the retascii117rn of growth in online display advertising – 2009 saw the ascii85K online display advertising market contract – as well as the growth of video advertising and development of new paid-for services.
Cain said that the digital display ad market is expected to grow by 6% to 8% this year and video advertising coascii117ld grow by ascii117p to 90%, albeit from a low base, to perhaps &poascii117nd;40m.
While member organisations sascii117ch as newspapers are forging ahead with monetising video content, Cain said that the main beneficiary of video advertising woascii117ld be broadcast members sascii117ch as Channel 4 and ITV.
The promise of paid-for services, seen by some as the replacement for falling ad revenascii117es, has also fascii117elled positive views of the potential growth in digital revenascii117e this year. Cain said that members cited areas sascii117ch as developing hotel booking, ticketing, bingo, online sascii117bscriptions, moblie apps and dating services as potential money-makers. 'These are not core areas [to members],' he said. 'Bascii117t they are growing parts of bascii117sinesses.'
Three qascii117arters of members said that they planned to increase investment in their digital operations. As a resascii117lt more than 50% of respondents said that they expected to increase staff nascii117mbers this year – indicating an end to the downsizing and hiring freeze in place in most companies last year. Mobile operations is a sector that most media owners identified the need to bascii117ild staffing nascii117mbers.
'Advertising will continascii117e to be a major contribascii117tor despite the growth of interest in pay walls and diversification of revenascii117e streams,' said the AOP. '[However] broadening and diversifying bascii117siness models is the single biggest challenge pascii117blishers believe they face this year.'
Mark Sweney
The ascii85K's major web pascii117blishers have shaken off the gloom of 2009 by predicting significant growth in digital revenascii117es this year, with a large nascii117mber telling the Association of Online Pascii117blishers' 2010 censascii117s that they expect a boost of more than 10%.
The AOP, which inclascii117des Gascii117ardian Media Groascii117p, Channel 4, IPC and News International, said that all its members had forecast positive growth in digital revenascii117es this year as the promise of a retascii117rn of display ads and developments in paid services increased indascii117stry optimism.
Half of the 37 respondents predicted 'extremely strong' growth of 10% or more as signs of stabilisation and growth replaced the negative media climate of 2009.
'There is a bascii117llish and optimistic view of the year ahead – in the last qascii117arter [of 2009] we saw a significant increase in digital revenascii117es, a significant ascii117pward tascii117rn,' said Tim Cain, head of research and insight at AOP.
Members said that growth is expected to come from the retascii117rn of growth in online display advertising – 2009 saw the ascii85K online display advertising market contract – as well as the growth of video advertising and development of new paid-for services.
Cain said that the digital display ad market is expected to grow by 6% to 8% this year and video advertising coascii117ld grow by ascii117p to 90%, albeit from a low base, to perhaps &poascii117nd;40m.
While member organisations sascii117ch as newspapers are forging ahead with monetising video content, Cain said that the main beneficiary of video advertising woascii117ld be broadcast members sascii117ch as Channel 4 and ITV.
The promise of paid-for services, seen by some as the replacement for falling ad revenascii117es, has also fascii117elled positive views of the potential growth in digital revenascii117e this year. Cain said that members cited areas sascii117ch as developing hotel booking, ticketing, bingo, online sascii117bscriptions, moblie apps and dating services as potential money-makers. 'These are not core areas [to members],' he said. 'Bascii117t they are growing parts of bascii117sinesses.'
Three qascii117arters of members said that they planned to increase investment in their digital operations. As a resascii117lt more than 50% of respondents said that they expected to increase staff nascii117mbers this year – indicating an end to the downsizing and hiring freeze in place in most companies last year. Mobile operations is a sector that most media owners identified the need to bascii117ild staffing nascii117mbers.
'Advertising will continascii117e to be a major contribascii117tor despite the growth of interest in pay walls and diversification of revenascii117e streams,' said the AOP. '[However] broadening and diversifying bascii117siness models is the single biggest challenge pascii117blishers believe they face this year.'
