The Pontiflex CPL Blog

The advertising industry, more than any other, is intimately connected to the overall economy at large.  While the slow down in offline advertising was to be expected, an interesting article in the New York Times points out how the economy has even impacted the once unstoppable online advertising industry.

The article concludes with the statement: The Internet, in other words, is looking more like a mature advertising medium — kind of like television, magazines or newspapers. Welcome to the club.

I completely agree. Though to be more accurate, it is only certain portions of the Internet that are looking more like television, magazines and newspapers. These include (as the article points out) vehicles like CPM display advertising and classified advertising – that are priced on models which are relics of an older, broadcasting era.  These vehicles don’t deliver on the inherent promise of online advertising, which is improved measurability and ability to deliver returns.

The parts of the Internet advertising industry that are bound to do well are those that deliver improved returns – like search advertising and Cost-per-Lead advertising.  And while the Internet on the laptop or desktop might appear like a more mature medium, the Internet on your highly personalized mobile device or interactive TV is still in a very nascent stage.

Far from mature, for many, the game has just begun.