Web-based advertising 'central to marketing efforts'

Establishing a presence online and making full use of digital channels is essential to any brand or business, according to eMarketers.
Karin von Abrams, senior analyst at the firm, said the web has risen to prominence in marketing and is not playing a "central role for virtually all brands."

She explained that effective marketing campaigns now use multiple platforms to boost the level of consumer engagement online.

"Agencies are increasingly adept at truly integrated campaigns, using TV or mobile for example, to drive online engagement," she noted.

Figures for the second quarter of 2010 revealed online advertising growth outperformed traditional media platforms.

The "explosion in social media" has also had a profound impact on marketing, Ms von Abrams added.

According to the UK Online Measurement Company, social networks now account for 23 per cent of all UK time spent online, up from just nine per cent in 2007.

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