Asia-Pacific still lags in digital spend per user
Asia-Pacific is already ahead of Western Europe in total media ad spending, and will exceed Western Europe in digital spending in 2013. High population figures are largely responsible for propping up those numbers, however. Looking at eMarketer’s projections for spending per internet user, Asia-Pacific is way behind Western Europe and North America, and closer to less-developed regions.
In 2012, $26 will be spent per internet user in Asia-Pacific. That’s compared to $152 per internet user in North America and $105 in Western Europe, according to eMarketer. Dragging down the regional average for Asia-Pacific are titans China and India. Next year, spend per internet user in China will fall behind Indonesia, where internet users are highly engaged. India will have the lowest per user spending throughout the forecast period.
Australia is the notable exception in Asia-Pacific. Advertisers here spend more per person to get their message out than anywhere else in the world: $196 per internet user on digital and $683 per person on total media in 2012—taking the top spot that so often goes to the US.
By contrast, the US will spend only $155 per internet user this year, putting it in third position. The UK will take second place at $185 per user.
Although total media spending has reached maturity in Australia, with growth rates in the low single digits through 2016, digital ad spending will maintain double-digit growth through 2014. In 2016, Australia will reach $4.5 billion in digital ad spending and online will account for more than one-quarter of ad spending overall.
Advertisers targeting customers in Australia will have to devote more money toward reaching each individual in order to compete.
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