MAM
Europe’s online ad market grows at 14.5% to reach €20.9 bn
MUMBAI: Amid a turbulent economic debt crisis, Europe’s online advertising market recorded 14.5 per cent year-on-year to top growth to a market value of €20.9 billion in 2011, according to the AdEx Benchmark.
In contrast, the overall European ad market (sans online ads) grew at 0.8 per cent for the same time period. The report was recently.
According to the study, released at IAB Europe’s Interact conference in Barcelona, one in five advertising Euros in Europe is spent on online advertising.
Russia leads the pack with a growth of 55.5 per cent, followed by Serbia at 46 per cent. Norway and Romania formed the bottom rungs at 5.5 per cent and 4.6 per cent respectively.
Russia becomes the sixth biggest market with a value of € 1.12 billion. Together the top five markets (UK, Germany, France, Italy and Netherlands) account for almost 67.9 per cent of the total online advertising market, showing a marginal reduction from 69.2 per cent in 2010.
The market share of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) markets grew from 10.1 per cent in 2010 to 11.8 per cent last year.
Head of Advertising Research at IHS Screen Digest and author of the research Daniel Knapp explained, “Advertising markets are in general very susceptible to changes in the macroeconomic environment – in other words, in an economy where we have the European sovereign debt crisis, high unemployment and cutbacks in consumer spending, we would expect advertising spend to suffer disproportionately as it did on most media in 2011. However, online enjoys a number of unique attributes that have protected it from this effect.”
According to Knapp, this phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that advertisers are beginning to recognise online as a branding medium. Also, video commands a significant and growing share of spend and search continues to deliver sound and measurable results. The explosion of ‘big data’ has delivered enhanced targeting capabilities, improving monetisation of publishers’ inventory.
Thirdly, there is a long term trend for advertisers to shift ad budgets from mature to emerging markets, which is fueling their online economy. An expanding broadband infrastructure adds to the attractiveness of those markets.
The ROI-centric search format enjoyed the highest growth rate of 17.9 per cent in 2011 followed by display ad spends which were helped by newer formats including video and mobile at 15.3 per cent.
Also, according to the study, video now accounts for 8.2 per cent of online display. The confidence in the medium is increasing, thanks to its ability to convey brand messages in a narrative makes. The medium is most popular in Sweden at 9.8 per cent but it is also gaining traction in CEE markets as 5.8 per cent. In Germany and the UK, video market is worth € 126 million and € 117 million.
Mobile advertising registered an average growth rate of 45.6 per cent contributing one to three per cent of online display ad spend. On the other hand, paid-search continued to grow in double-digit at 17.9 per cent in 2011, retaining its position as the biggest format in online advertising.
The CEE region that really drove the growth of search, with Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Slovenia all experiencing significant increases in spends. The surge in figures is attributed to the innovation in search – from video to location-based services, data-driven planning to cross-media campaigns with TV in particular.
Another reason for the success of display advertising is the evolution of big data which relies on the rich metrics received through the online medium to plan display advertising. Using ad exchanges, real-time bidding and algorithmic trading, advertisers can reach both broad and niche audiences that meet their exacting criteria. These data-driven techniques increase the cost-efficiency of online advertising, maximising cheaper, remnant inventory to reach consumers.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
