Mobile ad spend to hit $1.23 billion in 2011 as smartphone penetration hits 38% in US
Riding on the back of the steady surge in smartphone take-up in the US, eMarketer has projected industry-wide ad spend is only going to go the same way.
In 2011, the firm predicts $1.23 billion will be spent on mobile advertising across the US, up from $743 million in the previous twelve months.
That's a rise the firm, in part at least, attributes to the rising prevalence of 'always on' smartphones.
Eye on ads
"By the end of this year, eMarketer estimates, 38 percent of US mobile users will have a smartphone and 41 percent will use the mobile internet at least once each month," details the firm in a blog post.
"These developments mean an increase in the opportunity for mobile advertising - and an increase in spending."
Such projections represent a rise on the figures the firm gave in 2010, when 2011's spend was predicted to come in at $1.1 billion, rising to just over $2.5 billion by 2014.
Now, eMarketer believes ad spend will surpass $3.3 billion by the same stage.
As the numbers increase, however, so the rate of change will slow, dropping from a 65 percent annual increase in 2011 to 30 percent by 2015.
[source: eMarketer]