Dubai : The UAE's advertising industry is increasingly evolving its tools to reach relevant markets.
Further ahead than others in the region, the country's advertisers allot a 3.5 per cent share of their budgets to online advertising compared to a regional average of 1 per cent.
"There is a growing interest in online. Many new start-ups are getting into online as their first approach to customers," said Esam Bayazidi, chief executive of ikoo advertising network, which has offices in the Middle East and North Africa.
A Jabbar Group company, previously known as Maktoub Group, ikoo provides a bridge between websites which sell advertising space and advertising agencies that buy the space.
As advertisers have tangible numbers to assess the effectiveness of online advertising, due to their being able to count hits on the site or advert, there is a growing trust in the medium.
According to EuroMonitor International's report, consumers in the UAE spent on average more than $1,000 (Dh3,671) online during the fourth quarter of 2009, the highest in the Middle East Africa and Asia Pacific regions, according to a survey of online shopping habits conducted by MasterCard Worldwide.
Consumer habits
The most popular items bought by online shoppers were airline tickets, books, CDs and DVDs and home appliances and electronics. Online shoppers in the UAE made an average of four purchases in fourth quarter 2009, down from 4.2 during fourth quarter 2008, the report said.
Added to the online picture is the improving web interface with the development Web 3.0, improving broadband technology in emerging markets and the growing popularity of smart phones.
A combination of these elements leads to an inevitable movement towards an online-driven consumer habit that opens fields of opportunities for advertisers.
