The UK advertising sector will begin to grow again in the third quarter of 2010, following a year in which the internet has been the only medium to see an uptick in spending, according to research by the Advertising Association and Warc.
It is estimated that overall advertising spending declined by 12.7 per cent last year, with the web being the only channel to see growth in the first nine months of the year.
However, this will change later this year when the industry enters a period of growth for the first time since 2008, the forecast suggests.
Tim Lefroy, chief executive of the Advertising Association, comments: "The underlying data show not just the painful recession effect overall, but the dynamic reshaping of the UK advertising landscape.
"For some, it's the perfect storm; for others, the perfect opportunity."
The report shows that spending on internet marketing rose by 3.7 per cent between January and September 2009, while print ad sales slumped by as much as 25.5 per cent.
Furthermore, the web increased its share of total advertising expenditure by four percentage points.
The Advertising Association and Warc predict that overall advertising revenues will see declines of 3.8 per cent and 0.8 per cent in the first and second quarters of 2010 respectively, before growing by 2.8 per cent in the third quarter.
A survey conducted by the European Interactive Advertising Association late last year found that 94 per cent of marketers expect the online medium to see growth in 2010.
