Like so-called media firsts, the use of the phrase "record-breaking" has quickly become hackneyed but, in this case, yet again, it has delivered. Historical arguments with the RAB about the true size of the internet advertising market can be left well behind, as the industry body reports a £917.2m spend for the first half of the year. It's quick to point out that this is not just bigger than radio - if you believe the IAB, it's more than three times the medium.
So, yes, the message seems to be forget such traditional media, grandad: online even has national press advertising in its sights. It wants to boast that it's a 10% medium and is well on the way to being worth £2bn by the end of the year.
So how much more can we expect the web to deliver for advertisers and media owners?
For those who struggle to get to terms with this growth, there is little room for optimism. Although, you might argue that such growth rates are hard to sustain, there is still plenty of opportunity to convince FMCG brands, for instance, to do more online.
Although the IAB points out the amount of entertainment advertising has risen, the fact is that media owners have only explored the tip of the broadband iceberg to date and we can anticipate an explosion in IPTV content to fuel it.
The bit that I wouldn't take for granted however, is the apparently unstoppable rise and rise of search marketing.
It may have grown by another 57.7% in the last six months, year on year, and it's difficult to see search become less essential to advertisers and consumers alike.
But search can become a victim of its own success.
As more and more brands get to grips with the sector, it will become more competitive, more labour intensive and much more of a challenge.
After all, in terms of rankings, it's coming top of the pile that counts. It's the winning that matters, not the taking part, and brands and search engines are going to have work harder to keep the momentum up.
- Philip Smith is head of content at Brand Republic.
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