Online advertising January: slow start to 2006

The boom in online advertising did not continue in January, with sales falling from CHF 4.2 million in December to just under CHF 2 million in January, according to Wemf's AIS Index. Nevertheless, this represents an increase of CHF 0.2 million compared to the previous year. Publigroupe's Web2index, published on Wednesday, shows neither a positive nor a negative development even for January, stagnating at 100 points. The index is always reset to 100 at the beginning of the year. However, the stagnation is not particularly alarming, as January has generally been subdued in online advertising over the last seven years. Online advertising also promises a positive trend for the current year, as more and more large companies are recognizing the Internet as an ideal communication channel for addressing potential customers. Web2com was created on July 1, 2005 from the merger of Publimedia Webadvertising with Publicitas Webservices. The company reports directly to Publigroupe.