Advisory Committee Forming to Drive Development of IAB Europe and Country Chapters

The Internet Advertising Bureau, the only major industry association in the United States devoted exclusively to promoting the use and effectiveness of advertising on the Internet, has announced its intention to form a European Advisory Committee (EAC) to drive development of a pan-European IAB organisation, and individual chapters in countries across Europe.

Initial invitations have met with an overwhelming response, and the Committee will meet for the first time at a dinner to be held on October 23rd at Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly. Information about the Committee, tickets for the inaugural dinner and further details about the IAB can be found at http://www.iab.net.

The EAC will include Internet advertising industry leaders, and mirrors the diverse member representation of the international IAB. It will advise on the organisational structure and goals for the new organisation, and drive membership activities. When fully formed, IAB Europe will provide a collective voice representing the interests of European companies engaged in selling Internet advertising and a forum for evaluating and shaping the direction of this rapidly expanding industry. It will benefit from the extensive work already carried out by the founding organisation, which has significantly increased the profile and credibility of the industry in the United States.

"IAB-like organisations in many countries have approached the IAB asking for information and advice on what we've done successfully in the US," said Katherine Randolph, Co-Chairperson of the IAB International Committee and International Advertising Sales Manager, Microsoft Corporation. "When the IAB International Committee suggested formalising these relationships, the response from groups in the UK, France and Germany was extremely positive. We have invited representatives of all the local groups onto the EAC, so that all can contribute to defining the direction and ensuring the success of IAB Europe."

"Our intention is to form a broad based, international organisation that reflects the global nature of the Internet," said Martin Radelfinger, Co-Chairperson of the IAB International Committee and Director of Marketing for Print Plus at Publicitas. "In just the same way that Internet advertising combines its global reach with the ability to address narrowly targeted communities, the IAB will develop a structure that serves as an international forum where regional, national and local issues find a voice."

The IAB has already gained the commitment and support of more than 200 US and international organisations since its launch. The association is at the forefront of evaluating site measurement and analysis tools which enable companies to manage and track the results of their Internet advertising spend. Accomplishments to date include:

  • Joint development of the first voluntary industry standard for banner advertising, in association with CASIE (Coalition for Advertising Supported Information & Entertainment).
  • Formation of the IAB Media Measurement Task Force, which proposes new voluntary guidelines for the measurement of "comparable" data as it pertains to online advertising.
  • Creation of the Internet Advertising Revenue Reporting Program, administered by Coopers & Lybrand - the only report of its kind - presenting online revenue figures based on actual revenue as reported by web publishers.
  • Commission of the Online Advertising Effectiveness Survey, the largest and most comprehensive Internet advertising effectiveness study, fielded across 12 leading websites with nearly 17,000 respondents.

As the first truly global communications medium, the Internet offers unprecedented opportunities for extending the marketing reach across geographical boundaries, super-targeted marketing and brand-building. There are strong indications that companies are already embracing the Internet as a key element in their national and multi-national marketing mix , and that the share of spend for this medium is growing.

Internet advertising has already become the major revenue-generator for many web-based services. However, at this early stage in the development of the industry there remains a lack of reliable comparable data, and few robust and field-tested measurement tools which can confirm the credibility and efficiency of the Internet as an advertising medium.

The Internet Advertising Bureau was formed in 1996 to promote online advertising effectiveness. Current membership includes companies that are actively engaged in the sales of advertising, with associate membership including companies that support advertising, including measurement companies, research suppliers, technology suppliers, traffic companies and other organisations from related industries.

Further information can be found at http://www.iab.net

ENDS

For further information, interview enquiries or to arrange attendance at the inaugural dinner, members of the press should contact the persons named below. This contact information is not suitable for editorial use:

Keely Fitzgerald
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
E-mail: kfitzger@edeluk.com
Tel: +44 171 344 1284
Fax: +44 171 344 1209

Sue Rizzello
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
E-mail: srizzell@edeluk.com
Tel: +44 171 344 1290
Fax: +44 171 344 1209