CHICAGO, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinterest, Online Video, and Google+ are being used more regularly by marketers in their advertising campaigns. That is a key finding of the latest quarterly survey of advertising agencies by STRATA, a leading media buying and selling software provider.

Overall, the advertising industry's focus on internet/digital continues to strengthen. 84% of agencies surveyed indicated that customer focus on internet/digital had increased since last year, marking the 16^th consecutive quarter of increased interest in the space.

PINTEREST SHOWS ITS STRENGTH

Of all the emerging social platforms, marketers are expanding their focus to Pinterest and Google+ most rapidly.  According to STRATA's survey, 23% of advertising agencies used Pinterest in Q3. This represents an increase of 48% from 2Q12. 

"Our survey showed major upticks in Pinterest and Google+ usage. It's becoming clear that these platforms are more than just a fad," said Joy Baer, Executive Vice President/COO of STRATA. "Other studies have suggested that Pinterest is now the fourth largest driver of traffic online, beating out both LinkedIn and Instagram, so it makes sense that marketers are using it."

ONLINE VIDEO SOARS; MARKETERS CAPITALIZE ON INTEGRATION CAPABILITIES

Online video use is expanding to multiple platforms as integration possibilities continue to grow.  STRATA's recent survey shows an astounding 40% increase in focus on digital video from 1Q12 to 3Q12.

"We're approaching a seismic shift in the way advertisers approach online video. With the recent introduction of Google Adwords for video, advertisers can measure the effectiveness of their video content, which they were previously unable to do," said Baer.

"Online video can be effortlessly repurposed, so it stretches marketers' budgets much further. One 30-second spot may run just once on TV, but can then be replayed endlessly to targeted segments on YouTube and Facebook for no additional cost."

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A LEGITIMATE FORCE

As the popularity of social media continues to grow, the pool of advertising industry holdouts continues to shrink. In 3Q12, only 8.1% of marketers surveyed were not utilizing social media, a decrease compared to 8.5% in 2Q12 and 10.3% in 1Q12. 11.3% did not utilize social media in 3Q11 and 13.6% in 3Q10.

ADDITIONAL FINDINGS

• Facebook is the leading social media platform of choice, with 82.4% of advertisers preferring to use it in their clients' campaigns. YouTube was second at 42%.
• Merging Traditional and Digital is a huge challenge for 39% of agencies. It is second only to determining ROI, which is a challenge for 49%.
• 26% of respondents expect to have a greater spend in Digital than Traditional in 1-3 years. That is an increase of 29% since 3Q11.
• Online Display (84%) is the top choice for Digital Advertising. A close second is now Search (78%), up 20% over 2Q12. Social checked in at third (57%) and Mobile is fourth (45%). 

ABOUT STRATA

STRATA is the only system provider that connects both media buyers and sellers. The custom solutions supplied by STRATA empower clients to sell and efficiently purchase all media types including cable, broadcast, newspaper, radio, outdoor and digital advertising mediums.  On average, over $50 Billion in advertising dollars flow through STRATA systems per year.   

As the system of choice for over 1,000 agencies nationally, STRATA provides media technology that enables organizations to lead rather than react to industry developments.  By transforming the way advertisements are placed and tracked, STRATA adds a new level of transparency to campaigns that is necessary in the ever-evolving media world. 

Headquartered in Chicago, STRATA has been supplying solutions to the media buying and selling industry since 1983.  STRATA is owned by Comcast Cable http://www.comcast.com/.  For more information, visit www.gotostrata.com, call (800) 9 STRATA, http://www.facebook.com/STRATA and on Twitter - @gotostrata

© 2012 Strata Marketing, Inc., All Rights Reserved

SOURCE STRATA