Advertisers are spending more on online channels in New Zealand than ever before, as well as looking at more innovative ways to utilise the medium, according to a report from industry group IAB.

The total online advertising spend in the second quarter of this year was $84.15 million, a 23% increase from the previous quarter and a 19% increase year-on-year.

Donna O'Keeffe, advertising director for APN Online, says the increase matches global trends.

"The significant increase of brand activity we are experiencing in New Zealand is a pointer to a maturing market that is beginning to see beyond the click-through rate as a measure of success.

"Advertisers continue to increase their focus on online technologies and re-aligning business strategies towards more innovative ways of advertising online.

Kiwibank, for example, recently launched a campaign called Green Ops that utilises YouTube and social media channels.

"In the last quarter we saw a significant increase in the amount of rich media executions,” O'Keeffe continues, "particularly homepage takeovers and video formats, and a steep rise in demand for bespoke solutions and content integration.

IAB predicts the online advertising spend for 2011 will achieve approximately 20% year-on-year growth.

Image: a screenshot from Kiwibank's Green Ops campaign.