In 2006, only €7,213 got paid out.  Spending throughout 16 countries totaled €11,193 billion in 2007, according to IAB Europe.  The bulk of ad budgets was distributed in the UK, Germany, and France, with a few smaller markets like Slovenia, Spain, and Greece experiencing rapid growth (49, 55, and 91 percent, respectively).

 IAB Europe’s Figures

The U.S. market, in comparison, experienced year-over-year growth of about €3 billion, or 26 percent.  This might be taken as fresh evidence that our economy isn’t doing so well.  (FYI: the Dow is down 140 points right now.)

Ashkan Karbasfrooshan writes, "I think Europe could surpass the US ad market if for no other reason that different markets means different languages and different ad campaigns.  In other words, it’s harder to find efficiencies when you have to duplicate the same message across 10 or so sub-campaigns."

Sit tight until June 2009, and perhaps IAB Europe will let us know if 2008 turns out to be the year of the switch.