The downward economy (which wasn’t helped by the implosion on Wall Street this week), took a toll on display ads in the first half of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. A 27% decline in image-based online advertising among financial services companies drove a 6% decline in overall image-based online ads in the first half of 2008, according to Nielsen Online. The Financial Services industry — considered among the top online advertiser segments — dropped $1.1 billion online in the first half compared with $1.5 billion during the same period in 2007. Still, several industries showed strong growth in online advertising in the first half of the year, including Automotive (up 45%) and Consumer Goods (up 32%).
