StrategyEye reports that global online ad spend will reach almost USD100bn by 2014 as the market returns to double-digit growth this year, according to figures from eMarketer. The research firm forecasts that revenues from online advertising will increase by 12% year-on-year in 2010 to hit USD61.8bn worldwide. Growth is forecast to continue at rates of more than 10% a year over the next four years, with spending soaring to USD96.8bn by 2014.

"Despite the slow, uneven and fragile global economic recovery, online ad spend will grow at an 11.9% compound annual rate," says eMarketer analyst Jared Jenks. "These rates will be unmatched by other media."

eMarketer's figures are in line with those from other firms. Magna Global recently predicted that global online ad spend would hit USD60bn this year and exceed USD100bn by 2015. The firm says search will remain the biggest ad format, accounting for almost half of online ad spend this year, with Google the global leader in the space.

The online ad market has proved resilient in the face of the global economic recession, which caused overall ad spending to drop 10.5% last year. While growth slowed, revenues from online ads increased 2% year-on-year in 2009 to USD55.2bn, according to eMarketer. As spending increases, the internet's share of total ad spend is set to jump from 11.9% in 2009 to 17.2% in 2014.

"The reasons for this growth in share are clear," says Jenks. "Online is more measurable, more effective and where people are increasingly spending their time."

North America and Western Europe accounted for almost three-quarters of global online ad spend in 2009 and will make up the biggest increases in terms of dollars over the next four years. However, these regions are expected to post slower growth rates than developing markets in regions such as Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, which are coming from a much smaller base. Nevertheless, eMarketer is predicting a 10.8% year-on-year increase in online ad spend in the US in 2010 while in the UK the internet is expected to overtake print to become the top ad medium.

Martingale is well place to take advantage of this withits new Subsidiary HobbyAdSales.