VP client analytics, Nielsen//NetRatings Charles Buchwalter said, "Fortune 500 advertising has grown steadily in the past year, as large traditional advertisers are discovering how the online medium can be used to reach desirable target audiences. The stage is set for the Web's share of these companies' marketing budgets to increase throughout 2003. A varied group of Fortune 500 online advertisers comprised the top ten list, indicating that interactive media has made an impact across many industries. After a challenging two-and-a-half years for the online advertising market, the increasing involvement of the US's largest advertisers provides a much-needed shot in the arm to the online medium."

Amazon.com, ranked No. 492 on the Fortune list, peaked as the top online advertiser in Q4 2002. Amazon recorded 12.2 billion ad impressions during the busy holiday season. Cosmetics company Estee Lauder ranked number 360 on the Fortune 500 list, claimed the No. 2 spot with 9.5 billion impressions, while USA Interactive posted seven billion impressions for the quarter. SBC Communications and Barnes & Noble rounded out the top five with six and 5.8 billion impressions served, respectively.

Rich Media Advertising Scores with Fortune 500 Companies: Half of the top rich media advertisers last quarter were Fortune 500 companies. Hewlett-Packard, ranking No. 28 on the Fortune 500 list, led the way with more than three billion impressions using rich media . SBC Communications, another top 30 Fortune 500 company, came in as the No. 2 rich media advertiser with 1.5 billion impressions. Of the top ten rich media advertisers, Cassava Enterprises, owner of Casino-On-Net.com, was the only pure Internet-based business. Additionally, only two of the top 10 rich media advertisers appeared in the top 10 in 2001, suggesting that rich media is still in the process of being discovered by more advertisers.

Buchwalter added, " Rich media allows Fortune 500 advertisers, who are used to the live-action and emotion-packed delivery of television, to bring similar messages across media to the online space. The growing presence of traditional companies employing rich media technologies suggests that large offline players like what they see online and are experimenting with new ways to get their messages across."

Top Fortune 500 Online Advertisers Ranked by Impressions, Q4 2002