It is until the year 2017 that a turning point is marked in the history of advertising. For the first time ever, advertisers spent more money in digital than in traditional advertising, especially in television. While in the previous year, in 2016 the advertising investments in digital and traditional were still very close, although they have clearly separated in 2017. Digital advertising attracted 41% of the market share with more than 209 billion Francs spent worldwide, compared to 35% market share for TV, or more than 178 billion Francs. The traditional media has been dethroned worldwide, but what about Switzerland?

Although Switzerland’s population is one of the most connected in Europe, digital ad spending is low compared to other European countries. But despite new consumer behaviors, digital ads will only represent one fifth of advertising budgets. This is low compared to most of the neighboring and European countries. For example, in Sweden, whose population is equally connected, the budgets for online advertising represent 45% of total budgets, says eMarketer. The firm explains this trend by the fact that traditional media, including print and television, still enjoy a large audience in Switzerland. Another likely reason, eMarketer says, could be related to advertisers’ hesitation towards digital media: “Concerns about online privacy, especially on social platforms, are widespread and, as a result, advertisers approach social media advertising with caution.”