China's consumer market is the second-largest in the world, making economists, marketers and brand managers all bullish about the nation's upside potential. Moreover, a growing percentage of the population has access to the public Internet.
Advertisers are eager to reach those Chinese consumers. eMarketer estimates that online advertising spending in China will reach $3.7 billion this year -- up 37 percent over 2009.
Double-digit growth rates will continue through 2014, when ad spending in China will hit $9.5 billion -- more than double of this year's total.
"Online advertising spending will outpace all other media, as local and global brands target an internet user population larger than the entire population of the U.S.," said Mike Froggatt, eMarketer research analyst.
Online is dominated by display and rich media, but search advertising is gaining quickly.
eMarketer estimates display spending in China at $1.78 billion this year, compared with $1.44 billion for search and $480 million for all other online ad formats. By 2014, $4.28 billion will go to display and a similar $4.23 billion will be spent on search.
Total media spending will also see double-digit increases. Overall ad spending in China is projected to rise from $33.64 billion this year to nearly $60 billion by 2014.