Need another indicator on how Russia’s internet scene is booming? Well, in their online advertising market there was 73 percent bigger in the first half of the year than it was in the same period last year. A new MindShare Interaction report estimates web ad spend at $260 million, and the full-year forecast is for $600 million. Contextual still has the lion’s share, 62 percent of that, while display commands 38 percent and is up 57 percent from last year. It’s reckoned up to 3.5 percent of marketing spend went online. Of the top 10 biggest online advertisers in Russia, though, not many are indigenous - Kommersant’s run-down includes Ford, MTS, Megafone, GM, VimpelCom, Peugot, Nissan, Samsung, Honda and P&G. Via Quintura.

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Earlier, Russia’s online population was forecast to become Europe’s second biggest on 40 million this year.