UK mobile ad spend has doubled, breaking the £1 billion mark, which means it now accounts for £1 in £6 of digital advertising, according to the latest Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB) Digital Adspend report, conducted by PwC.
With smartphones now accounting for over three quarters (76 per cent) of handsets, advertisers are continuing to invest more in mobile advertising. Consequently, mobile ad spend grew by 93 per cent to £1.03 billion in 2013 from £529 million in 2012. Mobile now accounts for 16 per cent of all digital advertising spend, compared to 10 per cent in 2012.
Social media advertising spend on mobile increased to £221.8 million in 2013. Across digital overall, social media advertising grew 71 per cent to £588.4 million. Consequently, mobile now accounts for over one third (35 per cent) of digital social media advertising.
Video advertising grew by 62 per cent year-on-year to £324.9 million, and now accounts for 18 per cent of all online and mobile display advertising.
Overall digital adveritisng spend has hit a record £6.3 billion, with brands attempting to reach people across the array of devices now avaliable. For example, almost six in 10 (57 per cent) tablet owners online said it’s their ‘go-to’ device to surf the internet at home, while 66 per cent said that it was easier to go online using a tablet.
Dan Bunyan, manager at PwC, commented on the findings: “Mobile’s huge rise is down to advertisers taking advantage of key developments in the way people use their mobile devices – particularly social media platforms.
“Mobile is now more of a story-telling tool for advertisers rather than just an information device. Almost half of mobile ad spend is accounted for by TVs biggest advertiser categories – consumer goods and entertainment brands – which is testament to how important mobile has become for brands.”
