Digital advertising formats in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts

Something is making a comeback. A part of the British digital advertising market, which saw annual reductions in its spending share for years now, is suddenly experiencing a revival. Desktop advertising growth rate, which stood at 14 percent in 2022, exceeded mobile, which grew eight percent. This uptick has been caused by Apple’s decision to have users actively opt into tracking, which reduced ad reach on Apple devices and made marketers redirect some of their budgets into familiar, reliable desktop ads. How did 2022 shape other digital advertising market leaders?

Search and display pave the way

Search and display remain the leading digital ad formats in the UK and throughout most of Europe. Based on the latest reports, expenditures on search ads in the UK increased by over 13 percent in 2022, achieving an all-time high of 13 billion British pounds. Meanwhile, display advertising spending amounted to nearly 12 billion pounds in 2022, marking an uplift of 10 percent compared to the previous year. Standard display (banners) was a particularly dynamic contributor to investment growth, increasing 14 percent year-on-year, compared to 11 percent reported for the total digital ad market.

Audio makes itself heard

Audio advertising has made significant leaps following the growing popularity and availability of digital audio content. The rise of online radio, podcast, and music streaming services has made audio an essential part of the marketing puzzle recently, although this type of advertising was considered an extra just a few years ago. Industry data revealed that digital audio advertising spending in the UK more than doubled between 2019 and 2022, with podcasts seeing the most considerable investment boost in recent years.

Social can be a double-edged sword for advertisers

Social media has become one of the most promising digital advertising formats, thanks to the rapid adoption of smartphones and the steady influx of photo and video sharing apps. In 2023, social media advertising spending in the UK increased by roughly eight percent and reached an estimated 9.8 billion U.S. dollars. By comparison, advertisers in Germany and France collectively spent less than seven billion dollars on social media ads, highlighting the UK’s position as Europe’s digital advertising trendsetter. Surveys further showed that business-to-consumer (B2C) companies considered social networks such as Facebook and Instagram their primary marketing channel in 2022. On the consumer end of the digital ad spectrum, however, social media was voted one of the least trustworthy advertising media in 2022 — second only to influencer marketing. It is a sentiment that brands need to keep in mind when creating their digital roadmaps.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 6, 2024

Key insights

Digital ad spending worldwide
601.84bn USD
Digital ad spending in the UK
26.1bn GBP
Top digital ad format in the UK
Search
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