UK first country to cross 50% digital ad spend threshold, says study

The year 2015 will mark a major milestone in British advertising, with digital spend tipped to account for more than half of the £8bn market.

According to Strategy Analytics, the explosive growth of internet usage and smartphone tech has driven digital’s landmark figure – with digital spend up by 9.5% compared to last year.

Of the 25 surveyed countries surveyed, the UK is set to become the first country to cross this digital threshold.

The study also found that ad spend as a whole is expected to expand by 5.4% to £15.8bn in the UK, a rapid increase close to two-thirds faster than Europe and the US.

This equals a comparatively meagre rise of 1.6% in traditional advertising, suggests Strategy Analytics.

Significantly the UK is the first economy, of the 25 surveyed, to cross this threshold.

Report author Michael Goodman said: “Digital crossing the 50% share threshold is a seminal moment in the history of the ad industry, particularly factoring in its dominance in the UK compared to globally.

“Digital accounts for a third of ad spend in Western Europe, 30 per cent globally and just over a quarter in the US – where TV rules the roost.”