Online ad spend in the US rose to $31bn in 2011

"The IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report for the full-year 2011 reveals that revenues soared to a landmark high of $31 billion. That milestone represents a 22 percent increase over 2010’s full-year number, which itself had been a record-breaker at $26 billion. The report, released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and prepared by PwC U.S., also unveils that fourth quarter revenues for 2011 hit a best-ever at $9 billion, marking a 15 percent increase over the third quarter 2011, which came in at $7.8 billion, and a 20 percent growth year-over-year in comparison to 2010’s $7.4 billion.
Other highlights of the report include:
Mobile experienced the fastest growth of all categories – triple-digit growth year-over-year – up 149 percent to $1.6 billion in full-year 2011 from $0.6 billion in 2010.
Digital video, a component of display-related advertising, saw a significant uptick of 29 percent year-over-year, bringing in $1.8 billion in revenue in 2011 compared to $1.4 billion in 2010.
Search revenues in 2011 totaled $14.8 billion, up almost 27 percent from $11.7 billion in 2010.
Display-related advertising revenues in 2011 totaled $11.1 billion or 35 percent of 2011 revenues, up 15 percent from $9.6 billion in 2010.
Retail advertisers continue to represent the largest category of internet ad spending, accounting for 22 percent in 2011, or $7.1 billion, up from 21 percent ($5.5 billion) reported in 2010.
“This historic moment, with an especially impressive achievement in mobile, is indicative of an increased awareness from advertisers that they need to reach consumers where they are spending their time—in digital media,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Pushing past the $30 billion barrier, the interactive advertising industry confirms its central place in media. Across search, display, digital video, digital provides a wealth of opportunity for brands and consumers. With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, it is likely that the tremendous growth in mobile will continue as these screens become even more crucial to the marketing mix.”
“The year 2011 saw mobile advertising become a meaningful category,” said David Silverman, Partner, PwC U.S. “By combining some of the best features of the internet, along with portability and location-based technology, mobile advertising is enabling marketers to deliver timely, targeted, relevant, and local advertisements in a manner that was not previously possible. It is for these reasons that we expect strong growth to continue with mobile advertising.”
“Digital advertising’s stellar performance in 2011 attests to the high value marketers put on the medium,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics, and Measurement, IAB. “In addition, with advancement in areas like mobile and digital video, it appears that there will be robust avenues for interactive’s growth in the future.”"
Source:  Press release from the IAB, 18th April 2012

Mobile accounts for 11% of UK search spend

"Mobile search spend in the UK increased by 250% for Q1 year-on-year (YOY) as traffic on mobile devices increased four-fold, according to data from Adobe.
Mobile now accounts for 11% of all UK search spend compared to 8% in the US.
Of this, tablets alone accounted for 4.25% of UK search spend.
But despite this boom, Adobe’s Global Digital Advertising Update shows that overall search spend only increased by 2% in the UK compared to 16% in the US.
This is lower than the 30.3% YOY increase in US search ad spend reported in IgnitionOne’s Global Online Advertising report, but still shows that the industry is experiencing strong growth.
Adobe’s report suggests that the relatively low increase in UK search spend “reflects the fragile state of the European economic recovery.”"

Source:  Adobe, 10th April 2012

UK Online Ad Spend Rose to £4,784m in 2011, up 14.4% Y-o-Y

"Despite the backdrop of a depressed UK economy, advertising on the internet increased by 14.4% to a new high of £4,784 million in 2011, up £687 million year on year.
According to the latest Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB) advertising expenditure report, conducted by PwC, online advertising continues to grow at an exceptional rate, and last year experienced its biggest increase in five years.
UK ecommerce shoppers helped Retail surface as the biggest winner in terms of overall growth in the second half** of 2011, as it became the third biggest display advertiser. Consumer Goods (FMCG) moved to second place, while Finance just held on to top spot.
The top five categories, by share of display spend, in 2011 were:
Finance 15%  
Consumer (FMCG) 15%  
Retail 12%  
Entertainment & the Media 12%  
Technology 9%  
The powerhouse of display is banners and other embedded formats, which continue to drive display forward (73% share). Growth of this format was fuelled by bigger, richer and more dynamic ads that spiked display spend by 13.4% to a high of £1,128 million (£945 million in 2010) and a 24% share of online ad spend (23% in 2010).
Video advertising continued its incredible growth and now accounts for 10% of all online display advertising.  Expenditure on online video doubled year on year to £109 million (£54 million in 2010). The format has grown more than eight-fold since 2008, when video spend was £12 million.
In 2011 banner ads on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, increased by 75% to £240 million – an eight-fold increase since records began in 2008.
Search marketing proved to be a recession-proof staple for direct response advertisers, recording impressive growth of 17.5% to £2,767 million (£2,346 million in 2010), and a 58% share of online advertising spend (57% in 2010).
Despite a difficult market for recruitment, total Classified ads grew 5.2% to £785 million (£751 million in 2010) and a share of 16% (18% in 2010). However, consumer and B2B Classifieds (property, cars, holidays and B2B), reached the half billion milestone for the first time at £509 million (£485 million in 2010).
Advertising on mobile devices rose by 157%* in 2011, to a new high of £203million, as a result of increased smartphone ownership, the proliferation of touchscreen technology, 3G, and soaring tablet sales, which sparked a surge in interest from brands, especially in the Retail and Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors."

Source:  Press release from the IAB UK, 3rd April 2012

Mobile ad spend in the UK rose to £203m in 2011

"Advertising on mobile devices rocketed by 157%* in 2011, to a new high of £203.2 million, according to the annual IAB and PwC mobile advertising spend study.
With smartphone ownership standing at 53% of the UK population**, the proliferation of touchscreen technology, 3G, and soaring tablet sales have sparked a surge in interest from brands, especially in the Retail and Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors.
The rapid take up of apps and social media, fuelled in part by cheaper data tariffs, has created a new generation of “dual” and “triple screeners” – 51% of Britons*** now watch TV while surfing the internet using tablets, phones or laptops.
In response, advertisers are creating ever more engaging and interactive rich media ads – turning to apps, video and new formats to engage and enhance the mobile experience.
Mainstream advertisers are now taking a larger share of spend with Technology, Retail and FMCG performing particularly well.
The top five display categories, by share of spend, in 2011 were:
Entertainment & the Media        23.2%                   (32.9% in 2010)
Telecoms                                   14.9%                  (14.3% in 2010)
Consumer Goods/FMCG            14.4%                   (11.8% in 2010)
Retail                                         12.3%                   (5.5% in 2010)
Finance                                     10.3%                   (18.6% in 2010)
Advertisers have recognised the rise of apps, with 54% of display advertising now on apps; while 46% of  display advertising spend is on browser inventory.
Display advertising on mobiles more than doubled year on year, increasing by 186% to £68.9 million (£28.1million in 2010) and a market share of 34% (34% in 2010). In 2008 display advertising on mobiles was worth £14.2 million, so the format has risen fivefold in three years.
As the medium matures, growth has been driven largely by standard display formats, such as banners and text links, which were up 196% to £59.4 million. However, the category including SMS and MMS advertising grew by 241% to £7.6 million (£2.5 million in 2010).
Mobile video advertising (pre / post-roll) increased rapidly to £0.8 million (£0.2 million in 2010) as brand advertisers invest in new rich media formats.
Mobile search was up 145% to £134.3 million (£54.9 million in 2010) and a market share of 66% (66% in 2010). In 2008, search was worth £14.4 million, so has grown by nearly tenfold in three years.
Although only launched in 2010, tablets are now an everyday device with more than 4.1 million Britons owning one**. As a consequence, the IAB has measured tablet-specific advertising for the first time and found that £2.4 million was spent in 2011.
Jon Mew, director of mobile and operations at the IAB, said: “This study proves just how engrained mobile has become within both brands’ and consumers’ day to day lives. With 26 million smartphone owners now in the UK – the opportunities for brands to interact with consumers in a more innovative and relevant way are endless. So it’s no surprise to see mobile advertising continuing to grow at such an overwhelming and encouraging rate.’’
Anna Bartz, strategy manager at PwC, said: “Mobile advertising is gaining momentum – with growing opportunities to target consumers with a range of innovative formats, on the web and in mobile applications. The rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets means mobile is offering a compelling new way for brands and advertisers across all sectors to reach people, making it an increasingly powerful platform in multi-media strategies.”
Source:  Press release by the IAB, 20th March 2012

Newspaper print advertising revenue fell by 9.2% in the US in 2011

"The Newspaper Association of America has posted its final tally of newspaper advertising statistics for 2011, and as expected, it is not a pretty picture.
Total advertising revenue was down 7.3 percent, a percentage point worse than in 2010. Print advertising was off 9.2 percent year-to-year.
Digital advertising revenue, after a comparatively weak fourth quarter, grew 6.8 percent for the year.
So the industry posted total ad revenues of $23.9 billion, a decline of $1.9 billion from the previous year. NAA does not have current numbers on circulation revenue and is only starting to assemble data on revenue from such activities as contract printing, events, or social media assistance to businesses.
Figure that those add roughly $10 billion, making newspapers a $34 billion industry. Google alone, by contrast, recorded revenues of $37.9 billion for 2011.
In updating numbers released previously for the first three quarters, NAA identified two shifts occurring late in the year."

Source:  Poynter, 15th March 2012

There are 338m mobile internet users in China

"The follow are some of the numbers coming out of iResearch.  The Chinese mobile Internet market during 2011 reached 39.31 billion RMB.  This created a year to year growth rate of 97.5%.  This growth was supported mainly by the mobile value-added market and the rapidly growing mobile E-Commerce.  We expect mobile E-commerce to fully surpass mobile value-added sometime during 2012.  Mobile advertising, which saw a 101.7% growth in 2011 to 2.42 billion RMB, is another segment that will continue its track record during 2012 as adverstising on mobile is finally being wholeheartedly supported by advertisers..
With 338 million mobile Internet users in China during 2011, we should see the mobile Internet market continue its rocket ship climb this year as well – as long as Europe gets its act together.  If they don’t, we’ll still see very solid growth."

Source:  MobiSights, 7th February 2012

Offline advertising spend grew 13% in China in 2011

"According to Chinese ad spend figures released by CCTV market research subsidiary CTR, China's traditional advertising market (comprising television, print, radio, and outdoor media) grew by 13% YoY in 2011, the same rate as in 2010. Television advertising revenues grew by 13%; radio advertising revenues, by 28%; outdoor media, by 1%, with 26% growth in subway advertising and 25% and 34% growth, respectively, in public transportation TV displays and LCD screens installed in office buildings. The top five industries by ad spending in 2011 were cosmetics and bathing products, business and service industries, beverages, foods, and medicine."

Source:  Xinhaunet, via Marbridge Daily, 14th February 2012

Internet advertising revenue in the US rose 22% Y-o-Y in Q3 2011

"Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. hit $7.88 billion for the third quarter of 2011, representing a 22 percent increase over the same period in 2010, according to the latest IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report figures released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC US. These figures also show a 2.7 percent uptick from the record-setting revenues of the second quarter of 2011. Results for Q3 2011 further mark the eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth."

Source:  Press release from the IAB, 30th November 2011

2/3 of college students would rather have an internet connection than a car

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Source:  Taken from Cisco's World Technology Report, September 2011
Press release here
Methodology - 1,400 college students aged 18-23 & 1400 young professionals under 30.
The survey was translated into local languages and fielded in 14 countries to gain approximately
100 completes for each subgroup in each country
Countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy,
Russia, India, China, Japan, Australia

WPP agencies spend $1.5bn a year with Google

"Sorrell says WPP agencies now spend $1.5 billion (£930 million) a year with Google globally, roughly double what they spend with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
Google's UK revenues - a good paradigm for digital advertising as a whole given the internet search giant's dominance - surged 21% in the last three months. Contrast that with Britain's TV ad market where growth has been anaemic since the spring and is likely to end the year close to flat.
France's Publicis Groupe, owner of agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi and Starcom MediaVest in the UK, says that globally, 56% of its revenues from financial services clients are now spent on digital media. Only 44% goes to what it calls "analogue" media.
Other clients remain more committed to traditional media such as TV, press, radio and outdoor because of its effectiveness at brand-building. Consumer goods firms only spend 20% on digital and 80% on analogue.
For now, the big marketing and communications holding groups are coping. "What you lose on the TV roundabout, you gain on the swings with digital," says Sorrell."
Source:  The Evening Standard, 31st October 2011

Online display ad spend rose 21% in Europe in 2010

"The headline number for display in Europe is now €5.8 Billion – a 21.1% growth on last year’s figures. It’s difficult to acertain how much traditional display has really grown, as there is no break out numbers for Facebook. I think the IAB will have to do this next year – so we can a real feel for how the different channels are faring in terms of media spend. I have produced a chart of the top performing countries in the market. The UK and Germany are way out ahead, clocking in at just over 1 billion euro each. France comes in at third – closely followed by Italy."
Source:  Data from the IAB Europe, compiled by PwC, reported by ExchangeWire, 29th September 2011
Note - Data is compiled for 25 markets in Europe and relates to full year 2010

UK marketing budgets were revised up in Q3 2011, with online seeing the largest rise

"The latest IPA Bellwether survey published today (Thursday 13th October 2011) reveals that marketing budgets were revised up in Q3 ending a three-quarter period of decline, as companies increased expenditure to promote new products and maintain market share amid strong competitive pressure.  With 21% of companies reporting an upward revision compared to 17% that reported a reduction, the resultant net balance* rose to a one-and-a-half-year high of 3.4% (up from -2.2% in Q2).
(net balance calculated by subtracting the percentage reporting a downward revision from the percentage reporting an upward revision.)
For the first time since Q2 2007 budgets for all sectors were revised up. The internet saw the steepest increase by a wide margin and the largest quarter-on-quarter jump in the history of the report, with a net balance of 16.6% (up from 1.9% in Q2). Main media spend, a category which includes the internet, recorded the slowest pace of budget growth and only a marginal rise, suggesting a shift to online. Direct marketing budgets were revised upwards to the greatest degree for a year, while sales promotion and ‘all other’ (below-the-line) recorded growth for the first time in 15 and 16 quarters respectively.
Yet business optimism is falling further, with marketing executives’ confidence for the industries in which they operate hitting a two-and-a half year low: the net balance of -23.3% was down from -10.9% in Q2. Even though marketing executives were slightly more optimistic about their own companies’ prospects the degree of optimism was the second lowest since Q1 2009."
Source:  Data collected & reported by the IPA, 13th October 2011

Online ad spend in the UK grew by 13.5% Y-o-Y in H1 2011

"A surge in FMCG advertising and a triple-digit increase in online video helped fuel a 13.5% like for like growth in UK internet advertising expenditure, and a half-year 2011 high of £2.26 billion.
The wider UK advertising sector experienced year on year growth of just 1.4% to £8.27 billion between January and June 2011. Internet spend has surpassed forecasts to reach a new market share of 27%, with a quarter of a billion pounds more spent on internet advertising in the first half of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.
The figures, which exclude mobile advertising expenditure, are collated bi-annually by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), the trade body for digital advertising, in conjunction with PwC and WARC.
Display accounts for nearly a quarter of spend as search and classified still grow
Boosted by sophisticated new formats and 100% growth of online video, display advertising grew by 18.5% year on year on a like for like basis to £510 million, representing a 23% share of online spend in the first half of 2011 (£440 million and 22% share in H1 2010). A combination of direct response and an increased number of social media and brand campaigns delivered this growth.
Although banners and embedded formats still dominate online display (£374 million or 73% share), video doubled in size year on year to £45 million, giving it a 9% share of online display (5% in first half of 2010). This is due to a significant increase in advertisers using video to deliver brand messages.
Paid-for search marketing continued to thrive as advertisers recognise its transparent and measurable benefits during these budget-pressured times. Year on year, search increased 12.6% on a like for like basis to £1,313 million, representing a share of 58% of online advertising (£1,164 million and 58% share in 2010).
Online classifieds grew 3% like for like to £385 million with a share of 17% of online advertising year on year (£379 million and a 19% share in the first half of 2010).
Lead generation, an increasingly important form of performance-based marketing where advertisers pay per sales lead rather than a click through or by an advertisement served, grew by 20% to £26 million (£22 million in H1 2010).
While finance took over from the entertainment sector as the top category spender in display for the first half of 2011, the biggest winner was FMCG, which has grown by six percentage points in two and a half years. Improved measurement tools fuelled this growth, as FMCG marketers learnt that online delivers brand messages and works well as part of a cross-media campaign.
The top display five categories between January and June 2011 were: finance (16%), FMCG (15%), entertainment & media (12%), travel & transport (10%), retail (10%)."
Source:  Press release from the IAB UK, 5th October 2011

US online advertising spend rose 23.2% Y-o-Y in H1 2011

"Internet ad revenues rose 23.2 percent—to a record $14.9 billion—in the first half of 2011, according to figures released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC US). The rate of growth more than doubled year-over-year, as last year’s first-half ad revenues of $12.1 billion had represented an 11.3 percent increase over 2009.
Internet ad revenues for the second quarter alone also reached new heights, increasing 24.1 percent to $7.7 billion. That performance compares to last year’s same-period revenues of $6.2 billion, up 13.9 percent from 2009.
Display-related advertising—which includes banner ads, rich media, digital video and sponsorships—totaled more than $5.5 billion in the first six months of 2011. Display increased 27.1 percent over the same period in 2010, substantially exceeding the previous year’s growth rate of 16 percent. Digital video once again commanded double-digit growth—up 42.1 percent over a year ago, and moved close to the $1 billion mark with $891 million in half year 2011 revenue.
Display accounted for 37 percent of all interactive spend in the first half of 2011, with search remaining the leading online category at 49 percent of the total—nearly $7.3 billion. Search and Display each grew about 27 percent year-over-year, with Search more than doubling its previous year’s growth rate of 11.6 percent.
In other online ad formats, dollars spent on lead generation increased 25.4 percent over the same period in 2010, but classified ad dollars were down 2 percent and email spend decreased 34.2 percent.
IAB and PwC US looked at revenue models supporting online ads. Ads using performance-based models increased faster than ads using impression-based models, rising to $9.6 billion. Impression-based ad spend did grow by 10.8 percent, though that pricing model accounted for only 31 percent of total ads, down from 35 percent year-over-year."
Source:  Press release from the IAB, 28th September 2011

Online ad spend grew by 32% in Romania in 2010

"The online advertising market in Romania reached a value of EUR 20.4 million in 2010, up 32 percent compared to the previous year, according to the latest edition of the Romanian Online Advertising Study (ROADS) conducted by IAB Romania and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Romania.
“The increase of 32 percent of the online advertising market recorded in 2010, certifies the availability of more and more advertisers to invest in this sector, taking the total reported amount over EUR 20 million”, said Cristian Petriceanu, president of IAB Romania."

Source:  Romania Business Insider, 31st May 2011

Online ad spend in the US hit $7.3bn in Q1 2011

"Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. hit $7.3 billion for the first quarter of 2011, representing a 23 percent increase over the same period in 2010, according to figures released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This marks the highest first-quarter revenue level ever for the industry and a significant increase over last year’s first-quarter revenue level, which had been the highest on record to date.
“The consistent and considerable year-over-year growth we’re seeing demonstrates that digital media is an increasingly popular destination for ad dollars, and for good reason,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. “As Americans spend more time online for information and entertainment purposes, digital advertising and marketing has emerged as one of the most effective tools businesses have to attract and retain customers.”
“The year-on-year 23 percent increase in first quarter revenues is not just impressive in its own right, but especially so when you take into account the fact that 2010 was a record-breaking year itself for Internet advertising revenue,” said David Silverman, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “These numbers indicate that the interactive advertising field hasn’t simply bounced back since the recession; it’s growing with dynamic energy.”"

Source:  Press release from the IAB, 26th May 2011

Online ad spend hit $26bn in the US in 2010

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"The IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report for the full year 2010 and Q4 2010 both showed record results in the United States. Released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and prepared by PwC US, the latest report puts all 2010 Internet advertising revenues at a record $26 billion, up 15% from 2009. Fourth quarter revenue also hit new highs at $7.45 billion, up 19% from Q4 2009 and 15% from Q3 2010.
Highlights of the report include:
- There were record numbers for the yearly advertising revenue as well as record quarterly highs in the Q4 2010.
- The most popular ad format in 2010 was search which represented 46% of revenue and saw 12% growth from last year.
- Sponsorships saw the most growth with an 88% increase over last year and 142% increase in the fourth quarter alone.
- Display-related advertising – which includes Digital Video Commercials, Ad banners/display ads, sponsorships and rich media – continued to grow this year, totaling nearly $10 billion with an increase of 24% over 2009.
- The results exhibit revenue growth for the past five consecutive quarters.
- The Annual Report marks the debut of estimated US mobile ad revenue for 2010: between $550 and $650 million.
“As the latest IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report amply demonstrates, brand advertisers and marketers have adopted the power of digital media as a central element of their campaigns,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Consumers have shifted more of their time to digital media – watching television shows and movies online – and advertisers now accept this multifaceted medium as a key component for reaching their targets.”
“With a strong rebound from 2009, the $26 billion spent on Internet advertising points to a continued focus on digital media ad spend, with dollars catching up to the eyeballs. More time spent online, especially with increases in digital video and social media, has certainly helped to fuel the continued growth,” said David Silverman, PwC Assurance partner.
“We now have had five consecutive quarters of growth since the great recession impacted interactive advertising in 2009,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Industry Services, IAB. “The record-breaking revenue in Q4 2010 and the total year indicate that interactive advertising has weathered the storm and then some."

Source:  Data compiled by the IAB & PwC, reported in a press release from the IAB, 13th April 2011

The internet accounts for 25% of all advertising in the UK

"UK online advertising has bucked the recession with strong growth of 12.8% on a like-for-like basis in 2010 to reach a new milestone of £4,097 million, according to the bi-annual advertising spend study from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC.
With total UK advertising spend in 2010 valued at £16.6 billion, this takes the internet’s market share to a record high of 25% (23% in 2009), meaning that £1 in every £4 invested by advertisers is spent online.
These findings demonstrate that, despite the recession, online advertising is in rude health. Significantly, marketers are increasingly using online channels to drive their brand building campaigns. Consumer goods and retail advertisers increased their investment in online to become two of the top four big spenders in display, capitalising on the medium’s core strengths of reach and engagement as well as accountability.
In 2010 the biggest gain was display advertising, thanks to a nearly 200% surge in display advertising in a social media environment (on a like-for-like basis)* and 91% year-on-year (absolute growth) in video formats. Expenditure on pre-, mid- and post-roll video advertising nearly doubled to £54 million (£28 million in 2009). Overall display grew by more than a quarter (27.5%) on a like-for-like basis to a new high of £945.1 million, representing 23% of total online spend (up from 20% in 2009).
Consumer goods manufacturers became a top three display spender in the first half of 2010 with 12% share, jumping to 13% in the second half. The top spender in online display is finance with 15.2% share, indicating that as the economy recovers, finance brands are seeing their marketing budgets re-emerge. Finance market share has overtaken entertainment and media, which has dipped slightly to a 14% market share.
Paid-search continues to perform strongly with growth of 8% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis to £2,346 million, representing 57% of total online spend (61% in 2009).
Despite pressure on the housing, recruitment and automotive markets, online classified advertising bounced back in 2010 recording 9.7% growth on a like-for-like basis to £751 million – a share of 18% (19% in 2009).
Mobile advertising has experienced a staggering 116% year on year growth (on a like for like basis), up from 32% in 2009. Advertisers spent £83 million on mobile advertising in 2010, led by the entertainment and media sector, but with encouraging growth from finance, telecoms and consumer goods advertising."
Source:  Data from IAB / PwC, reported on the IAB UK website, 29th March 2011

O2 was the top online ad spender in the UK in 2010

"According to figures compiled exclusively for Marketing by Nielsen, mobile services provider O2 was the biggest online display advertiser in the UK, despite reducing its budget by almost 30% year on year to £9.9m.
Although the figures do not include spend on keyword search or social media, they suggest that major FMCG firms still allocate only a small proportion of their budgets to paid-for online advertising.
Procter & Gamble, the UK's biggest advertiser, devotes just 1.3% of its spend to paid-for online display ads, while Unilever invests £2.6m, just 1.9% of its total media spend.
The COI posted the biggest year-on-year fall in the top 10, slashing its spend by 52% year on year to £4.6m. Conversely, Google increased its investment by 175% to £4m, dedicating 61% of its total media spend to online display ads."
Source:  Data from Nielsen and Marketing Magazine, reported by Marketing Magazine, 22nd March 2011
Note:  As the figures don't include search (which is about 70% of all UK online ad spend), they should be treated with caution.

Mobile ad spend by market, 2005-2009

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Source:  Page 219 of Ofcom's International Communications Market Report, December 2010