Mobile adspend was up 99.2% year on year in 2008, hitting £28.6 million, according to a new study by the Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The research shows that paid-for-search advertising on the mobile internet accounts for £14.4 million, 50.2% of all mobile advertising spend, while mobile display advertising – which includes banners, text links, tenancies pre/post roll and in-game – accounted for £14.2 million in 2008, 49.8% of all mobile advertising spend.
Jon Mew, head of mobile at the IAB, said: “This study is a UK first and means the IAB can accurately prove and track how much marketers are spending on mobile. The sector is in its infancy but is considerably bigger than the market was expecting.
“Thanks to these landmark figures we know the real value of the mobile advertising industry, and will now be able to chart the medium’s growth with confidence.”
Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the IAB, said: “Over the past 12 months the marketplace has been buzzing with anticipation about this exciting new channel. Now is the perfect time for brands to dip their toes in the water, to see for themselves how effective and complementary mobile advertising can be.
“The IAB is dedicating considerable resource to educating marketers and agencies so they can optimise their campaigns as mobile becomes an essential part of all communications plans.”
Magna’s recent US mobile advertising forecast predicted growth of 36% this year, rising from $169 million in 2008 to $229 million during the course of 2009 (see US mobile advertising to grow by 36%).
In April, meanwhile, Universal McCann’s new research showed that more than one-third of high-use smartphone users respond to mobile advertisements (see Over one-third of smartphone users respond to mobile advertisements).
