Mobile advertising has reached record levels in the United Kingdom.
In 2012, mobile advertising spend tripled in the U.K., touching previously unheard of new heights in this fast-growing channel.
Fueled by the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets UK mobile advertising grew a “staggering 148% year-on-year in 2012,” reports the U.K. Guardian today.
Based on data made available by the IAB, growth accelerated most dramatically in the second half of the year.
Mobile display and video advertising grew 121% last year, while mobile search spiked by 164%. Mobile search now accounts for 69% of total mobile ad spend, today’s report reads.
“There is simply so much buzz around mobile,” explains Tim Elkington, director of research and strategy at the Internet Advertising Bureau. “Marketers are becoming more attune to the ‘always on’ nature of consumers who expect to engage with content wherever they are.”
It’s been a remarkable period of growth for mobile advertising in the U.K. In 2009, for example, mobile accounted for just 1% of the total UK digital advertising market.