Mobile ad spend hit a record £203.2m in 2011, up from just £83m in 2010, a 157% year-on-year increase. 

The results come from the latest Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) report, which also reveals that smartphone ownership has reached 53% in the UK. 

This coupled with strong tablet sales has created a new generation of consumers of dual and triple screeners. Half of people (51%) in UK use a mobile device while watching TV.

24% of consumers have bought something on their mobile device and 55% have carried out an internet search while in store. 

Entertainment and media is the biggest spender on mobile advertising (23.2%), followed by telecoms (14.9%) and FMCG brands (14.4%). 

Technology brands are also investing considerable amounts in mobile advertising, accounting for 8.4% of the total market in 2011, a 180% increase from 2010. 

Mobile search has grown tenfold since 2008 and is now worth £134.3m. 

“This study proves just how ingrained mobile has become within both brands’ and consumers’ day-to-day lives,” said IAB director of mobile operations, John Mews.

“So it’s no surprise to see mobile advertising continuing to grow at such an overwhelming and encouraging rate,” explains Mews. 

90% of agencies said in a different IAB survey that mobile will be the fastest growing media for the next five years. 

Posted by 

Smarayda Christoforou