Mobile advertising and marketing worldwide - statistics & facts

Mobile marketing spending at a glance

Mobile marketing is becoming an indispensable tool for companies that want to ensure that their marketing messages are seen. Internet users are spending more time online via smartphones and tablets than ever, and by adopting a mobile-first mindset, marketers can cater to the latest changes in online consumer behavior. Data shows that the share of mobile in digital advertising spending is constantly increasing, and after overtaking desktop as the most invested-in global ad format in 2019, over 60 percent of all digital ad funds are devoted to mobile today. Although this trend is visible on a global scale, the pace at which marketers adapt to the mobile revolution varies significantly, depending on factors such as a region’s mobile adoption rate and mobile internet speed. While marketers in the UK and Brazil, for example, allocated around 76 percent of their digital ad investments towards mobile initiatives in 2020, China topped the list of countries with the highest share of mobile in digital ad spend that year. In terms of total expenditures, however, the United States remains the leading mobile ad market worldwide.

What are the most popular mobile ad formats?

Marketers can choose from an ever-expanding list of mobile marketing initiatives and channels. Essentially, most tried and tested desktop advertising activities can be carried out on mobile devices. In addition, smartphones also offer mobile technology features such as personalized location services and tracking data that marketers can use for customized content offers. When looking at the most popular formats in the United States, banner, search, and video have all seen rapid spending growth in recent years, while social media blossomed into a particularly effective mobile marketing asset. In some parts of the world, the social network penetration rate stands at almost 80 percent, and knowing that most users browse their favorite social apps on their smartphones, it makes perfect sense for marketers to focus on this format. Based on the most recent projections, social media will be the most invested-in mobile ad format by 2022, with spending approaching 141 billion U.S. dollars worldwide.

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