Internet advertising up by 12.5%

ADVERTISING spending on the internet jumped by 12.5 per cent in Britain last year, defying a flagging economy as companies battled to reach consumers spending more time on smartphones and tablet computers.

The Internet Advertising ­Bureau yesterday said spending on online advertising reached £5.42 billion in 2012.

The study found internet ­advertising spending rose by £607 million year-on-year.

With about two-thirds of Britons owning a smartphone, mobile advertising now accounts for almost 10 per cent of all digital marketing spending, compared with about 1 per cent in 2009. Demand for mobile ads is likely to increase after auctions for next-generation 4G airwaves earlier this year.