eMarketer Releases Ad Spending Report

Late last month, eMarketer released its 2019 Digital Ad Spending – Global report which identified key trends and made predictions for the coming year. The report highlights the robust state of digital marketing, especially in China, North America, and Europe.

Once again, worldwide advertising spend will rise in 2019, led by growth in digital marketing. While growth rates are expected to decline year-over-year, experts believe the change is attributable to strategic adjustments rather than budget cuts.

“The advertising market is underperforming the economy, but we don’t think that’s because advertisers have stopped investing,” Zenith head of forecasting Jonathan Barnard told eMarketer. “Instead, we think they’re investing in other areas like advertising technology, data and ecommerce.”

Total digital ad spending is expected to reach $333.25-billion, up 17.6 per cent from 2018. In several countries – China, the United Kingdom, Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Canada – digital advertising will generate more than 50 per cent of total advertising dollars. It will account for roughly half of total ad spend worldwide.

To no one’s surprise, Google will remain the world’s top ad seller in 2019, raking in $103.73-billion in sales, or roughly 31.1 per cent of total ad spend. Facebook will generate the second-most advertising revenue ($67.37-billion), and China’s Alibaba the third ($29.20-billion).

In addition to steady growth in digital ad spending, eMarketer predicts that brands and agencies will look for opportunities to integrate digital and traditional advertising strategies in 2019 and beyond. Expect fewer siloed marketing experiences (i.e. digital video campaigns, social media campaigns, etc.) and more multi-platform approaches in the coming years.

As a Google Premier Partner digital marketing agency with unique insights on Google’s preferred practices, we at GrowthEngine Media make it our business to stay on top of the latest trends in the digital marketing industry.