New figures from this week’s 2023 IAB/PwC Digital Adspend report show the digital advertising industry continues on its growth trajectory, hitting £29.6bn last year, driven by take up of new channels but still dominated by search. Yet while the report draws its own conclusions, Decision Marketing quizzes industry chiefs for their take on what it all means for the advertisers and agencies alike. First up is Good-Loop chief executive Amy Williams, who says: “Growth in digital media is a win in a difficult macro-financial climate. Media channels that have traditionally often been described as em ..read more

Digital adspend continues to defy the economic turmoil, witnessing double-digital growth of 11% in 2023 to reach £29.6bn, with spend on connected TV, podcast ads and social video surging, while search maintained its market dominance. That is the upbeat conclusion of the 2023 IAB/PwC Digital Adspend, which confirms that advertisers are seeking out digital ad formats that capitalise on the engagement offered by the rich array of entertainment online. Spend on podcast ads grew by 23% year-on-year, while CTV was up 21% and social video continued to perform strongly with annual growth of 20%. Grow ..read more

The Information Commissioner’s Office has suffered yet another ignominious defeat in its attempt to force Experian to overhaul its offline marketing practices, with the Upper Tribunal rejecting the regulator’s appeal against its February 2023 ruling. The issue dates back to 2017, when the ICO began a major investigation into the data broking industry, with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion coming under close scrutiny over how they used personal data for direct marketing purposes. The ICO’s probe claimed to have found how the three companies were trading, enriching and enhancing people’s person ..read more

TikTok is facing the dubious honour of being the first tech company to have a service banned across the European Union following claims that TikTok Lite – which rewards users for watching clips – is “toxic”. The European Commission has given the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform until tomorrow (Wednesday) to “bring arguments in its defence which the commission will carefully assess” before it takes a final decision on enforcement steps. If the ban goes ahead, it would be the first time the EU has imposed sanctions since its landmark Digital Markets Act came into force last August for a num ..read more

Data and tech driven agency group MSQ has appointed global tech leader Professor Dr Dominik Matyka as a non-executive director to support its growth ambitions, focusing on helping evolve its data, media, technology and programmatic capabilities. A major operator in the European tech scene, Matyka will also advise MSQ on its global expansion plans, with the group recently establishing its first non-UK office on the continent in Amsterdam. Based in Berlin and Frankfurt, Matyka has founded and exited multiple digital companies during a decorated career, and was also the founding partner of Caval ..read more

CTI Digital has bolstered its senior team with two key hires as the business gears up for growth following a £25m investment from private equity firm Lloyds Development Capital (LDC). Launched in 2003 by Nick Rhind, the CTI recently hired Oliver Agency UK group chief operating officer Chris Woodward (pictured, middle) as chief executive, taking over from Rhind who has moved across to drive M&A activity. Having completed five acquisitions in the past three years, CTI has seen revenues rising to £18m in the last 18 months. Companies operating under the CTI Group umbrella now include CTI Dig ..read more

TikTok is facing the dubious honour of being the first tech company to have a service banned across the European Union following claims that TikTok Lite – which rewards users for watching clips – is “toxic”. The European Commission has given the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform until tomorrow (Wednesday) to “bring arguments in its defence which the commission will carefully assess” before it takes a final decision on enforcement steps. If the ban goes ahead, it would be the first time the EU has imposed sanctions since its landmark Digital Markets Act came into force last August for a num ..read more

UK marketers seeking to foster greater brand loyalty need to look beyond the narrative of customer affection, fidelity and offers to factor in trust, availability and even routine to keep shoppers coming back for more. So says The Science of Loyalty report published by Intuit Mailchimp based on a survey of 4,000 consumers, including 1,000 from the UK and a similar number from US, Canada and Australia. The results reveal that repurchasing behaviour is not merely a manifestation of consumer adoration and steadfast commitment, but the result of subconscious decision-making. In fact, more than a ..read more

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