The global mobile advertising market was worth $5.3bn (£3.4bn) in 2011, according to a new study from the IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence in the US, IAB Europe and IHS Screen Digest.
The study also breaks this figure down into regional shares, with Asia-Pacific leading the way on 35.9 per cent ($1.9bn), followed by N. America on 31.4 per cent ($1.7bn), Europe on 25.9 per cent ($1.4bn), Latin America on 3.5 per cent ($200m) and the Middle East & Africa on 3.2 per cent (£170m).
IHS Screen Digest authored the research by identifying mobile ad spend reported by IABs, harmonizing the data, and employing statistical and econometric models to infer a global market size, split across advertising formats. 
“Hyper-personal and always-on, mobile has a tremendous potential as an advertising medium,” notes Alain Heureux, president and CEO of IAB Europe. “We are recognizing the need for accurate and comprehensive data to support and provide evidence for its future growth. This is not just a local, or even European affair. As many mobile campaigns are played out in a global ecosystem, the market we have to size spans across borders.”
Anna Bager, vice president and general manager, of the IAB’s Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, says that as mobile accelerates its global footprint, it’s vital to measure the worldwide and regional opportunities for advertisers. “This key IAB initiative provides an accurate gauge of mobile market developments across the globe, with the aim of helping our members and the industry achieve even stronger growth through mobile,” says Bager.
