Global mobile advertising revenues rose by an impressive 82.8 per cent to reach $8.9bn (£6bn) in 2012, from $5.3bn in 2011. Mobile search ad revenues grew by 88.8 per cent; display by 87.3 per cent; and messaging by 40.2 per cent.
Search accounted for $4.7bn, or 52.8 per cent of total global mobile ad revenue in 2012, compared to $2.5bn in 201. Display advertising accounted for 38.7 per cent, and messaging for 8.5 per cent.
The figures come from the US IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB Europe and research firm, IHS. The regional breakdown is as follows:
- Asia-Pacific: $3.6bn (40.2 per cent)
- N. America: $3.5bn (39.8 per cent)
- Western Europe: $1.5bn (16.9 per cent)
- Central Europe: $112m (1.3 per cent)
- Middle East & Africa: $109m (1.2 per cent)
- Latin America: $50m (0.6 per cent)
N. America saw a 111 per cent increase over 2011 figures, while Western Europe rose by 91 per cent, Latin America by 71 per cent, Central Europe by 69 per cent, Middle-East and Africa by 68 per cent, and Asia-Pacific by 60 per cent.
The IAB puts the growth down to rising smartphone adoption; increased 3G and 4G penetration; more time spent on mobile devices; and better advertising monetisation through targeting ad inventory consolidation. 
“Mobile is coming into its own as a powerhouse advertising medium,” said Anna Bager, Vice president and general manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, U.S. at the IAB. “Todays advertising is happening in a world where ad campaigns can be planned and bought across global networks on multiple media, but the massive and continuing acceleration of mobiles international impact provides new and exciting frontiers for content and communication.”
Daniel Knapp, director, advertising research at IHS, and author of the report, said the industry is seeing a shift from a very fragmented landscape to one that is becoming more networked.
“Technological innovation has simplified buying mobile inventory at scale, enabling advertisers to better reach larger audiences across multiple publishers and advertising networks,” said Knapp.
You can access the complete report here.
