Two-thirds of ad leaders expect increasing investment in digital advertising
More than two-thirds of European digital advertising leaders expect digital advertising investment or revenue to increase over the next 12 months – most commonly in the 1-25% range. Agencies are the most confident, followed by ad tech companies, while publishers remain cautious and advertisers show a polarised outlook, according to an IAB Europe survey across more than 25 markets.
The report shows that programmatic advertising maturity is strongest in display and video, where adoption is most advanced.
CTV and audio lag behind, with higher levels of uncertainty driven by gaps in visibility and understanding, according to IAB Europe.
“Cross‑channel activation also remains limited, with only 17% of respondents activating campaigns across channels – an area led primarily by agencies.”
When it comes to investment decisions, performance and efficiency continue to dominate, with 61% citing outcomes as their top driver, followed by operational (56%) and cost efficiencies (54%), the report says.
“Despite positive momentum, media quality and operational complexity remain the biggest barriers to growth. More than half of respondents (52%) point to issues such as fraud, brand safety, viewability, and transparency as major obstacles, closely followed by challenges in measurement, data usage, and creative execution.”
“Advertisers, in particular, highlight ongoing frustration with inconsistent performance measurement.”
Looking ahead, Connected TV (CTV) stands out as the strongest growth opportunity, the report says. It is identified by nearly seven in ten respondents as the top area for investment and innovation over the next year.
AI and Retail & Commerce Media follow closely, signalling where the industry expects the most meaningful advancements.
Commenting on the findings of the report,
IAB Europe’s Industry Development & Insights Director, Marie-Clare Puffett says that fragmentation is holding progress back.
“As investment increases and new channels scale, clearer measurement and more unified approaches will be essential. Addressing these challenges will require collaboration across the ecosystem to build trust, consistency, and long-term confidence in digital advertising.”
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