UK advertising up almost 20% on mobile video

LONDON - Spending on Internet advertising in Britain jumped by nearly a fifth in the first half of 2013 to 3 billion pounds ($4.85 billion), lifted by mobile video ads and marketing on social media by brands cashing in on signs of economic recovery.

Spending on mobile phones alone rose 127 percent to 429.2 million pounds from 188.1 million in the year-ago period, according to a report by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) on Monday.

Britain has led the way in moving advertising from print media and radio to the web, boosted by the high take-up of broadband and the popularity of smartphones and tablet computers which can access the Internet on the go.

More than two thirds of Britons own smartphones, according to a report earlier this year by technology company MobiLens.

Brands selling consumer goods such as clothing, food and jewellery became the biggest users of mobile advertising, almost doubling their share to 26.8 percent from 14.5 percent, the IAB said.

"People are spending more and more of their lives online," said Tim Elkington, Director of Research & Strategy at the Internet Advertising Bureau.

"Advertisers spent almost 1,300 percent more on mobile video than a year ago," he added.