National newsbrands are predicted to see digital ad spend grow by 8.1% in 2019, according to the latest Expenditure Report from the Advertising Association and WARC.
The report also shows that digital ad spend in national newsbrands grew by 3.7% in Q3 2018.
Speaking to Mediatel, The Ozone Project’s CEO Damon Reeve said: “The latest report shows a strong growth rate on digital spend in newsbrand environments… This is consistent with the increasing interest we are experiencing and reflects the growing preference by advertisers to reach audiences in brand safe and trusted content environments.”
He added that newsbrands’ quality editorial environment drives better brand performance, while improvements in formats and targeting are making newsbrands an increasingly popular choice for advertisers looking to reach “engaged audiences at scale in a brand safe way”.
Meanwhile, regional newsbrands saw digital growth of 10.9% and overall UK advertising spend rose 5.1% year on year to reach £5.6 billion in Q3 2018. The ad industry is predicted to grow 4.6% in 2019 if a smooth exit from the EU is negotiated.