Programmatic display spending up 33% year-over-year: Report

Dive Brief:

Recent Q2 research found programmatic display ad spending is up 33% over last year; at 45%, retargeting is the main tactic used for ads shown.
The auto-vertical had the largest increase in spending at 94%.
Among platforms, Facebook was up 48%, while Google’s display ads fell 9%.

Dive Insight:

IgnitionOne’s research, the Q2 Digital Marketing Report, found overall paid search was up 22% year-over-year, with the smartphone spend on paid search up 71%. In more detailed news from the report, programmatic display ad spending was up 33% over the same time frame, and 47% compared to Q1 2015.

Five specific tactics were cited by the report in terms of percentage of ads shown: retargeting led at 45%, closely followed by reach and look-alike at 16% and 15% respectively, custom targeting (based on custom attributes for the audience) was shown at 13%, and contextual ads trailed the group at 11%. The report also broke down programmatic advertising into retail, auto and travel verticals finding spending up year-over-year in all three with auto leading the way at 94%.

Programmatic impressions are still down with a decrease of 1%, but according to the report, “The decrease in impressions seen in past quarters due to Facebook changes has tapered off.”

All figures are based on users of IgnitionOne’s campaign management platform.