Our story

Revolution magazine names Guy Phillipson the Digital Business Person of the year.

A young James Murdoch addresses a packed house at IAB Engage 2006, cementing the reputation of the digital advertising industry’s foremost event of the year.

Online adspend overtakes national press and passes the £2 billion barrier for the first time – demonstrating 41.2% like for like growth.

Full adspend figure for 2006: £2,015.8m showing a growth of 41% increase on a like for like basis year on year.

IAB creates a Regulatory and Public Policy function with the appointment of Nick Stringer who joins the IAB from Orange – “the UK online advertising industry has moved a step closer towards regulation” reports Revolution Magazine.

The launch of the IAB’s dedicated mobile department with the appointment of Jon Mew formerly of Orange, Freeserve and Wanadoo.

IAB moves offices to 14 Macklin Street in the heart of Covent Garden and now has its own event space to enable the hosting of up to 60 events per year.

IAB and Thinkbox release the ground breaking TV and Online study “Better Together” which shows that using TV and online together delivers up to 50% increase in positive brand perception, as well as a significant increase in likelihood of purchase.

IAB’s Search Council sets up the Search Help Centre - backed by Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!, media agencies and brands – to bring consistency and reassurance to the market around topics like trademarks, copyright and intellectual property.

Video Council launched to support the emerging online video advertising market with support from Channel 4, ITV, Sky, Microsoft, YouTube and more.

Display Council updates its online advertising standards removing ‘pop ups’ as a recommended format – the UK is still one of the only IABs to actively prevent the use of this intrusive format.

Amidst a background of worldwide recession and record cuts in marketing budgets, advertising spend collapses as the economy grinds to a halt. Online is the only medium to show growth.

Full adspend figure for 2008: £3,349.8m showing a growth of 17.1% increase on a like for like basis year on year.

Online advertising adspend passes the £4million mark with £1 in every £4 of advertising budgets now spent online (25% share).

Mobile adspend for 2009 revealed to be £36.7 million – an increase of 28%.

Release of the IAB’s Social Media Measurement and Intent Guide, the first dedicated guide to demonstrate the effectiveness of social media.

The launch of IAB Engage for Mobile with key speakers from Google, P&G and Orange addressing an audience of 300 marketers 

IAB Training is unveiled, to deliver high quality training courses across a range of skill sets. Since launch over 300 people have been trained from over 140 companies including NSPCC, Marks & Spencer, BBC Worldwide, AMV BBDO and Expedia.

Jimmy Carr headlines IAB Engage 2010 stating: “No one will overtake Facebook and Twitter. They're like The Beatles and Elvis. They were the first.”

The IAB Video Council brings the VAST 2.0 standard (Video Ad Serving Template) to the UK with wide market support, helping simplify the fragmented young market.

Launch of the Games Steering Group to promote all forms of advertising in and around console, mobile and online casual / social games – backed by Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation, Electronic Arts (EA), IGA Worldwide, Double Fusion and IGN.

Full adspend figure for 2010: £4,097.1m showing a growth of 12.8% increase on a like for like basis

The Telegraph wins the inaugural Future Formats Award, the IAB's showcase of outstanding innovation in online brand display.

Steve Chester, formerly of Microsoft, joins the IAB as Head of Data and Industry Programmes.

UK internet adspend increases 14.4% to £4.8 billion in 2011 according to the IAB / PwC adspend figures. Online display advertising surpasses £1 billion for the first time. As a result, online advertising now enjoys the highest share (28 per cent) of UK adspend.

Mobile advertising spend more than doubles to £203 million in 2011 according to the IAB / PwC mobile adspend figures. Brands invest in display ads as apps and smartphones spark rich media growth.

Mobile Engage 2012 is headlined by Louis Theroux. The award-winning broadcaster joined leading figures from Twitter, Shazam, O2, WIRED magazine, Unilever, Domino's Pizzas, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer at Europe’s largest mobile marketing conference.

UK digital adspend grows 12.6% to £2.6 billion in the first half of 2012. Mobile is up 132% to £181.5 million; video is up 43% to £69.8m; banners in social media are up 36% to £134.2m. FMCG and finance advertisers continue to drive display spend, accounting for nearly one third.

Over 800 delegates attend IAB Engage 2012 which takes place at The Barbican Centre. The event looks at how businesses are successfully adapting to the digital age and explores what managers should be doing to transform their businesses. Speakers include Ajaz Ahmed, AKQA; Dick Costolo, Twitter; Fru Hazlitt, ITV; Mark Howe, Google; Rory Sutherland, Ogilvy Group UK; and broadcaster Dave Gorman. View pictures, videos and press reports on the day.