go to home page
Our Approach
Services
Services

We connect our clients with leading digital technology and deliver creative solutions to ensure maximum brand impact and engagement.

View all services
Strategic Consulting
Brand Design
UX Design
Digital Build
Brand Advertising
Content Creation
Performance Marketing
Analysis & Optimisation

Featured from Blog

Article Title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur elit

Read more
Article Title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur elit

Read more
See all articles
Case StudiesNews & InsightsAbout Us
English
Dutch
Get in touch
Home
News & Insights

AA x WARC Expenditure report | Future of UK Ad Industry

by
Nina Goli
May 7, 2025
Digital Build
service page title
Picture of the WARC/AA Expenditure Report

The latest AA/WARC Expenditure Report paints a picture of strength and complexity in the UK ad market. A 10.4% growth in 2024 has pushed total ad spend to £42.6 billion – well ahead of GDP growth – and solidified digital’s dominance, with search, retail media, and online display soaking up the lion’s share of budgets.

But beneath the topline optimism, cracks are beginning to show. Forecasts for 2025 and 2026 have been revised amid global uncertainty, while pressure on ROI and growing short-termism threaten the creative risk-taking needed to sustain long-term brand value.

With that in mind, LBB invited a number of strategists, creatives, and agency heads to share their reactions to the report, in order to understand what this digital shift means for storytelling, and how agencies are steering clients toward resilience, relevance, and prioritising brave ideas.

‍

Nina Goli, Head of Digital Strategy at Modern Citizens

‍

Digital isn’t just a channel anymore— it’s the whole stage. Platforms, creators, algorithms — they’re shaping how people stumble into brands. But here’s the truth: no matter how much media you throw behind it, if it's not relevant, it won’t stick.

 

We’re in the age of fractured funnels and ambient discovery. People are finding brands through TikTok stitches, Discord threads, or a line in a podcast. That means every asset — not just the hero film — needs to carry meaning. Every moment is a brand moment.

 

Agencies are shifting from campaign thinking to ecosystem design — building modular, idea-led work that travels across formats and fuels both performance and storytelling. The real ROI comes when cultural relevance meets unexpected storytelling. That’s how you breakthrough the scroll.

 

2026’s big events? Huge opportunity — but only if brands show up with Modern Ideas: not one-size-fits-all campaigns, but adaptive, insight-driven thinking that earns attention in the wild, drives participation — and moves people. Platforms distribute. Algorithms optimise. But only Modern Ideas cut through.

 

Read the full article in LBB

You may also be interested in

Modern Citizens Appoints Nina Goli as Head of Digital Strategy
Visit the article
ChatGPT Launches New Shopping Features
Visit the article
Branding the Future: The Key to an Inspiring University Identity
Visit the article
Beyond Print: Why Your Brand Needs a Digital Design System
Visit the article
Go to home page
Address:
London, 12 Macklin Street, London, WC2B 5NF
Rotterdam, Vasteland 40, 3011 BM, Rotterdam
visit our instagram channel
visit our linked in page
Our ApproachServicesCase StudiesNews & InsightsAbout UsContactLink Five
© 2025 Modern Citizens. All rights reserved.
Privacy PolicyTerms and Conditions