Retail, tech & finance lead agencies’ digital spend in 2024

Retail remains king, tech is surging, and finance is making a comeback - those are our standout findings from Guideline’s latest data on UK media agency spending by category. The 2024 data shows a digital advertising landscape that’s not just shifting, but smartly evolving, with agencies rebalancing spend across search, social, and display to drive both performance and brand building objectives.

The most significant trend? A sharp rise in social media investment. Agencies ramped up social spend in 2024, reflecting its broader appeal and effectiveness. As platforms mature and reach increasingly diverse demographics, social media continues to prove its value - not just as a performance channel, but as a measurable and meaningful space for brand building.

Where is spend going?

Retail tops the list again this year, with a robust 24% increase in agency spend helping it retain the number one spot. What’s notable is its balanced investment across social, search, and display - an approach that speaks to retail’s need to meet consumers at multiple digital touchpoints.

Hot on its heels is investment in ‘Computers & Software’, growing 25% year-on-year to secure second place in the breakdown of ad categories. Third is ‘Financial Services & Insurance’, climbing two spots from 2023 - this resurgence aligns with consumer behaviour, as saving and investing levels hit post-pandemic highs.

Search: Dominated by Clothing, Driven by Retail

Agencies’ spend on Search has become even more concentrated, with the top five categories now accounting for over half of all agency investment in this channel. Clothing dominates, but retail showed the most eye-catching growth - up 48% year-on-year - leaving Automotive catching up in third.

For some sectors, search is central to strategy. ‘Real Estate & Development’ is a prime example, with over half of agency spend in this category going on Search alone.

Social: Still strong, but the mix is changing

Social remains critical for several categories. In fact, social accounts for a third of the collective agency spend among the top three social categories - Computers & Software, Clothing, and Beauty & Personal Care. 

That said, the balance is shifting, particularly when it comes to clothing. Back in 2019, 58% of agency spend for this category went to social. In 2024, that figure is down to 39%. While social spend has grown in real terms, other media - especially Search - has grown faster, leading to a more diverse media mix.

Display: Direct is outpacing programmatic

When it comes to non-social display, investment in direct buys is rising faster than programmatic spend. The biggest category drivers of this are Financial Services & Insurance, Retail, and Entertainment & Media.

Computers & Software has led display investment for five years running, but the gap is narrowing. In 2024, the top three display-spending categories were neck-and-neck, suggesting a more competitive race ahead.

Strategy is evolving, not just spending

The message from this year’s data is clear: agencies aren’t just increasing spend - they’re rethinking it and actively reshaping their media mix. Whether it's the rise in social spend, the resurgence of retail in search, or the growing role of direct display, 2024 signals a more deliberate, data-led approach to media planning as agencies adapt to meet both short-term performance goals and longer-term brand objectives via digital channels.

Find out more about digital ad spend in 2024 here.