In today’s digital landscape, advertising investment in Spain continues to mirror the major trends driving the industry forward. The latest 2024 Digital Advertising Investment Study by IAB Spain highlights strong growth in formats like video, social media, and native advertising. This surge is driven by shifts in consumer behavior, increasing demand for immersive content, and the gradual phase-out of third-party cookies, prompting brands to refine their targeting strategies and explore new engagement methods.
The report features the sectors attracting the highest investments, the emerging opportunities redefining digital advertising, and the strategic approaches brands adopt to maximize their impact in today’s ecosystem.
Highest investment: Search and social media advertising
The digital advertising market in Spain has experienced a remarkable growth, reaching €5.58 billion in 2025. This represents an important 12.2% increase from 2023 and a significant 23.2% rise from 2022, reflecting the rapid expansion and resilience of the industry. However, the largest investments come from two sectors:
▪️Search advertising
Search advertising remains the leading channel, with a 13.6% growth in 2025. This continuous rise is driven by dynamic search models that leverage real-time data and AI-powered algorithms to optimize campaigns, improve click-through rates (CTR), and maximize return on investment (ROI). The increasing reliance on automation and machine learning ensures that search advertising remains a high-performance and cost-effective investment.
▪️Social media advertising
It has emerged as the fastest-growing advertising segment, registering an impressive 26.6% increase between 2022 and 2023. This expansion is fueled by advanced audience segmentation, AI-driven ad personalization, and innovative content formats across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Brands are still capitalizing on interactive and visually engaging content to build stronger relationships with their target audiences.
Rising formats: DOOH and CTV
Beyond traditional channels, several emerging digital formats and approaches are gaining traction, consolidating themselves as brand favorites, and attracting significant investment.
▪️DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home)
DOOH has witnessed a remarkable 29.6% increase between 2022 and 2024. This growth is primarily driven by its ability to combine digital innovation with real-world placements, enabling real-time, context-aware messaging that captures consumer attention in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls, transportation hubs, or urban centers.
Investment in DOOH in Spain still represents 4% of total ad spending, but it’s growing year on year. Another interesting aspect of this format is that it leverages other channels such as display and social media, as it increases visibility and improves brand awareness.
▪️Connected TV (CTV)
CTV advertising is witnessing growth, reflecting the increasing consumer preference for on-demand, internet-connected content. Streaming services and ad-supported platforms like Prime Video, YouTube, and Pluto TV are capturing significant viewership.
In fact, 95% of Spanish internet users aged 16 to 75 — around 33 million people — access TV content via the internet (IAB Spain, 2024). The industry is responding accordingly: 2 out of 3 professionals say they are already investing in Connected TV (CTV), and 26% plan to do so within this year.
Programmatic advertising
While innovative advertising strategies are constantly emerging, it’s crucial not to overlook the enduring significance of established methods. Programmatic advertising focused on branding continues to play a pivotal role in the digital landscape and experiences steady YoY growth.
▪️Branding-focused advertising
A noticeable shift towards brand-building strategies is shaping digital investments. Agencies are prioritizing brand awareness and recall over short-term direct response campaigns.
High-impact formats, including immersive experiences, interactive storytelling, and engaging video content, are proving to be effective tools for fostering emotional connections with consumers.
▪️Programmatic advertising
That’s where programmatic advertising comes in and shines. It has become a cornerstone of digital marketing, now accounting for over one-third of total digital ad spending. Its success lies in its ability to automate ad buying, leverage real-time bidding, and use AI-driven insights for precision targeting.
Programmatic advertising enhances cost-efficiency and ad placement, enabling brands to maximize reach for branding campaigns and boost engagement and conversion rates for performance-driven efforts — all while minimizing wasted ad spend.
Strategic digital advertising for this year
In today’s dynamic digital advertising landscape, strategic investment in high-performing channels is crucial for brands looking to achieve their marketing objectives. By focusing on key areas such as search, social media, DOOH, CTV, branding, or programmatic advertising, brands can effectively:
✔ Drive higher conversion rates and maximize ROI
✔ Enhance engagement with their target audiences
✔ Foster long-term customer relationships through immersive storytelling
As technology continues to advance and consumer behaviors shift, brands must stay ahead of emerging trends and adapt their strategies accordingly.
At Kimia, we work with all advertising formats—from well-established, high-performing channels to new, cutting-edge trends that we customize for our clients to maximize their impact.
📩 Contact us today, and let’s craft a future-proof digital marketing strategy that delivers real results and builds lasting trust!
