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UK SIC M73.110 | Industry Report

Advertising Agencies in the UK Industry Data and Analysis

TW
Thomas Weale
Analyst London, United Kingdom September 2025

Over the five years through 2025-26, advertising agency revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 5.6% to £45.4 billion. Advertising agencies have benefitted from expanding advertising budgets across a variety of media. With many consumers returning to cinema, and streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video offering lower-cost plans incorporating ads, agencies are generating more revenue from cinema and video-on-demand TV advertising strategies. Economic uncertainty has accelerated demand for online advertising, viewed as a short-term boost to brand visibility and customer engagement at a lower cost than TV and cinema advertising.

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What's included in this industry analysis

IBISWorld's research coverage on the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released September 2025.

About this industry

What's this industry report about?

The Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code M73.110. Advertising agencies produce, place and provide advice about advertising material across a range of media, including TV, print, radio and the internet. They also advertise at the point of sale, on billboards and through direct mail promotional campaigns. The industry excludes public relations agencies, media sales representatives and market researchers. Related terms covered in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom include below-the-line advertising, above-the-line advertising and out-of-home advertising.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom include TV and radio advertising, Print media advertising and Online advertising.

What companies are included in this industry?

Companies covered in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom include WPP plc, Publicis Groupe SA and Omnicom Group Inc.

Performance

What's included in the Performance chapter?

The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom.

Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.

Products & Markets

What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?

The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom.

Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.

Geographic Breakdown

What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?

The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom.

Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.

Competitive Forces

What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?

The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.

Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.

Companies

What's included in the Companies chapter?

The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.

Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.

External Environment

What's included in the External Environment chapter?

The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.

Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.

Financial Benchmarks

What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?

The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.

Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.

Industry Data

What's included in the Industry Data chapter?

The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?

The market size of the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom is £45.4bn in 2026.

How many businesses are there in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

There are 19,418 businesses in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 2.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom?

The Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom?

The Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 5.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom?

The biggest companies operating in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom are WPP plc, Publicis Groupe SA and Omnicom Group Inc

What does the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom include?

Online advertising and TV and radio advertising are part of the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom?

The company holding the most market share in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom is WPP plc.

How competitive is the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Advertising Agencies industry in the United Kingdom.

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