AA/WARC reaction: The death knell for vanity metrics?

This week’s AA/WARC Expenditure Report has revealed a number of channels have benefited as UK adspend increased 8% to £10.6bn in Q1 2025, up 1.4 percentage points on the April forecast.

The report authors put this increase down to advertisers bringing budgets forward to fight the chaos caused by US president Donald Trump’s much lamented trade tariffs. But what do advertising, marketing and media chiefs reckon? Decision Marketing investigates.

First up is Usercentrics privacy expert Tilman Harmeling, staff strategy and market intelligence. He sees the report as fresh evidence that marketing confidence is rebounding, with brands ramping up investment in data-driven channels like search, social, and retail media.

However, he adds: “As performance takes centre stage, one critical question emerges: ‘are brands investing in digital performance without investing in the trust that powers it?’

“According to our recent research, 46% of consumers click ‘accept all’ cookies less often than they did three years ago, and 59% express concern about how their data is used to train AI systems.

“As personalised experiences evolve, trust becomes not just an ethical imperative, but a strategic one. Brands that lead with privacy, future-proof their performance and are positioned for sustainable growth.”

Ozone senior director of advertising Emma Cranston, meanwhile, maintains that amid the current uncertainty and headwinds we’re seeing across the world, advertising’s contribution to the UK economy has never been more important.

She adds: “There’s a lot to be optimistic about in these latest ad forecasts – it’s a welcome sight as we push through H2. But with much of Q1’s result led by better than expected growth for search and online display, we have to remind ourselves of the broader impact of advertising beyond the short-term.

“While these headwinds may not have fully disappeared, we hope that brands have become somewhat used to them now and can refocus their attention on balancing their investment through the funnel.”

Trade Desk UK vice-president Phil Duffield backs Cranston’s viewpoint. He explains: “Advertising plays a pivotal role in sustaining the UK economy. Continued investment in adspend drives long-term business growth and is essential to preserving the future of quality content and trusted journalism.

“Consumers spend the majority of their time on premium channels and environments where they’re more receptive and engaged with brand messaging. While rising budgets can make the allure of cheap reach tempting – marketers often pay in other ways, through a lack of control, transparency and objectivity over their media buys.”

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, for Sky Media managing director Brett Aumuller it is the continued grow in VOD, with a forecasted 10.1% uplift this year, that stands out.

He continues: “As advertisers face ongoing economic uncertainty and rising pressure to prove effectiveness, we’re seeing more brands turn to VOD for its ability to combine premium content environments with digital-style targeting and measurement.

“This isn’t about replacing linear TV but enhancing what television can do. VOD helps advertisers reach more defined audiences, control frequency, and get closer to outcomes with greater precision.

“The growth we’re seeing reflects how VOD is becoming a core part of the media mix for brands seeking both impact and accountability.

“Ultimately, it shows that advertisers are prioritising trusted, brand-safe platforms that deliver measurable results, and modern TV is meeting that brief.”

UniLED Software client partnerships director Sam Holland believes that while any growth in adspend is welcomed, it is frustrating to see circumspection when it comes to media planning and channel choice. And, once again, he is keen to promote his own discipline.

He comments: “For the OOH industry a mere 1% uplift is further proof that advertisers remain cautiously optimistic when it comes to adspend investment, focusing on short-term, tactical activations. This is something we’ve seen evidenced – and has been discussed widely – from other industry-wide adspend reports.

“The simple fact is that to be effective and have impact, media investment needs to align with media consumption – which is why smart advertisers are going beyond search and online, ensuring DOOH activations are also in the media mix.

“As a trusted, passive medium DOOH can help brands to truly connect with their audience and capture attention by delivering ROAS without interrupting or disrupting the consumption of editorial content. And, as an aside, it will help to support the wider industry as a whole to thrive, not stagnate.”

Finally, to Charlie Oscar chief growth officer Will Frappell, who is another that reckons that, while the modest upgrade in growth is not exactly going to have the industry jumping for joy, it is still a step in the right direction.

And, at the very least, the report echoes other by studies which show an element of measured confidence returning to the advertising and marketing sector.

Frappell concludes: “We’re in the era of discipline, intelligence and evaluation. As we move further into H2 and 2026, the smart and ambitious brands will maintain a meticulous and strategic focus on performance, precision and impact.

“AI and full funnel measurement will play a critical role in unearthing the insights needed to ensure every pound spent delivers on ROAS.

“And media investment will continue to be assigned to the digital channels and campaign activations that actually deliver real business outcomes, not just vanity metrics.”