First Quarter figures show that Facebook has upped its traditional advertising spend in the UK. With success resulting from its TV campaigns and on the London Underground, we were interested to explore how other brands too, are still navigating the offline space.

Research firm Nielsen has estimated Facebook’s advertising spend in the UK to be at £6 million this first quarter- an increase of £16,000 on last year. In the context of the UK’s £18 billion advertising market, this doesn’t seem like a huge amount, but the rise does indicate that the public have responded positively to offline marketing. Back in February, Facebook released a series of popular TV adverts in a campaign entitled “Friends”, to demonstrate Facebook’s presence in its users’ daily lives. The series comprised three ads: “Our Friends”, “Friend Request” and “Girl Friends”, showing (unsurprisingly) the role of friendship and how Facebook can be used to maintain and grow this. Clearly placing importance on traditional media since the campaign aired, Facebook has spent over £3 million on television, and £1.5 million on outdoor, as demonstrated by its recent adverts on the London Underground which also highlighted its “Friends” campaign.

When it comes to traditional media, it is TV where the main amount of spending is allocated. UK and Northern Europe Chairman of the IPA Media Futures Group, Tom George, stated that this year, TV has continued “to perform remarkably well, indicating its importance in long-term brand building.” However, outdoor media and other forms have clearly attracted attention- Facebook for instance, has spent £900,000 on cinema, and another £600,000 on press in the UK, as reported by Nielsen. And we understand the attraction- while online marketing is of course hugely important, influential and rapidly growing, the balance of traditional advertising is seen as a way for global brands to permeate the everyday aspects of our lives- from print, to travel, to simply watching TV at home.

We’ve seen several other tech giants adopting a strong offline approach when it comes to advertising- which is surprising given their encouragement for businesses to up their digital spend. Both Google and Apple for instance, have invested much on offline, with the former using TV, the press and outdoor campaigns to advertise its popular YouTube channels. Google also marketed its Android smartphones using TV ads such as its “Be Together. Not the Same” campaign, which showed how users could express themselves through these new devices. This campaign also extended outdoors, with a huge interactive billboard displayed in Times Square. For its online products Google has also focused on out of home advertising, with some great ads for Google Search appearing across the London transport system. Similarly, Apple has focused on transport locations worldwide in recent campaigns to promote its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The tech retailer launched its “Shot on iPhone” campaign, showing the smartphone’s improved camera features, which were displayed at bus stops, train and underground stations in cities including London, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, Beijing and San Francisco. With an evident pull towards offline media, it will be interesting to see if other brands follow suit, and how the traditional sector will continue to perform this year.

What do you think of the role that traditional advertising plays for today’s brands? Do you think it is showing growth once again, or that online campaigns will still dominate? We’d love to hear your thoughts as always, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.