Social media continues to be one of the fastest-growing channels in European advertising. According to our latest AdEx report, social media advertising grew by 23.9% in 2024, ranking it among the top-performing channels across the region.
But growth alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
Behind these headline figures, advertisers and agencies are having to balance opportunity with increasing expectations around media quality, measurement confidence, and transparency. Budget decisions are no longer made on reach and engagement alone. They’re shaped by the ability to demonstrate performance, protect brand safety, and trust reporting standards.
Which raises important questions:
A Clearer Picture of Budget Priorities
To better understand how these forces are shaping real investment decisions, IAB Europe, in collaboration with DoubleVerify, has launched The State of Social Media Investment & Media Quality in Europe.
This new research study aims to capture:
The goal is simple: move beyond assumptions and capture real advertiser and agency experience.
Why Your Voice Matters
If you’re involved in planning, buying, or overseeing social media campaigns, we’d love to hear from you. Your input will help build a more grounded and representative view of how budgets are being allocated, and why.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. As a thank you for your time, participants can also enter a prize draw to win a €250 voucher.
If you’re not directly involved in budget decisions, please consider sharing the survey with advertiser or agency contacts who are. Your share could help shape more meaningful insights for the whole industry.
