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ASA ad spend figures raise important questions – OOHMAA CEO
Kath Mitchell, CEO of OOHMAA
Digital advertising now accounts for nearly three quarters of advertising spend here in Aotearoa, according to the latest figures from the Advertising Standards Authority.
The ASA’s annual Advertising Turnover Report looks at advertising spend in Aotearoa. It collects data from magazines, television, digital, radio, out of home, mail and cinema.
In the latest report, published on March 19, total digital advertising accounted for 72.1% of all revenue here in Aotearoa, for the year ending December 31, 2025. That is $2,967 million ($3 billion) of a total $4,115 million ($4.1 billion).
It is a figure that continues to grow year on year, up from 69.3% in 2024 ($2,646m) and 62.9% ($2,112m) in 2023.
The total digital figure also includes digital advertising revenue for newspapers, magazines, radio and television. In total, there was $262m spent across these segments.
Encouraging momentum
OOHMAA CEO Kath Mitchell says the figures from the report show encouraging momentum in the advertising industry, especially in the out of home space, which has grown 9.91% year on year.
But, these figures raise important questions about where those dollars end up and what impact that has here in Aotearoa, she adds.
“This isn’t about whether a business is local or global. We’re not anti-global. We’re pro-contribution. It’s about how companies show up in New Zealand,” says Mitchell.
“Many global businesses invest meaningfully here. They employ people, pay tax, build infrastructure and contribute to the wider economy. That’s the benchmark.”
Three key questions
“Digital will, and should, remain a critical part of the mix. But as these numbers grow, we need to ask three questions,” she says.
“Are the numbers accurate and how are they gathered? Are we striking the right balance in our media investment? And are we doing enough to ensure more of that investment contributes back into the New Zealand economy?
“The next phase of growth isn’t just about where we spend. It’s about what that spend supports and are those spend figures accurate.”
