Use our industry guide to find key background information, market research, import and export guidelines, statistics, legislation, trade bodies and trade publications.
The Business & Industry Guides series is produced by the Library & Information Service for ICAEW members and ACA students.
We can compile tailored key players reports, mailing lists, market reports, benchmarking reports and industry news. Our enquiry team can also research other industry-specific information, such as taxation, for you. Call us on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com.
Trends and forecasts
Online articles
The library provides full access to articles from leading business, finance and management journals.
Access to articles is provided subject to suppliers’ terms of use.
Useful links
Post-Brexit migration and accessing foreign talent in the Creative Industries
Research paper published by the Creative Industries Policy and Education Centre in March 2023. Explores how the UK's Creative Industries, including Advertising, have been impacted by Brexit with a particular focus on migration and foreign workers.
Market research
Market research reports focusing on this business sector are available from a number of market research specialists. In most cases these reports are available to fee-paying subscribers or on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Industry profiles and SWOT analyses
Industry profiles give an overview of market size in different countries or regions, the competitive landscape and provide a forecast of market performance. These profiles are available for ICAEW members and ACA students through the Library & Information Service.
Regional reports
Asia
Europe
North America
If you’re looking for industry profiles for regions or countries not listed above, please contact the Library on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com.
SWOT analyses examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for major companies operating in this sector are available.
If you experience any problems accessing these resources, please see our online resources troubleshooting FAQ.
Other market research specialists
Some free information is available from the following market research specialists, ranging from industry news to executive summaries of the reports.
Euromonitor
A full listing of reference products and research reports for the business services industry (including reports covering advertising) from Euromonitor, with a range of global, country and company level reports. Each report provides a contents listing and a useful executive summary reporting on the key trends in each country report.
IBISWorld
Business and industry research specialists offering reports on a wide range of sectors, including advertising agencies. Report snapshots, table of contents and a sample report are available. The company also produces global industry research reports.
Mintel
Report from Mintel covering the UK digital advertising market. The website includes a summary and the option to view a contents listing.
Industry news
Need to find the latest news on this industry sector? We can carry out industry news searches using a range of trade titles and general business sources through our databases. To discuss your requirements, please contact the enquiry team on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or at library@icaew.com.
Statistics on the UK
The Advertising Association/Warc
The Advertising Association and Warc perform quarterly Expenditure Report surveys and compile adspend data by sector, which is available by subscription. Headline figures are given in quarterly press releases.
Campaign
The magazine Campaign produces a number of annual agency league tables, including:
- top 100 creative agencies
- top 50 media agencies
- top 30 regional advertising agencies.
Office for National Statistics
The Annual Business Survey (ABS) from the Office for National Statistics collects financial information covering UK production, construction, distribution and service industries. Statistics available include:
- number of enterprises;
- total turnover;
- approximate gross value added at basic prices;
- total purchases of goods, materials and services;
- total employment costs;
- total net capital expenditure;
- total net capital expenditure – acquisitions;
- total net capital expenditure – disposals;
- total stocks and work in progress – value at end of year;
- total stocks and work in progress – value at beginning of year;
- total stocks and work in progress – increase during year.
The dataset Non-financial business economy, UK: Sections A to S includes statistics for:
- Advertising agencies (73.11)
See Section M: Professional, scientific and technical activities
Statistics on Europe
Eurostat
Eurostat, the EU statistics hub, collates detailed Structural Business Statistics giving the latest figures for industry, construction, trade and services by sector and country. The indicators available include:
- number of enterprises
- turnover or gross premiums written
- production value
- value added at factor cost
- gross operating surplus
- wages and salaries
- social security costs
- gross investment in tangible goods
- gross investment in land
- gross investment in existing buildings and structures
- gross investment in construction and alteration of buildings
- gross investment in machinery and equipment
- number of employees
- number of persons employed per enterprise.
Statistics within the database are available for:
- Advertising agencies (M7311)
See database section ‘SBS – services’
Statistics on the Americas
American Association of Advertising Agencies
The American Association of Advertising Agencies collates agency statistics covering the number and location of advertising agencies in the US and data on employment, including women in the workforce. (Available to members only)
Employment
UK
The annual Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), published by the Office for National Statistics, includes total employee and employment estimates for different industries for Great Britain and the UK. Figures are broken down to show full-time/part-time and public/private splits. The dataset Industry – Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES): Table 2 includes statistics for:
- Advertising agencies (73110)
The Office for National Statistics publication Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) includes average employment costs within this sector which can be found in Table 14. Average employment costs are provided for full-time employees, part-time employees and all employees.
The data includes average employment costs for advertising and public relations managers.
Other regions
Please see individual country profile pages for links to sources of national statistics.
Legislation and regulation
UK
UK Advertising Codes
The Committee of Advertising Practice provides The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing and The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, with links to relevant legislation affecting advertising.
UK key players, ratios and trends
We can produce reports on this sector using selected information from the FAME company database. Reports are available for:
- Advertising agencies – UK SIC (2007) Code 7311
Summaries of the three types of report we can produce are given below. You can find further information, a sample report, pricing details and an online order form on our industry sector reports page.
We also operate a bespoke reports service with results tailored to your specifications. Please contact our enquiry team on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or at library@icaew.com to discuss your requirements.
Key players report
Our key players report looks at the top companies (by turnover) in any one of the segments within this sector. Reports usually include the top 100 companies but in more specialised sectors with fewer than 100 companies we show all companies with disclosed figures. The reports provide data on 11 comparative fields for the last available year, including:
- turnover;
- profit margins;
- returns on shareholder funds;
- solvency ratios
- number of employees.
Our reports enable easy comparison of the top companies in this sector against each other and against the sector median, average and standard deviation in each of the 11 fields.
Mailing list
A separate mailing list report is also available with address and contact details for the top companies in any of the segments within this sector.
Market reports
Our market reports look at the aggregated data for the top companies (by turnover) for any of the segments within this sector across all the fields usually found in a company report. The reports include data for the last 10 years* and enables easy comparison of trends for the whole sector. Reports usually include the top 100 companies but in more specialised sectors with fewer than 100 companies we show all companies with disclosed figures.
*Please note the number of companies for which data is aggregated will vary for any given year.
The market reports include sections on:
- key financials and employees;
- profit and loss account;
- balance sheet;
- cash flow statement;
- financial ratios;
- financial trends and changes;
- profitability trends and changes.
UK benchmarking
We offer benchmarking reports that can be used to inform your own business strategy or help you identify value-added services to offer to your clients.
Contact the enquiry team directly on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or at library@icaew.com for a report tailored to your own specific requirements.
Valuation
BVB Insights
Annual report providing the latest transaction multiples broken down by industry. Each section includes a summary of recent deals with EBITDA, average transaction size and expert analysis of current trends within each industry.
Advertising and marketing is grouped under 'consumer discretionary' but has its own transaction multiples and analysis.
ICAEW members, ACA students and Forensic/Valuation Group subscribers can download an overview of the report with headline industry multiples. Information on individual deals can be supplied by the Library on request.
Trade journals and publications
Trade journals, B2B magazines and specialist consumer magazines are another useful source of news and statistics.
Trade bodies
The websites of trade bodies in this sector are a useful source of industry overviews, contacts and statistics.
UK
- Account Planning Group (APG)
- Advertising Association (AA)
- Association of B2B Agencies (ABBA)
- D&AD
- ISBA
- Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)
- Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB)
- Outsmart
Europe
- European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA)
- European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA)
Africa
Americas
- American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)
- Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA)
- Association of National Advertisers (ANA) (US)
- Associação Brasileira de Anunciantes
- Caribbean Advertising Federation
Asia
- Advertising Association of Thailand
- China Association of National Advertisers (CANA)
- Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA)
- Japan Advertisers Association (JAA)
- Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA)
- Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA)
Oceania
- Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA)
- Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA)
- Communications Council (Australia)
Global
Further resources
Advertising industry guide: British Library
British Library industry guides provide listings of resources for industry-specific information, including print directories and materials held by the British Library.
Contact the British Library Business and IP Centre for more information.
Further reading
Articles and books in the Library collection
To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.
You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post or email through our document supply service.
Can't find what you're looking for?
The ICAEW Library can give you the right information from trustworthy, professional sources that aren't freely available online. Contact us for expert help with your enquiries and research.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information given in this Business & Industry Guide is correct. However, the content of websites changes frequently and users should satisfy themselves that the information they contain is suitable for the purposes for which they wish to use it. We would be grateful to receive notification of any broken links at library@icaew.com.
ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided ‘as is’ with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.
