Almost half of the government’s 2018 ad spend went towards digital platforms

The Government of Canada spent $18.2 million on digital advertisements last year, according to its newly tabled annual report on advertising activities.

In total, the government spent $39.2 million on ads in 2018, meaning that roughly 46 percent of its total ad budget went towards digital platforms.

Specifically, the government noted that $7.8 million (43 percent) of the digital ad spend was put into social media ads.

While the government said it advertised across a variety of platforms, including Twitter, Linkedin and Snapchat, it was Facebook that took up 73 percent of its total social media spend. The government cited statistics showing Facebook has a 75 percent reach among Canadian internet users as the main reason for the ad focus on the Menlo Park, California-based social network.

According to the government, Facebook “generally has high engagement rates” while Twitter has more “limited targeting options” due to its focus on breaking news.

The increase in spending on digital platforms resulted in less money going towards other platforms. Only $570,000 and $392,000 investments went into print and radio ads, respectively, each making up less than 1.5 percent of total spend. Television ads, meanwhile, only received $4.5 million (11.5 percent) of total spend.

Source: Government of Canada Via: National Post