Reporting the ninth consecutive year of growth, GroupM has raised its UK expectations from the 4.5% growth it predicted six months ago. It also now estimates that 2017 will end better than expected, with investment reaching £18.9bn ( 5% growth, up from the 4.1% earlier predicted).

It predicts that next year, digital ‘pure play’ internet advertising will take 60% of UK ad investment because of rising digital audiences, growing e-commerce and marketer short-termism.

Adam Smith, GroupM’s futures director, said: “Advertising investment remains stable despite a fragile economy. The focus of marketers remains relentlessly short-term and arguably under-weighted relative to long-term brand building in broadcast media. This favours performance-oriented digital media which continue to be the most robust growth story despite concerns over measurement, transparency, brand safety and other issues.”